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Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Beyond the Gates' is the 1st Black soap in over 30 years. How the show makes sure ‘everybody's represented'
There are certain times in life when you pause, take in your surroundings and realize that you're witnessing the start of something wonderful. Tamara Tunie had one of those special moments when she sat down for the first table read of the new CBS daytime drama, 'Beyond the Gates.' 'The energy and the excitement were just so palpable, and there was just a knowingness that this was different,' the actor tells Having spent 15 years on 'As The World Turns' earlier in her career, Tunie is no stranger to soap operas. But once 'Beyond the Gates' began filming, Tunie instantly knew the experience would be unique, especially since she'd grown accustomed to often being the only Black person in a cast. 'It's very difficult being the only one, no matter how well you navigate it. So, to walk into a space where there are multitudes is a relief because when you're only one, you feel like you have the responsibility. But when there are multitudes, it's shared and it's a lighter weight,' she explains. 'Beyond the Gates' is making history as the first-ever one-hour Black daytime soap opera and the first daytime drama since 'Passions,' which premiered in 1999. But Tunie and her co-stars make one thing abundantly clear while chatting with ahead of the series premiere: This show is for everyone. 'You have not just the Black family, but you have white people, you have Asian people, you have Hispanic people. You have a gay couple. Everybody's represented in this show,' Tunie says. Daphnée Duplaix, who plays Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson on the drama, echoes her co-star's sentiments while explaining why the show's timing is just right. 'The reality is, there is no race. We are the human race. Our stories are the same. Our struggles might have been different, but our stories are the same. It's a universal show,' she says. Like other soap operas, the daytime series is chock-full of juicy intrigue, romance and complicated family relationships. Set in Fairmont Crest, 'Beyond the Gates' is an exclusive gated community in Maryland where multiple generations of the wealthy Dupree family reside. Vernon and Anita Dupree (Clifton Davis and Tamara Tunie) are the patriarch and matriarch of the successful family, which includes their two daughters Dani (Karla Mosley) and Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and four grandchildren. The Duprees are basically Black royalty and their reputation precedes them around town. There's plenty of drama at the center of the series premiere, which introduces viewers to the Duprees as they navigate a rather delicate situation: the wedding of Dani's ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett). In true soap opera fashion, the story behind Bill's upcoming nuptials is quite scandalous. As it turns out, Bill cheated on Dani with their daughter Naomi's (Arielle Prepetit) best friend, Hayley (Marquita Goings). The pair hit it off, leading to the dissolution of Bill and Dani's marriage. Like any tight-knit crew, the Duprees stick together and support each other through ups and downs, so the family unites to face this latest challenge together. Before 'Beyond the Gates,' a half-hour NBC series called 'Generations' made history as the first soap opera to feature a Black family at the forefront of the show alongside a white family. The show premiered in 1989 and ended in 1991. Clifton Davis, who plays the Dupree family's patriarch, Vernon, on 'Beyond the Gates,' recalls watching a few episodes of 'Generations' to witness his Broadway co-star Jonelle Allen in action on the small screen. 'That was a half-hour show. This is an hour-long show with the primary family being African American. That's a long way to come from 'Generations,'' he says. In the years since 'Generations' ended its two-season run on NBC, African American actors have played critical roles in a plethora of daytime soap operas. Kristoff St. John, who starred in 'Generations,' went on to build a wildly successful career on 'The Young and the Restless' as the head of the Winters family. He joined a host of Black stars who left their mark on the soap industry, including Debbi Morgan, Shemar Moore, Victoria Rowell, and countless others. Karla Mosley hadn't watched 'Generations' until she landed the role of Dani Dupree on 'Beyond the Gates.' But when she did, she saw a few familiar faces, including St. John, who she worked with before his death in 2019. Watching "Generations" while preparing for her role in 'Beyond the Gates' was inspiring for Mosley, who has appeared in several soap operas throughout her career, including 'The Young and the Restless,' 'The Bold and the Beautiful' and 'Guiding Light.' 'It emboldens and empowers me in my performance today. I feel like I'm standing on their shoulders,' she says. Davis, 79, honed his acting career during a period where roles for Black performers were few and far between. 'When I got in television in the early '70s, Melvin Moore and I were the first African American couple to host a variety show on network television, so that was historic. Trust me, there were no Black faces behind the scenes. It was just us. And if there were Black faces, it was because we invited them to be a part of the show,' he recalls. Looking back on this experience and comparing it to his time filming 'Beyond the Gates' thus far, Davis can't help but marvel at how the industry has shifted toward a more inclusive one. 'There weren't Black producers. There weren't Black writers. There weren't Black cameramen. There weren't Black lighting people. But here we are in another dimension in 2025, where 'Beyond the Gates' has all of the above ... I think we've come a mighty, mighty, mighty long way, and in my 50 some years of television, this is darn amazing," he says. When Duplaix auditioned for 'Beyond the Gates,' she was excited for the project. But it wasn't until she landed the role of Nicole that she started to realize what the show would mean to her and its future audience. 'I'm laying in bed and I woke up. I'm staring at the ceiling and it just hit me. I was like, 'Whoa, this is huge. This is groundbreaking,'' she recalls. '(I suddenly understood) the weight that we're going to be carrying for everyone. And that's when I got a little nervous.' Luckily, Duplaix wouldn't have to go it alone. She soon witnessed the extensive support system she'd have on set from her castmates, show creator Michele Val Jean, and executive producers Julie Carruthers and Sheila Ducksworth. Val Jean previously worked as a writer for 'Generations' and has had a successful career with multiple soap opera writing credits, including 'The Bold and the Beautiful' and 'General Hospital.' In an 'Entertainment Tonight' special titled 'Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood,' Ducksworth spoke to the significance of her and Val Jean's partnership on the show. 'We're the two first Black female executive producers in daytime television for a soap opera,' she said. The powerhouse producers, who have known each other over 20 years, also gave some insight into how the show came to be. Ducksworth, a longtime soap opera fan, said she's always wanted to make a soap opera that was 'reflective of people that I knew.' "Sheila said she wanted to make the soap about a family that lived in a gated community, so I just started thinking about characters and how to populate it and who they were and how they connected," Val Jean said. 'Beyond the Gates' prioritizes representation in front of the camera, but the series has also made diversity a priority behind the scenes with its crew. 'It's comforting when you walk into a building and you know people understand you and they understand how to light you and they understand how to do your hair and you don't have to explain anything,' Duplaix says. The diversity on set also helps fuel the actors' performances. 'I'm realizing that part of the reason I'm able to play Dani with such freedom and bravery is because I feel so safe in this environment,' Mosley explains. From writers and wardrobe stylists to makeup artists and hairstylists, each member of the crew is focused on making the show as authentic as possible and making the cast feel comfortable. '(It's nice) coming in not having to worry about my hair and if someone's gonna be able to know how to do it or not, not having to worry about my makeup, not having to worry about my clothes ... All of those things are elements that I didn't realize I'd been concerned about in the past that I don't have to think about now and that just makes the job so much easier,' Mosley says. While 'Beyond the Gates' is making history as the first series of its kind, Duplaix hopes the show's premiere is also significant for the soap opera industry in general. 'I keep saying, 'We're the first, but I surely hope we're not the last.' We're not reinventing the soap wheel; we're just making it better. Hopefully, next year there's another new show and the year after that so we can rebuild daytime television,' she says. Several of the stars of 'Beyond the Gates' have extensive experience in the soap opera realm, but joining a show at its inception is a pretty rare feat. 'The other soaps have been on for decades, so you're jumping on a moving train. We're at the beginning before the train leaves the station and the kind of impact that you can have in establishing the world is really special, and I'm loving being a part of that,' Tunie says. When Mosley first heard about 'Beyond the Gates,' she thought the series was a no brainer. 'At a time where there's a lot of division in our country and in our world, this can be a place where there's both entertainment and joy,' she says. While discussing the significance of the show, Tunie reflects on the importance of representation. 'We're not going away and we're not hiding our light. We're shining our light brightly, and this show does that,' she says. 'It shines the light very brightly.' Twenty regular characters will appear on the show, along with additional recurring characters. The four main members of the Dupree family are front and center, with members of their extended family also playing a vital role in the series. Below, get to know the key players. Who is Vernon Dupree? He's a former senator and the patriarch of the wealthy and accomplished Dupree family. Vernon's father founded Fairmont Crest, the exclusive gated community in Maryland where his family resides. Davis on his character: 'He's humble, even though he's reached many heights in politics and in society. He's a strong man. He doesn't have to push. He doesn't have to scream and yell,' Davis says. 'He's a loving, tender father and husband. He's mad about his wife and he's mad about his children and his grandchildren and he'll do anything to protect them.' Where you've seen Davis before: 'Blue Bloods,' 'Billions,' 'Madam Secretary,' 'Cover,' 'Halloweentown High,' 'Amen,' 'That's My Mama' and more. What has Vernon taught you about yourself? "It has taught me that I can still deliver. ... That's all I ever wanted was the work. The other stuff is nice. It's extra, though, because the real joy is doing it," he says. Who is Anita Dupree? The matriarch of the Dupree family was once a famous singer and is married to Vernon. She has two daughters, Nicole and Dani, and four grandchildren: Naomi, Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla), Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Kat (Colby Muhammad). Tunie on her character: 'She was a singer and an actor. She's won some awards. She fell in love with the rising politician and set her career aside in order to support his career and yet that performer is still in there,' Tunie says. "I saw her as a woman in her sixties who was glamorous, who was sexy, who was vibrant, who was vital, who loved unconditionally, who was all about family. She reminded me of my own mother.' Where you've seen Davis before: 'Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,' 'A Journal for Jordan,' 'Cowboy Bebop,' 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' 'As the World Turns' and more. Why 'Beyond the Gates' is for everybody: 'It's multi-generational. It's multicultural. The stories are human stories that are gonna be entertaining and juicy,' Tunie says. Who is Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson? She's the daughter of Vernon and Anita Dupree. She is a successful psychiatrist and is married to Dr. Ted Richardson (Maurice Johnson). Together, the couple has two adult children: Martin and Kat. Duplaix on her character: 'I actually wanted to be Dani Dupree because I knew she was feisty, fiery and she wore her feelings on the outside. Nicole is the complete opposite: she's sweet and soft. And I was like, 'Oh, she's boring.' But when we got into those first couple of scripts, our writers are so amazing. I was like, 'Oh, I'm gonna have some fun with her.'' she says. Where you've seen Duplaix before: 'One Life to Live,' 'Passions,' 'Lost & Found,' 'Pitcher and the Pin-Up,' 'RSVP,' 'Unreported' and more. On her lifelong love of soap operas: 'I started watching soaps when I was 4 years old and I was hooked just like everybody else.' Who is Dani Dupree? She's Vernon and Anita Dupree's other daughter and the sister of Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson. Dani, a former model, was previously married to Bill Hamilton and they share two adult children: Naomi and Chelsea. Mosley on her character: 'I can't wait to see what Dani's gonna do and that's how I felt when I read the script. It's how I still feel when I read the scripts,' Mosley says. Where you've seen Mosley: 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' 'Burn After Reading,' 'The Young and the Restless,' 'Hart of Dixie,' 'Guiding Light' and more. What Dani has taught Mosley about herself: 'She's helped me to share more about what's going on the inside ... it's made it easier for me to stand up for myself, to say what I feel is right, to ask for what I want. And that feels good,' she says. To further emphasize the value of representation on set, CBS Studios and P&G Studios partnered with NAACP Venture to develop the series. 'Historically, the NAACP has been talking to Hollywood about the issue of inclusion for decades. And so finally somebody actually said, 'Ok, yes, let's not just talk about it. Let's do something,'' Tunie says. The NAACP has lent its voice to enhance the production of the series, but Davis is quick to emphasize that the soap opera isn't 'a social studies show' or 'a documentary.' 'We do touch on the fact that we did marches. We touch on the fact that Anita and Vernon met on a march fighting for civil rights and people mention our activism and we speak to that and they talk a little bit about the history of certain protests. We don't land on it, but we brush by a little bit of that history and so it's not left out,' he says. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beyond the Gates Video: Tamara Tunie Confirms She Will Sing on CBS' New Daytime Drama, Plus More Scoop
If you primarily know Tamara Tunie from her longstanding role as medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on Law & Order: SVU, prepare to see (and hear) her in a whole new light. As fabulous family matriarch Anita Dupree on CBS' new daytime drama Beyond the Gates, Tunie's latest role involves handling less body bags and more Birkin bags. A glamorous philanthropist who made a name for herself in the music industry, Anita is a diva in every sense of the word. And because every diva needs her stage… More from TVLine Beyond the Gates Review: CBS' Historic New Soap Is a Thrilling Throwback With Deep Daytime Roots Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans Will Let Viewers Vote on Twists That Could Change Returnees' Fates Georgie & Mandy's Father-Son Reunion Revealed: Young Sheldon's George Sr. Returns in New Promo - WATCH 'I'll just say it. I'll put it out there. You're the first to know. Yes, there will be singing on the show,' Tunie revealed to me during a recent visit to the TVLine studios, where she was joined by co-star Daphnee Duplaix. Tunie knew that she'd be playing a professional singer, but she didn't know that she'd actually have to perform until she signed on. 'I was like, 'Wait, I haven't sung in four years since Covid,'' Tunie recalled, adding that she has since 'dusted off the chops' and has been 'working on some great stuff' that she thinks the audience will love. 'I might be the only person on the show who doesn't sing professionally. Everybody is amazing,' Duplaix added, though Tunie was quick to cut her off: 'Not everybody.' The first new daytime soap opera in 25 years, and the first to be led by a Black cast in 35 years, Beyond the Gates represents a potentially historic turning point for the genre. And as I already noted in my review, it's the kind of show that gives longtime soap lovers exactly what they want. New episodes of Beyond the Gates air weekdays at 2/1c on CBS. Hit PLAY on the video above to watch our interview with Tunie and Duplaix, then grade the show in our poll below and drop a comment with your review.
Los Angeles Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Beyond the Gates' is making history, but it's also a ‘messy and entertaining' soap
New York — It has been more than 25 years since 'Passions,' the last new daytime soap opera to air on American network TV, debuted on NBC. And for nearly as long, Michele Val Jean and Sheila Ducksworth have dreamed of making a soap about an affluent Black family. Their shared vision comes to fruition Monday when 'Beyond the Gates,' a new drama following several generations of the wealthy Duprees, premieres on CBS. The series marks a historic breakthrough as the first daytime soap with a primarily Black cast on network TV. Yet it's also something of a throwback to an earlier era of television, when daytime soaps were thriving. At their peak, as many as 18 soap operas aired every day. Now, there are just three, all of which have been on TV for decades: 'General Hospital' on ABC and 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' both on CBS. After 57 years on NBC, 'Days of Our Lives' moved to Peacock in 2022. But over lunch in Manhattan last week, Ducksworth expressed confidence in the future of the format. 'Soaps have been around for almost a hundred years. It's the genre that never dies,' said Ducksworth, who is both executive producer on 'Beyond the Gates' and president of the CBS Studios/NAACP venture, which developed the series. 'I actually don't think it ever will.' Ducksworth was joined by two of the veteran soap stars leading the cast: Tamara Tunie, who stars as formidable matriarch Anita Dupree, and Daphnée Duplaix, who plays her daughter, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson. Both bring decades of experience to 'Beyond the Gates.' Tunie spent nearly 20 years on 'As the World Turns,' while Duplaix starred in both 'Passions' and 'One Life to Live.' The popularity of Fox's prime-time soap 'Empire,' which centered on a Black music dynasty and aired from 2015 to 2020, and Tyler Perry's sudsier dramas such as 'The Haves and the Have Nots,' suggests there's a large potential audience for juicy yet aspirational dramas about glamorous Black families. According to Nielsen, Black adults spend 31% more time watching TV each week than the general population. 'Beyond the Gates' is the first series to emerge from the CBS-NAACP partnership, launched in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd with the goal of bringing inclusive stories to television. (The series is also produced in partnership with Procter & Gamble.) But it arrives at a politically and culturally fraught moment, when the very concept of diversity is under renewed attack by the Trump administration. 'At this time, when there seems to be a desire to turn back the clock in this country, I think it's very important to show this affluent family that represents generational wealth in the Black community,' said Tunie, a longtime New Yorker who relocated to Atlanta to make the show. 'That is something that has existed for hundreds of years but has not been put forth into the zeitgeist. I think this will have an incredible impact.' Val Jean, the creator and showrunner, is a seasoned soap writer who's scripted more than 2,000 episodes of daytime TV. Her primary goal is entertaining viewers, but there's value in 'Black people on television, looking rich and gorgeous,' she said. 'It's something else to focus on that can be uplifting and entertaining, and we can see ourselves in it.' Talk to anyone who has ever been a fan of daytime soap operas, and they will fondly recall a habit that was forged in childhood, when they raced home after school to watch 'Days of Our Lives,' 'All My Children' or 'Dark Shadows' with their mom, grandmother, sister or aunt. For Val Jean, it was 'General Hospital.' 'My grandmother took care of us, so she always had the soaps on, and by osmosis, they seeped into my brain,' she said. Like much of the country, she was hooked on the Luke and Laura love story. She still remembers watching their wedding on a 13-inch black-and-white TV on her desk at work. Ducksworth was also raised on soaps, watching 'The Edge of Night' and 'General Hospital.' Although she was fascinated by the storytelling, she would also find herself eagerly anticipating the moments when Claudia Johnston Phillips, the character played by Bianca Ferguson, appeared onscreen. 'I would just wait for the character that looked like me,' she said. 'That was the high point — seeing her on TV.' As a college student a few years later, Ducksworth was gripped by 'Generations,' an NBC soap that broke new ground by featuring a Black family from its inception in 1989. The show's short but memorable run inspired Ducksworth to move to Los Angeles and make more TV like it — including, she hoped, a Black soap. Vivica A. Fox, who had starred in 'Generations,' introduced her to Val Jean, who had been the show's only Black writer and, it turned out, had written a pilot script for a soap about a wealthy Black family. The project didn't move forward, but Ducksworth vowed she would one day make a soap with Val Jean. When she began at the CBS-NAACP venture, Val Jean was one of the first people she called. Ducksworth had the idea to set the series in a gated community in suburban Maryland outside of Washington, D.C., a region that is home to some of the most affluent majority-Black counties in the country. Even with decades of experience writing soaps, building one from the ground up was a challenge for Val Jean. Because it's been so long since anyone has created a new daytime drama, for instance, there weren't any examples of show 'bibles,' the pitch documents outlining characters and story arcs, for her to work from. But she started by focusing on the matriarch and the patriarch. 'Who are characters that we've never seen before?' She came up with Anita, a girl-group singer who rose out of poverty in Chicago and met her husband, Vernon (Clifton Davis), a former senator, at a civil rights march. 'I thought, 'What if Diana Ross met John Lewis?'' Val Jean said. Everything else flowed from there. 'I would take my morning walk, and I would think about it, and I'd come home, and I'd just jot down ideas on index cards for the first couple of months,' Val Jean recalled. 'Then I started writing. I got my big stack of index cards and sorted through them, and there the characters were. There were their stories. I was basically a stenographer.' The Duprees have two daughters: Nicole, a level-headed psychiatrist (Duplaix), and the fiery Dani (Karla Mosley), whose ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) left her for their daughter's best friend Hayley (Marquita Goings). The series opens a few days before Bill and Hayley's wedding, set to take place at the local country club — much to Dani's horror. Unlike 'Passions,' which leaned hard on the supernatural and featured a character who was an animated doll, 'Beyond the Gates' is grounded in the basics: love, hate and betrayal. 'I don't foresee any aliens,' Val Jean said. Launching any new show is a considerable feat, but a daily soap opera that airs roughly 250 times a year and films 80 or more script pages a day is an entirely different beast. Actors have to quickly memorize many pages of dialogue, and sometimes perform in a dozen different scenes from multiple episodes in a single day on set. Although Atlanta is a well-established production hub, it has never been home to a daily soap opera. Once production began in November, experienced soap stars like Tunie and Duplaix helped guide cast members who were new to the pace of daytime, which can feel like drinking from a fire hose. 'Even when we were at about a quarter of the work that we needed to accomplish for the day, everybody was like, 'Oh, my God, are you kidding me?'' Duplaix said. 'I'm like, 'Honey, this is a quarter of what we're supposed to be doing.'' She shared tips, like her process for memorizing lines. Once you get a stack of scripts, she said, 'Read your sides for 30 minutes every day, so it's familiar. Then you can really hone in a day or two before you film the scene. When you know your stuff, that confidence resonates with the audience.' 'It's like being in the trenches together,' added Tunie, who has taken on the role of informal acting coach and sent an email early in production to her fellow cast members in which she shared tips on 'how to navigate the genre and bring your best performance, to understand the pace in which we work and what the directors and producers are capable of providing.' Ducksworth, who jokingly calls Tunie 'Queen Mother,' said it was vital to cast the role of Anita first 'because our matriarch was so important.' For Tunie and Duplaix, the historic nature of the project was a major selling point, something that helped entice them back to the grueling world of daytime. 'There are so many firsts,' Duplaix said of 'Beyond the Gates.' 'It's a first to have this African American family at the center. It's going to be exciting to see how people respond to it.' But Val Jean is focused on 'keeping it messy and entertaining,' rather than conveying a specific social message. And mess there is: The first episode ends with one character slapping another across the face, Susan Lucci-style. There's more histrionics where that came from. The goal, she said, is authenticity: 'This show is centered around a sprawling Black family that loves and makes mistakes and flies off the handle. They don't always agree, but the foundation is deep, abiding, eternal love. This family would do anything for each other, and that's authentic too.'
Washington Post
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
‘Beyond the Gates' is as messy as soap operas come, and so much more
DORAVILLE, Ga. Tamarie Tunie is perched on the edge of her dressing room's settee, one (expertly shaped) eyebrow cocked. Gold brushstrokes ornament her flowing black tunic; her hair is gathered in jumbo rollers, like spun silver. The lady looks like money. And she's telling a story about cockroaches. Tunie, whom fans will recognize from her years on 'Law & Order: SVU,' has returned to her soap opera roots in CBS's 'Beyond the Gates,' the first daytime serial centered on a Black family in the history of U.S. broadcast television. Premiering Monday, it chronicles the dramas of the Dupree family, the de facto rulers of a tony gated community.
CBS News
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Tamara Tunie and Daphnée Duplai on the importance of representation on the new daytime drama "Beyond the Gates"
A new CBS daytime drama is making history as the first soap opera in decades to feature a Black family at its center. "Beyond the Gates" follows the powerful Dupree family in an affluent Maryland suburb. The daytime drama will focus on the Duprees as they navigate their lives. The series is also the first daytime soap opera to be greenlit in over 25 years. Actor Tamara Tunie — who stars in the series and was also on "As The World Turns" — appeared on "CBS Mornings" on Thursday and said she decided to return to soap operas because of their universal message. "The only thing that would bring me back is this show because of its historic nature, the focus of the African American family being the central family on the show, which has never happened," said Tunie. "The family being an affluent family, a politically connected family, a loving family. You know, a supportive family. And the show is multicultural. We have Asian, we have Hispanic, we have everyone represented on the show." Tunie also praised the show's representation behind the scenes. "You know, so having spent so many years in television, where I have more often than not been the only black person in the building, you know, it's very, very, very comforting to walk into a space where you recognize, where you see yourself in the people that are working with," said Tunie. Daphnée Duplai, who also stars in the series, praised the series for normalizing Black excellence. "Black excellence is it's not just our rappers and our entertainers and athletes. We don't have to be affluent to be Black excellence," she said. "It's our service people, it is our community leaders, it's our caregivers." "Secrets and lies, all the good human stuff," Tunie said.
