To all my Soap Opera lovers, especially my Black women who love and watch Soap Operas, things just got real because CBS daytime drama The Gates, which will feature a wealthy Black family at the forefront, has announced a few cast members, but that’s not all. The series has undergone a name change as well. The Gates is now titled Beyond the Gates, and we have to say it has a nice ring. Of course, we don’t know what prompted the name change, but we’re sure there was some thought behind it. That being said, let’s get to those casting announcements, shall we?
Beyond the Gates will focus on the wealthy Dupree family, who live in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C. Production will begin later this year in Atlanta. In addition to the show’s location, we now know who will play three members of the Dupree family. Tamara Tunie, Daphnee Duplaix, and Karla Mosley have joined the cast and will portray some important characters.
Anita Dupree
Tamara Tunie will portray Anita Dupree, a former famous singer and family matriarch. She worked hard for her success and raised two daughters with her now-retired senator husband. But underneath her glamorous and refined exterior is a fierceness she gained from her humble beginnings in Chicago.
Dr. Nicole Dupree
Daphnee Duplaix will play Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson, Anita’s daughter. Nicole is a high-achieving and competitive philanthropist and psychiatrist who exudes warmth, empathy, and compassion. Nicole’s success in life extends to her marriage to her surgeon husband. She has the perfect life … from the outside.
Dani Dupree
Karla Mosley will portray Anita’s other daughter, Dani Dupree. Dani is a former model turned momager who gave up her career for love. Dani was the family’s wild child — free-spirited, headstrong, and uninhibited, having dropped out of school to pursue a high-flying modeling career.
We already love this cast list because these three ladies are amazing. What is also great about these women is that they all have a background in Soap Operas. Tunie, who we know and love from the Law and Order Franchise, was in As the World Turns from 1987 – 2009. She also did two episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tunie being cast as the matriarch couldn’t be more perfect. Mosley starred in The Bold and the Beautiful from 2013 – 2019. She also guest starred in The Young and the Restless for ten episodes. Lastly, Duplaix was in One Life to Live and one of my favorite Soaps Passions.
After learning about this casting news, we are even more excited to learn who else will be joining Beyond the Gates. This soap opera is long overdue, and this writer, who happens to be a Black woman, is more than ready for a soap opera that respects its Black characters and gives them and us the storylines they are so deserving of. It is no secret that Black women make up a significant percentage of soap opera watchers. It’s high time the genre recognized that and actually started writing for us. I will be seated when Beyond the Gates arrives in 2025.
As previously mentioned, Beyond the Gates is being produced by CBS Studios/ NAACP in partnership with P&G Studios. Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer, and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Robert Guza Jr., Julie Carruthers, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.
Beyond the Gates Will premiere soon con CBS.
