*CBS has announced the final cast members for its new daytime drama “Beyonce the Gates,” the network’s first one-hour daytime drama featuring an all-Black cast. The hotly anticipated series, from the CBS Studios / NAACP Venture, begins production in Atlanta in November and will premiere in early 2025.
Veteran actor Clifton Davis has been tapped to star as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch and husband of Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie). Also joining the series are Alex Alegria, Lauren Bugliogli, Ben Gavin, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, and Mike Manning.
In September, CBS announces the first cast members Tamara Tunie, Daphnee Duplaix, and Karla Mosley starring as prominent members of the Dupree family. On Oct. 25, the next round of casting was revealed, including Brandon Claybon, Timon Durrett, Sean Freeman, Marquita Goings, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit. The new cast members round out the extended families of the Duprees and key characters who influence their worlds, per the release.
Here’s the official synopsis: BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one of the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.
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.
“Beyonce the Gates” marks CBS’ first Black daytime soap drama to premiere since “Passions” in 1999.
Meet the newly announced cast below:
Clifton Davis stars as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch married to Anita and father to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Dani Dupree. A venerable former senator, Vernon is gentle, humble and generous with his knowledge and experience. Retired now, Vernon was at the forefront of the civil rights movement.
Jibre Hordges stars as Jacob Hawthorne, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s husband and a robbery/homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. Jacob hails from a family of law enforcement. He is proud of his wife, the family he comes from, serving the community and seeking justice for victims.
Mike Manning stars as Bradley “Smitty” Smith, husband to Congressman Martin Richardson and father to teenagers Tyrell and Samantha. A former political reporter turned househusband, Smitty is a fantastic dad who has guided his children with warmth and good humor. Smitty is thinking of resuming his writing career but is hesitant to tell Martin, who likes their home life the way it is.
Jen Jacob stars as Ashley Morgan, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s best friend, who is the only child of a young single mother. Ashley was a latchkey kid who has never been afraid of rolling up her sleeves. She is a nurse at Washington D.C.’s Garland Memorial Hospital and has the perfect temperament for her profession – positive, cheerful, brisk, resourceful and independent. She can be serious but is also fun-loving with a smile that lights up a room.
Ben Gavin stars as Derek Baldwin, a devoted firefighter in a relationship with Ashley Morgan and best friend to Jacob Hawthorne. Derek is fearless, holds nothing back and goes into a zone when he fights fire – which is almost personal for him rather than just a professional calling. Incredibly handy, Derek can fix almost anything.
Lauren Bugliogli stars as Vanessa McBride, a high-end real estate agency owner who specializes in luxury property and is neighbors with Dani Dupree and best friend to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson.
Alex Alegria stars as Tomas “Tom” Navarro, a handsome and confident young attorney at Bill Hamilton’s law firm. Tomas has an eye for Katherine “Kat” Richardson.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: CBS Announces Additional Cast for New Daytime Drama ‘Beyond the Gates’
