When Clifton Davis first joined the cast of Beyond the Gates, he couldn’t imagine how big the show would become.
The soap opera veteran, who stars as patriarch Vernon Dupree in the hit CBS drama, recently spoke with PEOPLE ahead of the show’s upcoming “landmark” crossover with The Young and the Restless. During the conversation, Davis admits that he didn’t know the show would be “such a hit” when he joined the cast, attributing its success all to the hardworking cast and crew.
“I didn’t expect this and for it to be such a hit,” Davis, 80, tells PEOPLE. “The lovely thing for me is that it is so diverse, and everybody is giving so much of themselves. We all contribute the best we can as much as we can.”
“Everybody, from the soundman, to the grips, to the lighting, to the cameras, to the actors, to the hair and makeup and wardrobe, all the executive producers and whatnot. Everybody’s doing the best they can, and it is evidenced by the fact that CBS picked us up for two more years already,” he adds. “So, I thank God and I thank CBS.”
Beyond the Gates, which premiered in February 2025, doesn’t shy away from heavier topics. From Anita Dupree’s (Tamara Tunie) on-screen cancer journey to Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) and Vernon’s traumatic run-in with racism, the drama consistently delivers bold, relatable storylines. To Davis, the show’s ability to address more serious topics on-screen provides them with a “golden opportunity” to speak directly to the audience, contributing to the show’s overall appeal.
“It gives us a golden opportunity to reach out to a very special audience and speak to their needs, speak to their emotions, [and] speak to their experience,” he explains. “We wrestle with those issues as though they are real in our lives. We take it personally and pass that on to each character.”
“Those stories are interesting,” adds Davis. “All of those things are so fascinating to me, and I’m so glad we got them because it keeps the audience watching.”
Another aspect of the show’s magic comes from how keenly aware everyone involved is about the historic impact of the daytime drama. Beyond the Gates made history as the first Black soap opera in 35 years following Generations, which ran for 13 months and concluded in 1991. It is also the first new soap opera to premiere in decades since Passions premiered in 1999 and the first-ever, hour-long daytime drama led by a Black cast.
Davis explains that the knowledge of the show’s impact coupled with the legacy of those who paved the way for them, like James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson, instills a sense of pride in the cast. “We are proud that we’re the first soap opera in [35 years]. We’re proud that we’re the first hour-long, Black-centered soap opera, and we’re proud of what went before,” he says.
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Looking ahead toward the future of Beyond the Gates, Davis shares he’s “so thrilled” to see what “surprising ideas” the writers are able to bring to life. Without revealing too much about what’s ahead for the Dupree family and the residents of Fairmont Crest, he adds the soap opera, which was already renewed for two more seasons, has some special things coming that “excites” him.
“I am so thrilled that we have such great writers who bring surprising ideas to life in the scripts,” he says. “The hair department get an advance notice [of the storylines] because they have to prepare a character [for what’s] coming. They know a lot more than we do as performers, so, I’m sitting in hair and makeup, and I’m trying to overhear a little conversation.”
“I can’t give it away,” he continues, before adding, “But [the storyline] excites me, so I know it’s going to excite you.”
Beyond the Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on CBS.