Beyond the Gates
EXCLUSIVE: Tamara Tunie Chats on ‘Beyond the Gates’ Anita Dupree, The Reunion Concert, and The Slap Heard Around Fairmont Crest
Beyond the Gates matriarch Anita Dupree is played by veteran film and television actress, Tamara Tunie. Since premiering on the new CBS daytime drama, Tunie, who’s last soap role was that of Jessica Griffin on As the World Turns, has certainly had her moments to shine.
Michael Fairman TV caught up with Tamara at the recent CBS Atlanta Fest event which featured several of the stars from the CBS daytime line-up of soaps including: The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless as well as Tunie’s Beyond the Gates co-stars.
Recently, Tunie’s Anita delivered the bitch-slap heard around Fairmont Crest, when she hauled off and slapped Leslie Thomas in a showdown of all showdowns. Tamara shared what it was like to play the scene opposite Trisha Mann-Grant after Leslie throws her new found wealth in Anita’s face.

Courtesy/CBS
“Oh, it’s so much fun. I love slapping the (blank) out of Leslie,” joked Tunie. “It’s really great. I mean, it’s challenging because she plays this evil woman, you know what I mean? She’s always stirring up trouble. Anita has to kind of tolerate it, but she finally was able to let her have it, and it was pleasurable.”
Prior to the slap, Anita, the former lead singer of the R&B girl group, The Articulettes, reunited with two of the original members, Sharon and Tracy, for a one-night only concert. Leading up to the big event it was fraught with drama. Tunie recalled, “The reunion concert and leading up to it was all very challenging, very emotional, and the backstory, which finally came to light was very emotional.”
“Just preparing for the concert, I drilled my sisters every single day for that choreography and those vocals,” shared Tunie. “We have a great music team: Ashley Neumeister and Chance Parker, who’s here in Atlanta, and a choreographer. We really wanted to give an authentic performance. I was so pleased that we were actually able to go out of the studio into an auditorium and really make it look like a real performance in a real concert. It was a long, hard day, but it was worth it.”

Photo: CBS
Before the concert, Anita’s long-held secret came to light. The original ‘Articulette,’ Barbara Mitchell was kicked out of the group and blamed Anita, and she eventually ended her own life. Tamara explained, “That backstory: when the Articulettes were younger and we were able to step into a more professional world, we had a manager who felt that one particular ‘Articulette’ couldn’t cut it. So we said “okay, and kept it moving.” Barbara ultimately took her own life from depression, and she wrote Anita a letter saying, ‘You know, you were my sister and you did this to me, and now I’m stepping off because of what you did to me.’ So Anita was carrying that guilt and that burden with her for decades. And so to finally have it come out into the light, and for her sisters to come, and they’d find forgiveness with each other, it was fantastic.”

Photo: CBS
As it turns out, Barbara had a daughter, none other than Anita’s nemesis, the aforementioned Leslie Thomas, who wound up getting the money from the trust fund, Anita had set up.
Playing the matriarch on the first Black-led one-hour network daytime drama series, is not something Tunie takes lightly or working with her Dupree family co-stars! “Thank God, it worked out for Clifton to play Vernon (Dupree) and working with Karla Mosley (Dani) and Daphnee (Nicole), it’s fantastic. I mean, from the moment we met, we were like family. The chemistry is right there, and we love each other. So, it’s very easy to feel. I remember one scene with Dani, and Anita was talking to her and I patted Karla’s butt, like my mother pats my butt, you know? I was like, “Now I know we’re really a mother and daughter.”

Photo: CBS
Watch Tamara chat about the life and times of Anita Dupree and Beyond the Gates below, and make sure to subscribe to the Michael Fairman Channel for more CBS Atlanta Fest interviews.
So, did you enjoy Anita slapping Leslie? The story of the Articulettes? Tamara playing the Anita impersonator in Vegas? Let us know your favorite moments featuring Tamara Tunie since ‘Beyond the Gates’ premiered via the comment section.
Tamara Tunie was made to play Anita. I love that she returned to American daytime and is giving true family Matriarch.
Beyond the Gates
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers

The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.

Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.

Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Daytime Emmy Winners Ambyr Michelle and Tamara Tunie to Chat Live on the Michael Fairman Channel

Just over a week ago, Beyond the Gates stars Ambyr Michelle and Tamara Tunie broke ground becoming the first performers in the history of daytime’s newest soap opera to win Daytime Emmys!
Michelle became the first, when she took home gold statuette earlier in the ceremonies in the Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series category. Later, Tunie joined her when she took home the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, the first Emmy of her veteran career.
Now, both actresses visit the Michael Fairman Channel live for two separate chats! Ambyr Michelle will be with us on Wednesday, November 11 beginning at 6pm ET/3pm PT, while Tamara Tunie follows the next day on Thursday, November 12 beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Photo: CBS
Find out what happened on their Emmy night both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, and in the celebration afterwards, plus what’s next for Eva and Anita in story on the CBS soap opera.
AMBYR TOOK A ‘SEAT AT THE TABLE’
Daytime Emmy viewers will recall Ambyr’s heartfelt Emmy acceptance speech, when she shared, “I don’t just see an award. I see every audition, every rejection, every moment I questioned my artistry. And to Eva Thomas, thank you, girl. Playing your pain made me process my own.“
She ended her speech with, “To my beautiful Black women and girls, take up space, be undeniable, create your tables, and fill those seats. When the tables are full, and those seats are full, make the table even bigger. So that the women coming up behind you never have to ask permission to belong.“

Photo: CBS
TAMARA HONORED THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE HER AND HER MOM
Tamara Tunie received a standing ovation when her name was called after her win in an enduring career. Tunie began by sharing, “My heart is so full right now. This is the best welcome back to daytime ever, There is a host of Black actresses who paved the way for me, and I feel them as I stand here tonight, beginning with the legendary Cicely Tyson, the first Black woman to appear on a daytime television show, The Guiding Light.”
Tunie went on to thank her co-stars and everyone at Beyond the Gates and soap opera fans, plus getting to share the screen with the legendary Clifton Davis as Anita’s husband, Vernon Dupree. However, it was Tunie’s mother, who at 92, was with her on Emmy night that she thanked the most.
“There is one person who has been on this journey with me every single step of the way, who has traveled across states, countries and oceans to support my dream,” she expressed. “I would not be who I am as an actor or a woman without her love, support, encouragement and mere presence, She has been my example, my role model and my inspiration. I accept this honor on behalf of my mother … who, at 92 years young, crossed the country yet again to see me take this goal tonight. I love you, mommy!”
HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Make sure to join us in the live chat with your questions for Ambyr and Tamara in what is sure to be emotional conversations.
If you cannot be with us live, but have a question you would like posed to either actress, make sure to drop in the comment section below and we just might pose it during the live broadcasts.
So, were you happy to see Ambyr and Tamara win Emmy gold? What are your hopes for Eva and Anita as the holiday season approaches and with 2027 just around the corner? Let us know in the comment section.
Beyond the Gates
Yvette Nicole Brown and Husband Anthony Davis Head to ‘Beyond the Gates’

Next week on the Friday, November 13 episode of Beyond the Gates, Yvette Nicole Brown and her real life husband Anthony Davis guest star. In story, Brown takes on the role of Temeka the cousin to Shanice (Ernestine Johnson Morrison).
When Temeka comes to Fairmont Crest she will be accompanied by her husband, Tony, played by real-life hubby Anthony Davis. The castings come as the soap opera continues to expand the family of Shanice. Previously, we met her brothers, Cedric and Lamont.
As Shanice gets ready to head down the aisle with Dr. Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) will the presence of Shanice’s family members actually deter the nuptials from ever taking place?

Photo: CBS
This now makes the third daytime drama appearance by Yvette Nicole Brown. She first popped up on The Young and the Restless in 2016 and 2017 as reporter Lois Thompson.
Then in 2023, she played a nurse on General Hospital when she appeared in the March 29, 2023 episode honoring her real-life friend, Sonya Eddy who past away in real-life in December of 2022, The soap honored her in death when her character, Epiphany died.

Photo: ABC
Brown and Eddy first met in 2003 while testing for an ABC pilot titled “The Four Divas” alongside Octavia Spencer and Carla Renata and became very close friends up until Eddy’s passing.
It was actually Brown’s character, who came forth to Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and shared that Epiphany died saving her life which gave some sort of solace to Elizabeth; knowing Epiphany died doing what she loved, helping people.
As for Anthony Davis, not only is he an actor, but a writer and minister known for TV and film roles including: He Wasn’t Man Enough (2025), The Family Business: New Orleans, and The Upshaws.
Brown is also recognized from her roles on: Community, The Odd Couple, The Mayor, That ’70s Show, The Office, Boston Legal, Chuck, Mom, Big Shot to name but a few.
So, looking forward to see Yvette Nicole Brown and her real-life husband, Anthony Davis on Beyond the Gates? Happy to see more family members from Shanice’s life showing up at Fairmont Crest? Do you remember the heart-tugging episode where everyone learned Epiphany had died on General Hospital and Yvette Nicole Brown’s part in the story? Let us know via the comment section.
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