Exclusive Interview
Inside Dani & Andre’s Surprise ‘Beyond the Gates’ Wedding With Karla Mosley & Sean Freeman
Beyond The Gates characters Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) and Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) tied the knot in a spontaneous Las Vegas wedding on the September 22 episode, and nobody was more stunned by the twist than their portrayers.
“Deep gasp. Drops mic,” says Freeman of his reaction to hearing about the nups.
For Mosley, it was a sense of déjà vu. “When I was on Guiding Light [as Christina Moore], my character had a drunken marriage as well,” she points out. “So, it felt like a really nice homage to one of my first storylines in daytime, but also really fun to revisit it in this way with these characters. I think we’ve set up this dynamic where people really are rooting for so many different scenarios, and they’re kind of torn. So, I was both floored but also curious about where it would lead, and hopefully the audience will feel the same way.”
The actors admit they didn’t know what the fans would make of the pairing when their characters began hooking up in the wake of Dani’s split from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). “I’ve been thoroughly surprised week by week,” says Freeman. “Initially, I thought they were going to root for Bill and Dani to get back together, and they do every now and again, but there are diehard Dani and Andre fans, and I’m loving that. I think they’re going to be shocked to know that this is not a dream.”
Quantrell Colbert / CBS
In fact, what started as a rebound has turned into one of the show’s most talked-about duos. “I think the writers didn’t know that Andre and Dani would take off in the way that they did,” Mosley shares. “From what I’ve heard, there have been adjustments to what the original story was going to be. And I think they’ve just had such a fun, firecrackery, explosive relationship that it’s been a fun ride. And the ‘older women’ say, ‘We love that she’s with the younger guy. We love that he’s into older women.’ There’s a dynamic that I think is filling a need in many people. My aunties love it.”
The Sin City nuptials may have started as a tipsy impulse, but the emotional undercurrents run deeper, especially for Andre, who is reeling from his crush, Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob), recommitting to Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin). “Andre was in a big, ‘Oh, what the hell,’ type of scenario,” explains Feeman. “‘I can’t have who I want at the moment, so let’s just find a way to be happy. Boom, there’s Dani, my safety net. Let’s see where that goes.’ I think that’s where his head was at the moment.”
And while Andre may be dealing with heartbreak, Dani isn’t exactly entering the marriage with a clean slate either. “Dani certainly is really confused,” notes Mosley. “The rug has been pulled out from under her, and I always have to remind myself that all of this happened less than a year ago, that her husband left her and got remarried, and now potentially could have a baby. It’s such a huge life change for her, and she’s an empty nester now, so I think this has come as such a surprise.”
Filming the actual ceremony was a highlight for both stars, thanks in large part to Tamara Tunie‘s scene-stealing performance as an Anita Dupree lookalike who officiated the ceremony. “She killed it,” praises Molsley. “It was displaying her talent in a completely different way. She is such a consummate professional and actor, and she really took it very seriously and completely committed, which you have to do if you’re doing something like that. There is no halfway. It was a little surreal to see her. It was her, but it wasn’t her.”
“It was a full transformation,” agrees Freeman. “She was 100% committed to it, down to the physicality and the way she moved. She was that character. It was very convincing that this was someone else being her, and it was a joy to do that.”
Quantrell Colbert / CBS
And though the decision to marry was alcohol-fueled, it doesn’t mean that their union is destined to be short-lived. “It’s a day at a time,” notes Mosley. “At first, they’re in shock, but I do think that as human beings, they’re committed to being in this. The interesting line to toe with this Vegas wedding is that, yes, they’re drinking, but what is that drinking revealing? What’s that drinking allowing them to connect to so it’s not, ‘Oh, we’re just crazy. Let’s get it annulled the next day.’ We don’t know what’s going to happen, but it certainly is tapping into something that they might not have even realized yet themselves.”
Freeman and Mosley are both on board to explore where this new dynamic could lead. “I would love to see what that ride would look like,” he says. “I believe Dani and that friendship really play a part in healing him. Even though the love of his life, Ashley, so it seems, is not working out, there’s still something there with Dani, so he’s latching on and to just see where it goes.”
“What I love about this couple is that you just don’t know what’s going to happen,” adds Mosley. “You see it in the beginning, where they assumed that it was sort of a one-off, or a fling, and now it’s turned into something that’s much more complicated and nuanced, and I’m excited to see that develop.”
With seven months of BTG’s storytelling already in the books, Mosley says that journey is only getting started. “The writers have done a great job, and there’s a lot more of that to come,” she previews. “For people who have been watching all along, there are payoffs that are worth waiting for. And we keep getting better and better. We are learning each other. The crew is finding a rhythm, and there’s new and exciting energy. The show looks great.”
“And for new viewers,” she continues. “You have the opportunity still to get in on the ground floor of a soap opera, and it is historic, and it’s really fun to talk about with other people. People say that they’re at the hairdresser’s and they’re all yelling at the television, or they’re at work, and they all talk about it the next day. So, jump on board. It’s a fun ride.”
Beyond the Gates, Weekdays, CBS, Check Local Listings
