This weekend, Beyond the Gates participated in the Essence Festival of Culture, where matriarch of the series Tamara Tunie was able to share her experiences and what drew her both to the show itself and the character of Anita Dupree.
Panel host, Crystal Renee Hayslett, early on asked Tunie what drew her to the character of Anita Dupree in the first place. The actress shared, “What drew me to Anita Dupree?” She chuckled, “Well you know Anita, when I read the first two scripts that Sheila [Ducksworth, Executive Producer] and Michele [Val Jean, headwriter] sent to me, I was like ‘okay this is different.’"
The actress continued to explain how the depth of the character really drew her to the role, adding, “What attracted me to Anita Dupree was she was a complicated person. She was not just one thing. Because she grew up in the projects and went on to be successful in the entertainment industry. Then at a civil rights rally she met her husband, [Vernon played by Clifton Davis], who was at the beginning of his political career. She decided to set her career aside to support his aspirations and to raise their family. She then used her skills from being an entertainer to lead the charitable foundations that her family established in order to give back. That’s a woman who very much just like me. Except for the senator husband part. I identified with her.”
The actress explained how she related to Anita, on a personal level. The actress excitedly explained, “I identified with her love with her family. Because I come from a very large loving family. My mother is Anita Dupree. She really is. She is Anita Dupree, she is talented, she is smart, she was a glass ceiling breaker back in 1972, when she was the first black woman hired by United States Steel in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania for their security department. She was the one who stood up in our community when things were going wrong. When there was racial tension, she was the one who stepped up. She has always been my role model and she has always had that fire that Anita Dupree has. So I truly truly am inspired by my mom.”
?SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox?
CBS officially describes Beyond the Gates as a soap opera that is “set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States; 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 who 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. “
Beyond The Gates is developed and produced by CBS Studios and the NAACP in partnership with P&G Studios a division of Procter and Gamble. The series is the groundbreaking first hour-long black soap opera to premiere in daytime. The creation is the brainchild of award-winning showrunner Michele Val Jean, in association with executive producer Sheila Ducksworth, and is the first new soap opera to premiere since NBC debuted Passions back in 1999.
Beyond The Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. EST on CBS and streamed daily on Paramount Plus.
Beyond the Gates can be streamed from the beginning on Paramount Plus.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Why Tamara Tunie Says Her 'Beyond the Gates' Character Feels So Personal )
Also on site :
- Sharon Osbourne says she disinvited greedy band from Ozzy’s Black Sabbath farewell concert: ‘It’s not the time to make a profit’
- China and Russia Keep Their Distance From Iran During Crisis
- iPad and iPad Mini Hit Record-Low Prices in Ongoing 4th of July Apple Sale