Alex Cheeks has opened up about what it was really like to join Beyond the Gates and step onto the set of a daytime soap. The actor, who joined the CBS drama earlier this year as the son of Vanessa and Doug, has now shared stories from his first day, the problems that slowed down his first shoot, and the co-stars who helped him feel comfortable in a completely new setting.
Alex Cheeks Looks Back At His First Day On The Soap
Cheeks spoke about joining Beyond the Gates during an interview with YouTuber Cornelius Hocker. He revealed that his journey on the soap began in early June, when he arrived to film three scenes. “My first day was in early June. I had three scenes,” he said. “My first episode, the first one I had ever filmed, was with Maurice [P. Kerry], who plays Randy.”
However, filming did not go as smoothly as expected because the set faced delays. “There were a lot of technical issues going on,” Cheeks explained. Instead of letting the problems ruin the experience, he used the extra time to prepare with Kerry and told him how important the scene was. “I told him, ‘Hey, this is my first day. This is my first scene.’ He was just so excited to have shot my first scene with him and it was super fun.”
Cheeks said Kerry made the experience much easier for him. He described the actor as “a really good first scene partner” and praised the support he received while finding his feet on the soap. “I learned a lot from him,” he added. His other two scenes involved Ernestine Johnson, who plays Shanice, and Lauren Buglioli, who plays Vanessa.
Lauren Buglioli Helped Him Prepare For The Role
Another major part of Cheeks’ early experience came from working with Buglioli, who plays his on-screen mother. The pair quickly became close after he joined the show. Cheeks shared, “Ever since ever since my first day, me and Lauren just clicked, We talk almost every other day.” He also said, “She’s been a great TV mother figure.”
Cheeks had already heard positive things about Buglioli before meeting her. “Even before I had met her, I had all these producers telling me that ‘Lauren’s just the best,’ ‘You’re going to absolutely love her,’ and she really delivered on that promise.” Buglioli then went a step further by helping him understand the story and his place in it before filming began.
“She’s been so supportive, she jumped on a Zoom call with me before I had my first day,” Cheeks said. “She explained to me what’s going on, how she interprets her character and their situation. That kind of helped me out with thinking about my character as well.” Her advice gave him more context as he prepared to enter the world of the CBS soap.
Cheeks made it clear that the people around him played a huge part in his experience of joining Beyond the Gates. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Beyond the Gates spoilers and behind-the-scenes updates.