Sean Freeman has shared the real story behind how he became Beyond the Gates’ Andre Richardson. Looking back one year after landing the part, the actor revealed that his life-changing audition almost never happened. What made him go through with it anyway, and how did a simple self-tape turn him into one of CBS’s brightest new stars?
The Beginning Of A Dream
When Beyond the Gates hit screens, it introduced viewers to a whole new world and many fresh talents. Among them was Sean Freeman, who quickly stood out for his role as Andre Richardson. But before his soap debut, Freeman was working full-time as a substitute teacher in Sandy Springs, Atlanta, teaching maths, English, and even special education.
On Instagram, he marked the exact date, October 8, 2024, when his agent called with the news that he’d booked the role. At the time, it wasn’t even called Andre; the character’s name was Armand. Freeman had sent in a 3.5-minute self-tape weeks earlier and thought nothing of it.
Like many actors, he did the audition, hit send, and went back to his day job. He admitted he didn’t look or feel his best when filming it. There was no fancy studio setup or professional lighting.
How The Role Evolved in Beyond the Gates
In the comments section of his post, Freeman also shared some fun details about how the show evolved after his audition. Characters were renamed before filming began and explained that “Alison” became Kat, “Jennifer” became Dr. Nicole Richardson, and “Marcus” became Martin.
Freeman’s co-stars quickly flooded the comments to celebrate his big moment. Ambyr Michelle cheered him on with fire emojis, Lauren Buglioli called him “a star,” and Maurice P. Kerry congratulated him for his hard work.
Fans were just as excited, praising his story as “inspiring” and “proof that good things happen when you don’t give up.” One follower joked that the schools had lost a great teacher but TV had gained a star, while another said his success was “nothing but divine timing.” Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more exclusive Beyond the Gates stories and your favourite soap updates.