Beyond the Gates: Meet the Hamiltons

We're less than six weeks now from the historic premiere of CBS' new soap, Beyond the Gates — historic because it's the first sudser to début in the 21st century (the last new serial to launch was NBC's Passions, on July 5, 1999) and because it's the first all-Black daytime drama since 1991, when Generations, also on NBC, went off the air.

How do the Hamiltons figure into Beyond the Gates?

Though we don't yet have spoilers about any specific storylines Beyond the Gates is planning (and really, who wants to have the surprise ruined this far out?), there has been enough information released about its characters that we can give you an idea of who the show's core families are, and how they're connected.

Up until now, we've given you primers about the Duprees and characters who orbit around the major players — now it's time to dish about Hamiltons, another clan who exists both within and without the cushy Maryland community of Fairmont Crest. Ready to meet them?

Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) is a hot-shot criminal defense attorney who runs his own firm. He's powerful and prestigious, and when he goes after something, he gets it — but his ex-wife, Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley), considers him egomaniacal and self-serving. Bill has moved on from Dani with a new fiancée, Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings), a paralegal in his office. Conflict is sure to ensue as Dani and her affluent family look down their noses at Hayley, whom they consider a husband stealer. But Bill and Dani will always have their two daughters, Naomi and Chelsea, in common.

Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) is considered the Hamilton miracle baby, and because of that, she was pampered and coddled in childhood. As soon as Chelsea turned 18, mama Dani pushed her into modeling — a profession Dani gave up to have a family. Chelsea bristles at Dani's control over her shadow career, especially since Chelsea has carved out a niche as a social media influencer and would rather design a line of purses. That doesn't stop Chelsea from partying, and she's said to feel the “freedom to experiment” — though whether that means with vocations, illicit substances, or bed partners is up to us to imagine for now.

Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) appears to be the polar opposite of her status-seeking family. Intelligent and modest, she's established herself as a civil attorney and chosen to live “beyond the gates” outside the glittering confines of Fairmont Crest. This more grounded way of life seems to have extended to her choice of mates – Naomi's husband, Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges), is a robbery and homicide detective dedicated to seeking justice for those in his community. Of her whole family, Naomi seems closest to grandmother Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie), as Naomi inherited her vocal skills from the former singer, which has kept them tight.

Finally, Andre Hamilton (Sean Freeman) is a photographer who was raised by his uncle Ted Richardson (Maurice Johnson) and his wife, Nicole Dupree (Daphne Duplaix), after Andre's parents died. A ladies' man, Andre is refined yet aloof – though, since he was heir to not one but two fortunes following the loss of his mom and dad, he's a shutterbug because he wants to be, not because he needs to work for a living. Unless there was an adoption or a name change, we can assume, based on the information we have, that Andre's mother was Ted's sister and that she must have been married to a Hamilton. Did Bill have siblings we don't know about yet?

Soap Central's introduction to the characters of Beyond the Gates will continue with a look at the next family in the line-up: the Richardsons. Don't forget to find out more about show creator and writer Michele Val Jean, and check out our growing Beyond the Gates section every day, as new articles about the show and its actors go up all the time.

Beyond the Gates premieres on Monday, February 24th. It will air weekdays on CBS and stream on Paramount Plus.