After fifty-two episodes of high stakes drama, Maurice Johnson has hung up his turtlenecks for the very last time as the actor exits his role of Ted Richardson, on the hit CBS soap opera, Beyond the Gates.
Johnson’s exit on the daytime drama was announced back in March with the role being recast. Notably, this news marks the first time a role has been recast, a staple practice for the genre, since the ground-breaking soap opera premiered on CBS this past February. Actor Keith D. Robinson will be taking over the part, beginning May 15th.
Robinson will be thrown straight into the deep end with his character’s storyline as Dr. Richardson finds himself in quite a predicament with wife Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix), having just found that not only did he have an affair with Leslie “Dana” Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) and paid her off. Now she is back in town seeking revenge. Thomas is currently enacting a plan to blow up the Richardsons’ picture-perfect life and using a woman she claims to be her and Ted’s daughter, Eva (Ambyr Michelle), to do so. Ted’s lies were all exposed at his wedding anniversary party when Leslie exposed everything to those in attendance. Now Ted must fight to rebuild his relationship with those he cares about.
Johnson’s credits include: Single ladies, Hawaii Five-0, The Vampire Diaries, Chicago Fire, and God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust
Robinson made his acting debut as the green power ranger Joel Rawlings in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, with additional credits including titles such as: Over There, Canterbury’s Law, Saints and Sinners, A Million Little Things, and Dreamgirls.
Beyond The Gates, developed and produced by CBS Studios / NAACP venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter and Gamble, is the ground-breaking first hour long black soap opera to premiere in daytime. The creation is the brainchild of award-winning showrunner Michele Val Jean and Sheila Ducksworth, and the first new soap opera to premiere since NBC debuted Passions back in 1999.
Beyond the Gates was renewed for a second season, confirming that the series will run throughout 2026.
Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS at 2 p.m. ET, and streams weekdays on Paramount+.
