By Robert Christopher Riley knows how to play men who walk into a room and immediately shift the temperature. On Beyond the Gates, that man is Carlton Fitzgerald: controlled, romantic, emotionally intelligent, and carrying himself with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what he wants. Of course, wanting your best friend’s ex-wife is where things start getting complicated.
TV Source spoke with Riley to discuss stepping into daytime television for the first time, Carlton’s growing relationship with Nicole, the debate surrounding the so-called bro code, and why Carlton’s honesty may ultimately be both his greatest strength and biggest weakness.
“Are we going there today?” I asked early in the conversation, because anyone who knows me knows my mouth is not exactly daytime-approved.
Riley laughed instantly. “I have no problem. I’m from Brooklyn, girl.”
That was all the permission needed.
From Primetime to Daytime
Although Riley has appeared in shows like Hit the Floor, Dynasty, and other primetime projects, Beyond the Gates marks his first daytime role. Naturally, the first question was about the biggest change going from primetime to daytime, especially with how fast soaps move.
“Well, I mean, yeah, it’s different,” Riley said. “I don’t think any of the actors are in all of the episodes of daytime television because that would be grueling. The days are twelve hours almost at all times, and it’s five days a week.”
Since Carlton is a recurring character, Riley noted that he does not have to be on set every day, but he still recognizes the pace. “It’s a fast-paced schedule. We shoot about 60 pages a day. Tyler Perry shoots about 75,” he added.
“If you want to talk about a grueling schedule, I would say that what Mr. Perry asks us to do is far more grueling,” Riley said, explaining that shooting 16 episodes in two weeks is no small feat.
Still, when it comes to Beyond the Gates, Riley spoke warmly about the cast and his connections to them. He lit up as he talked about working alongside legends like Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis.
“I’ve loved Tamara Tunie for so long,” he said. “I feel like part of why I wanted to be an actor was because of shows like Law & Order: SVU. Her as Melinda Warner on there was just, I mean, I loved her.”
He also grew up watching Clifton Davis on Amen, was screen-tested years ago opposite Daphne Duplaix for One Life to Live, and has known Keith Robinson for over a decade, having played flag football together in Los Angeles. “There are so many beautiful connections in that cast,” Riley said. “It’s just a joy to be there.”
Behind the scenes, the cast seems goofy and close, something fans have noticed through social media clips and TikToks. Riley admitted he has mostly let Daphnée Duplaix handle the TikTok side of things. “I’ve got two daughters,” he joked. “I promised them I didn’t TikTok, and now I’m in TikToks, and I feel like I’m going back on my word.”
The Bro Code, the Bait and Switch, and Carlton’s Long Game
Carlton Fitzgerald has inspired a lot of debate since stepping into Nicole’s orbit. Is he wrong for pursuing his best friend’s ex-wife? Did he break the bro code? Or did Ted Richardson forfeit any claim to loyalty the moment he played games with Nicole years ago? Of course, I asked all the questions. “I wouldn’t agree with the way he went about things,” Riley said. “I wouldn’t date my best friend’s ex-wife, especially not so soon. I wouldn’t do it at all, but if you paid attention to the story, he saw her first.” That part matters. Carlton and Ted met Nicole on the same night, and Ted pulled what can only be described as a bait and switch.
From Riley’s perspective, Carlton spending years being the bigger man may have created the wrong narrative. “I think that being the bigger man for all those years, maybe gave everyone a bit of a false sense of security,” Riley explained. “Nicole was clear that it wasn’t really a surprise to her. I think Carlton being able to put his feelings aside with regards to his business relationship with Ted may have given Ted a false sense of security.”
Still, Riley does not see Carlton as some man who was lurking in the hallway, waiting for Ted to fumble Nicole. “Carlton wasn’t waiting in the wings for Ted to mess up,” he said. “It was such an egregious mistake that Ted made, and Carlton wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him twice.”
Riley also brought up a quote he strongly agrees with. “I heard once, it’s a quote that I really agree with, that I wouldn’t want to be in business with someone who cheats on their wife. Because if you’re willing to cheat on the person that loves you and trusts you the most, then you damn sure could cheat on me in business.”
Carlton and Nicole: Love, Awkwardness, and Changing Versions
When asked what he believes exists between Carlton and Nicole, Riley did not hesitate. “I think Carlton loves Nicole,” he said. “He loves a specific version of Nicole,” Riley explained. “Nicole, as she is free to do what she wants and I believe what she wants to do right now, is obviously explore her options in life and see who she really wants to be. That may cause a conflict, because you can love a version of someone who they are no longer, and then what do we have?”
That is one of the most interesting tensions in the Carlton and Nicole story. Carlton may want the woman he has loved from a distance and been friends with for most of their adult lives, but that Nicole is changing. She is grieving, exploring, making questionable choices, and trying to step outside the old version of herself everyone keeps reaching for.
Riley sees Carlton as someone willing to embrace the awkwardness because Nicole is worth it. “I think he really does care about Nicole,” Riley said. “As awkward as it has been and would continue to be, he is embracing that awkwardness because it’s worth it when it comes to Nicole. I believe that Carlton is very honest in all of what it is that he’s done. That’s one of the easiest parts of playing Carlton. If you just show up and tell the truth every time, you’re going to be okay. He loves her enough to be there for her no matter what. He wants whatever version she settles on.”
When asked if he’d seen the online chatter about Carlton being a stalker or having a shrine to Nicole at his house, Riley cackled with his response. “For the record, Carlton does not have a shrine to Nicole hidden somewhere. No shrine,” Riley confirmed. “No Ted voodoo doll either.”
I, on the other hand, thought the voodoo doll might have come in handy to get a little payback for the thirty-year swindle Ted pulled when it comes to Nicole. It was a wasted opportunity, honestly.
Carlton’s Dating History: Yes, He Was in Those Streets
Carlton gives the impression of a man who has been wanted before and knows it. So, naturally, we had to ask about his dating history. Was he serious with anyone before Nicole? Was he outside? Was he, as the people say, in those streets?
Riley laughed into the truth. “If you remember in the very beginning, the first conversation that Carlton and Nicole had, Carlton said it was going to take someone very special for him to stop just being…” he trailed off.
“Being in these streets,” I offered.
“Yeah,” Riley agreed. “He was out in them streets.” There it is. Carlton Fitzgerald, polished doctor, professional suit-wearer with a habit of making intense eye contact, was indeed for the streets. “I don’t think he’s had any really serious relationships that would’ve made him change his mind,” Riley said. “Maybe that’s why it was so easy for him, once Nicole became available, to be like, this is the pinnacle of the type of woman that I would settle down for.”
Riley sees Carlton as a man willing to change for the right woman. “He’s willing to change,” Riley said, speaking from Carlton’s mindset. “Maybe there are things that he needs to change about his behavior for him to be able to be with a woman like this long term.” Sometimes it’s not about a woman, it’s about THE woman. So yes, Carlton has been in the streets, but Nicole may be the only woman capable of getting him to come home.
Nicole’s Chaos and Carlton’s Patience
One of the funniest and most fascinating things about Carlton is how calm he remains while Nicole is going from zero to one hundred, drunk, emotional, throwing him out, seducing him, and unraveling all in the same breath.
When asked how he keeps a straight face in those scenes, Riley admitted they are not simple. “It is psychologically taxing,” he said. “You kind of just take what’s coming at you,” Riley said. “As long as you’re rooted in your truth, it’s okay. Carlton is a very honest guy, and he worries about her from a loving place. It’s like, I don’t think you should be drinking this much, or I think you may be becoming someone you’re not. I liked the old Nicole; she was amazing on her own. If you don’t want to be the old Nicole, let me know now, and I’ll adjust. We’re relearning each other.”
Riley approaches those scenes by staying rooted in Carlton’s truth. Carlton loves Nicole, but he also recognizes when she is not acting like herself and does his best to maintain a balance between care and honesty.
For Riley, acting is about telling the story, even when that means the character loses. “Sometimes you have to win, and sometimes you have to lose,” he said. “And you have to know how to do both very, very, very well. So when he gets beat up by Nicole, he’s gotta walk out of there not letting it keep him down.”
But Riley is also clear on one thing: Carlton is not weak. “He’s gotta lose at times and somehow keep his head held high because he is a grown-ass man,” Riley said. “That’s one of the things that I try to make sure Carlton comes across as. He’s not a simp, well only for Nicole. He loves the woman, but he’s no punk. He may let Nicole get away with murder because he loves her, but everybody else can absolutely get it. He doesn’t let things slide with anyone but her.” That is Carlton’s sweet spot.
Carlton’s Warning Label
When asked what Carlton’s warning label would say, Riley paused before landing on the perfect answer. “Caution: waters are deeper than they appear. Don’t think it’s a shallow pool,” he explained. “The depths might not be labeled on the side of the pool. You take it one step in the wrong direction, and it’s twelve feet deep.”
And yes, when asked whether that applies romantically or in a “you can get your ass whooped” sense, Riley elaborated. “I think both. Carlton works in a hospital. He knows how to conduct himself in public. He knows how to navigate the Duprees, country club settings, and professional environments. But that does not mean the controlled version is the only version,” he said. “Oftentimes when you’re like that, that doesn’t mean that you’re like that all the time everywhere,” Riley said. “It’s the same thing with code-switching in an office. I’m working my 9-to-5. And for that 5 to 9, though, we outside.”
Daphnée Duplaix, Favorite Scene Partners, and the Chemistry That Keeps Crackling
When asked who his favorite scene partner is on Beyond the Gates, Riley did not play coy. “Oh, it’s Daphnée,” he said immediately.
The chemistry between Carlton and Nicole has been one of the most talked-about parts of his tenure on Beyond the Gates. I mentioned how Carlton is supposed to be this sweet gentleman, but becomes far more intense in the intimate scenes with Nicole, never shying away from the character’s obvious attraction to her. Riley says part of that ease comes from who they are off-screen and the similarities they share. “It’s just great to act opposite Daphnée,” he said. “And I think vice versa. Part of it is also that she’s Caribbean, she’s Haitian. I’m Trinidadian and Bajan. We’re around the same age. We’ve got so many different things in common that it just makes it natural. We have a lot of fun, and she’s so easy to bounce off of.” The chemistry is noticeable in nearly every scene they share, especially during the office confrontations where somebody really should lock the door.
When asked what kind of storyline he would love to see Carlton thrown into to strip away more of the smoothness and possibly expose something rougher underneath, Riley had a specific idea. “I think it should be a head-to-head with something a little bit more serious,” he said. “Everything centers around romance right now. Maybe some beef with Joey. Jon is amazing, and he has that booming theater voice, as do I. I don’t know who’d come out alive, but that would be fun to do. I really enjoyed filming the double date scenes with him and Lauren.”
Riley also hopes to work more with Tamara Tunie and loved the scenes he has already had with Clifton Davis. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to work with Tamara,” he said. “Although we’re on the same show and I see her in passing, she’s been very complimentary of my work, which I greatly appreciate.”
He would also welcome more scenes with Karla Mosley as Dani. “Karla’s just so quick,” Riley said. “She’s just so snappy with her responses, and I love that type of energy. There are a lot of people I’d like to do more with, and I’m always behind the gates, so I’ll pop up here and there. You never know who I got business with.”
Carlton’s Family, Background, and Better Friends
There is still a lot that viewers do not know about Carlton’s background. We know he has a niece, which implies siblings, and we know his family apparently knows the Duprees well. When asked what part of Carlton’s background Riley would like explored, he went straight to family. “I’d like to see his family,” Riley said. “His parents, if they’re still around, because they apparently know the Duprees very, very well, which means they should be a part of this country club.”
For Riley, bringing in Carlton’s parents would also be an opportunity to add more Black excellence to the canvas. “That just gives us a chance to bring on more Black excellence,” he said. “Some badass older Black actor and actress to come and play my parents. That would just be amazing.”
When asked if Carlton needs a better friend, and if so, who, Riley had to think for a second. “Everybody on the show seems to be messing up a little bit,” he said.
I suggested Bill, because honestly, Carlton and Bill could be fun. Riley was open to it. “I don’t know much about Bill aside from the fact that he keeps getting poisoned,” he joked. “But that would be cool. I really like Timon; we call him Tree, that’s his nickname. But he’s a good guy.”
Joey was another option I suggested. They had a tense date, but I joked that it could all be settled over some brown liquor in homage to the late, great Doug McBride. “So long as he doesn’t drag Carlton into any shenanigans,” Riley said. “He’s not trying to go to jail.”
Carlton’s Honesty Might Be His Strength and His Problem
One question that I kept circling back to was why Carlton is so patient with Nicole when other men would have manipulated the situation by now. Nicole’s other options would, and already have been, moving pieces around the board, while Carlton keeps showing up with his heart in his hands and the truth in his mouth. That honesty can feel like both his strength and his handicap.
Riley offered a deeper read. “I think there’s an aspect to Carlton that you may or may not find out later,” he said. “As much as he loves Nicole and wants to be with Nicole, he’s still a grown-ass man, and if this doesn’t work out, it’s okay, because he’s always been okay. You can put your heart on the line when you know if it doesn’t work out, you’re gonna be all right,” Riley said. “For the record, I’m team Carlton all day, but this is a soap. Anything can happen. There are definitely some things brewing.”
