Victoria Rowell Reveals She Auditioned for the Role of ‘Beyond the Gates’ Matriarch Anita Dupree
When Beyond the Gates made it to air on February 24, 2025, becoming the first Black-led hour-long soap opera on network television, for many. they thought this day would never come. Now, the series has already been renewed by CBS for its second season earlier this week which has been both heralded and celebrated.
Before there was Beyond the Gates, Victoria Rowell, was extremely popular with viewers of The Young and the Restless for her role as Drucilla Barber Winters. At that time in 1990, she along with the late, great Bill Bell (creator and head writer, Y&R) steered the story of Drucilla becoming a ballet dancer, like Rowell herself, in a storyline that Rowell told the AP, that showed, “It is possible to be in a lower socioeconomic environment and be aspirational.”
In the feature article which spoke to not only Rowell, but Darnell Williams (ex-Jesse, All My Children) and Veronica Redd (ex-Mamie, Y&R) on Black actors who were the forerunners to Beyond the Gates, Victoria revealed that she received a touching note from CBS when Beyond the Gates was announced.
Photo: JPI
Rowell shared, “I have been contacted with great respect from the powers that be at CBS, thanking me for all of my hard work, recognizing the work that I have done that has influenced this moment and I appreciate that.”
However. as many of Rowell’s fans know, she sued CBS and the producers of Y&R back in 2015 for lack of inclusion of Black actors and pushed for more hires in front of the camera and behind the scenes. That suit was eventually settled out of court.
Most interestingly, Victoria noted that she was “astounded” when she was asked to audition for the role of Anita Dupree, the matriarch of the wealthy family residing in the D.C/Maryland area. That role eventually went to former As the World Turns star, Tamara Tunie.
Photo: CBS
Victoria recalled that after she submitted her audition tape for the role, she never heard back. However, she expressed that she thinks Tamara Tunie is a “brilliant actress.” CBS was reached out for comment by the AP for their feature and did not comment.
Meanwhile, Rowell has some upcoming projects she recently teased including; the upcoming Christmas movie The Secret Between Us and the drama, The Juror.
So, what do you think of Victoria Rowell auditioning for the role of Anita Dupree? Do you think it was a kind gesture by CBS to reach out to her before the launch of ‘Beyond the Gates’ and note her influence in daytime television playing Y&R’s Drucilla? With so many people guessing just who is really “Aristotle Dumas” on Y&R, many think it’s really Drucilla! Do you think it is? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
