Beyond the Gates made the soap world take notice when it received 15 Daytime Emmy nominations for its talented cast and crew. This history-making feat included a nod for the show’s Hair department, which also received a NAACP Image Award nomination earlier this year. Soap Hub recently chatted with the Emmy-nominated team that helps tell the story of Fairmont Crest, one natural hairstyle and one wig at a time.
Key Takeaways
- The Beyond the Gates Hair Department earned a Daytime Emmy nomination after receiving a NAACP Image Award nomination earlier this year.
- Department head Wankaya Hinkson and her team credit their collaboration, creativity, and dedication to authentic hairstyling.
- The Articulettes’ comeback concert showcased the team’s versatility and helped earn its first Daytime Emmy nomination.
BTG Assembled a Marvelous Hair Team
Wankaya Hinkson leads BTG’s Hair Department. While she has worked in movies and primetime TV and is an entrepreneur, this is her first daytime TV gig. She had the privilege and the task of bringing together a team of all-stars to help her create the hairstyles for the groundbreaking new soap that features a diverse cast. It turned out to be an Avengers Assemble-type of situation.
“It started with me praying for like-minded people,” Hinkson explained. “I just wanted a group around me that had good energy, super talented, flexible, able to pivot. That was a big thing because we work so fast here.” The experts that she assembled included Jeremey Johnson, Christy Caudle, Wayne Jolla Jr., and Antoinia Pratt.
“I worked with Wayne before. Worked with Antoinia before, worked with Christy a couple of times. And I just met Jeremey, but he came right in the door, and when I say literally just knocked it down, and now we’re all connected at the hip. I don’t think we separate.”
And now they are all Daytime Emmy nominees in the Hairstyling and Makeup category.
The Hair Team Feels the Daytime Emmy Love
The Hair Team had to quickly adjust to the fast-paced world of producing daytime TV. To get a nomination straight out of the gate is epic. They are grateful that their hard work and innovation are already being recognized.
Hinkson was over the moon at the news. “It’s definitely been a dream of mine, and I wanted to make sure we all put our best foot forward, and we strive for greatness. So I am so excited to be nominated for my first Emmy.”
“I was overjoyed to hear that we finally got nominated,” Johnson revealed. “Especially coming off of our NAACP nomination. Literally the only word I got for you is overjoyed.”
Meanwhile, Pratt, who builds the massive hair schedule that has every cast member working for the week, said she “was in shock a little. It’s always been a dream, actually. It’s really a dream. And a little overwhelming.”
Jolla Jr., the key hairstylist and barber who cuts all of the men’s hair, “felt still, and extremely happy” when he first learned of his department’s recognition. He took the time to savor the moment. “You do feel overjoyed. You feel happy. But I think I tried to process it with a very present state. I would just say still.”
As for Caudle, she said she was instantly “grateful that all of our lights were able to shine. That the world is seeing us shine in the space of time right now.”
With a Little Help from The Articulettes
The episode that helped the Hair Department earn its first nomination in the Hairstyling and Makeup category was a big one from BTG’s first season. It featured the comeback concert for The Articulettes.
“I picked that episode because I felt like, for one, we got to really shine in that episode where we got to transition [the actors] from their everyday looks, when they start off at the house… and then when they get to the concert, it’s their extravagant look,” Hinkson revealed.
“Also, we got to see Anita in a different light. It was a big hair change. We picked the concert because it showed the most range for us, hairstyling-wise.”
Working With The BTG Cast Is Everything
The team is always moving and always working. They have to do the hair for the soap’s 30-or-so cast members. But the number is much higher when you factor in recurring, celebrity guest stars, and background actors. “I think getting used to that was probably the biggest adjustment for me,” Johnson explained.
It’s a good thing that they work with a cast who are every bit as present and wonderful to work with as the BTG actors are. “I don’t think any of us have ever worked with a group that is so cohesive like this,” Jolla Jr. raved. “They’re a family off camera as well.”
“We love each other around here. We really do,” Caudle shared.
The Hair Team Gives Actors a Safe Space
And it feels good for the Hair Team when they hear their largely Black cast talk about how they create a safe space for them. That they don’t have to worry about their hair when it’s in their capable and nurturing hands.
“I think here it was very important for me, for everyone to feel seen, for everyone to feel important. For them to feel their best when they go to set,” Hinkson explained.
“We’re the first place they stop and literally the last place to take their wig back off before they go home. So we want to make sure that they feel their best walking to set, because we’ve kind of set their mood for the day.”
The Hair Team Is Ready for Its First Daytime Emmys Together
The group will be present and accounted for at the Daytime Emmys, which takes place on Friday, October 30, in Los Angeles. What are they looking forward to the most?
“I’m looking forward to receiving it,” Hinkson laughs. “That’s what I’m looking for, too,” said Caudle. “Honestly, I’m looking forward to celebrating with them,” Johnson pointed to his fellow hairstylists. “We work extremely hard. We do our best to ensure that we showcase Black women and Black men in excellence and authenticity. In my opinion, that has not been seen on television, particularly in daytime or primetime.”
“And not just Black people. We have everybody looking spectacular,” Jolla Jr. weighed in. “Everybody looks immaculate. You won’t find a hair out of place, unless you want it to be out of place.”
