On Beyond the Gates, Hayley Lawson Hamilton has had an eventful six weeks since the soap’s premiere back at the end of February. She has been slapped, ignored, walked out on, and a gun-toting Dani stole her thunder at her wedding. Meanwhile, she’s taken it upon herself to mend her new hubby’s relationship with his daughters, which is a goal easier said than done. Soap Hub recently talked to Hayley’s portrayor, Marquita Goings, about her BTG experience.
Hayley and BTG
Before BTG, Goings starred in Hulu’s Woke, Tyler Perry’s Zatima, which streamed on BET+, and the CW’s Dynasty reboot. But now that she’s entrenched in the daytime universe, she’s realizing how passionate the fans are, and she’s experiencing the thrill of being part of a groundbreaking show. “A lot of family and friends are so excited,” Goings says. “But also on Twitter, seeing all the things that the viewers are saying, I’m enjoying it. They are really invested, and that’s just amazing because we are a new show, and you never know how a show is going to do. And how people are going to receive it.”
And, yes, she has noticed a love-to-hate vibe for her character. After all, Hayley and Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) didn’t exactly endear themselves to the pillars of the FC community, the Duprees. That’s what happens when you break Dani’s heart and shatter a family.
“It’s not just Hayley, okay? It takes two to tango,” she smiles. At the same time, she’s loving playing someone embroiled in so much drama. “I’m loving that as well because anyone who knows me, they’re like, okay, we know what type of person you are, and it’s interesting to see you bring this character to life.”
Hayley started out as besties with Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) before she and Bill had their affair. Recently, Hayley bridged the gap and tried to make peace between Naomi and her dad. Unfortunately, this is going to be a difficult task, considering Naomi is representing three women suing Bill’s law firm and one of his partners. Goings talked about the prospects of Hayley and Naomi being friends again. “It’s going to take time with Naomi and Hayley because it’s a big thing. We [were] best friends, and now it’s like, okay, you’re my stepmom. That takes time.”
Goings is optimistic, however, that there will eventually be a thawing. “I think we will see a little bit here and there,” she said.
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Support Group
The Georgian native hails from Athens, roughly 90 minutes from Atlanta, where BTG films. There, she and the cast have become a tight-knit group. She says they “hold each other accountable and want to put our best work forward.”
“Emotionally, there are times when some of the cast will send things like inspirational words to me, and we just let each other know that, hey, I got you, whatever you need,” Goings continued. “A lot of people have moved to Atlanta for the show, and it’s like, okay, I need help with this. So I have movers coming. And we all are on a group chat, and it’s like, hey, I got you.”
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