In April, Beyond the Gates‘ Eva Thomas dealt with chaos on all fronts. She had to carefully balance getting to know Nicole and Ted with the explosive impatience of her mother, whose plans included blowing up Ted’s world at their upcoming anniversary party, which Eva had to coordinate. And between those moments of impending doom, she showed flashes of vulnerability. Actress Ambyr Michelle handled everything delicately, deliciously, and like a boss.
April 2025 Performer of the Month
The Top Spot
Ambyr Michelle makes BTG fans feel for her character, even though Eva lies to Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and Ted (Maurice Johnson) about her identity on a daily basis. Maybe it’s because her mother has lied to her her entire life about Ted knowing she existed. Maybe it’s because we see the character yearning to abandon her mom’s plans for revenge to bask in the acceptance Nicole and Ted have given her.
Michelle infuses her character with strength and vulnerability, and in April, she added layers of depth to what could have been a straight-up villain. But she isn’t—not even close.
Eva Thomas is in an unenviable position. She’s juggling a lot, and she hardly falters. At work, she has to act like the perfect assistant, all the while hiding her true identity from Nicole and Ted. At home, she has to keep her mom’s thirst for revenge in check, which is easier said than done. She also has to deal with Kat’s open, in-her-face hostility.
MORE: BTG’s Performer of the Month for March 2025: Karla Mosley.
Kat (Colby Muhammad) knows something’s wrong with Eva, and she’s 100% right. Yet, thanks to Michelle, Eva often makes us root for her in their confrontations. In her interactions with Tomas (Alex Alegria), Eva can get downright vulnerable when she opens up to him about how she grew up and her envy over Kat’s relationship with Ted.
Eva’s loaded interactions with her mom are always fascinating to witness. She knows what her mom is capable of — she has already accused her of being the one to run Laura (Destiny Love) off the road. This month, she accused Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant) of causing Laura’s health to worsen while in the hospital. Her mom’s revenge threatens to erupt and overtake everyone unlucky enough to be in its path. And while she’s stopped Leslie once before, she knows she can’t keep her in check forever.
MORE: Here’s what you should know about Ambyr Michelle.
However, with Michelle, it’s not about one scene standing out over others. In April, she gave a layered, nuanced performance day in and day out.
