Why Jordi Vilasuso Says 'Beyond the Gates' Was the Right Career Move (Exclusive)
Why Jordi Vilasuso Says 'Beyond the Gates' Was the Right Career Move (Exclusive)
Johnathon KornbleeWed, January 14, 2026 at 2:35 AM UTC
0
(Chris Reel/CBS)
For Daytime Emmy winner Jordi Vilasuso, Beyond the Gates represents a full-circle return to daytime television. The actor, who has now appeared on five daytime soap operas, opened up in an exclusive interview with Parade about why this new CBS series felt like the right project to bring him back.
Vilasuso began his daytime career in 2000 on the former Procter & Gamble soap Guiding Light, earning a Daytime Emmy for his performance as Tony Santos. He later portrayed Griffin Castillo on ABC’s All My Children, Dario Hernandez on NBC’s Days of Our Lives and most recently Rey Rosales on CBS’s The Young and the Restless.
During the conversation, Vilasuso shared that the timing felt right on a personal and professional level. With a laugh, he summed it up simply: “Honestly, working is great.”
He added that joining a brand-new daytime series was especially energizing. “The fact that it was a new daytime show is super exciting to me,” Vilasuso said.
Vilasuso also pointed to the differences between daytime storytelling and the shorter formats common in primetime and streaming. “Soaps usually have legs, they usually last quite a long time,” he explained. “Viewers who connect with them tend to stay, and just getting to be part of something as iconic as a CBS first original co-produced soap was something I was really pumped about.”
Advertisement
The experience has also allowed Vilasuso to reconnect with familiar faces behind the scenes. “Some of the people that I've worked with off-screen as well, [Executive Producer] Julie Hanan Carruthers, [Director] Sonia Blangiardo and then [Director] Steven Williford, seeing some of these faces, it's just that familiarity is always great,” he shared.
The connection is especially meaningful with Daytime Emmy-winning director Steven Williford. “Steven's worked on a number of the soaps, and he's directed me on all five that I’ve been on,” Vilasuso said. “That’s so cool, it’s been great.”
Vilasuso also praised his on-screen partnership with co-star Jen Jacob, “Getting to work with great actors like Jen Jacob is another reason to really want to do this kind of work,” he said. “Because that's not always the case, and the fact that we get to have fun while we're on set is amazing.”
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
Viewers can catch Vilasuso's debut on Season 2 of Beyond the Gates.
The series airs weekdays on CBS and streams weeknights on Paramount+. Viewers can watch Beyond the Gates from the beginning on Paramount+ or on Pluto TV’s dedicated 24/7 Beyond the Gates FAST channel.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
