Deanna McBride made an immediate impact on CBS soap opera “Beyond the Gates” the moment she arrived in Fairmont Crest sporting her Banneker letterman’s jacket, and that’s due to breakout actress Angela Fairley.

While she was always interested in performing, Fairley didn’t zero in on acting until high school, when she joined Edgewater High’s theatre program in Orlando, Florida.

“In high school, I really got to actually take on characters and then get a script and go through that process. We had a beautiful drama department,” Fairley told It’s Giving Soap. “We had monologue competitions, and they were part of the International Thespian Society.”

That experience set the stage for deeper involvement. Fairley explained that through these festivals, she realized her determination to make acting a career. Her dedication paid off with a “Best in Show” honor for a monologue competition she had participated in.

“That’s really when I was like, hold on, I want everything else in my life to stop, all I want to do is act, and I did, I think almost every production that my high school had from there on,” Fairley said. “I took editing class. I took stagecrafts and theatre lighting class. I was just fully immersed in the acting world.”

Fairley remained resilient throughout her acting journey as she navigated and conquered not only the COVID-19 pandemic but also the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the wildfires in California.

To stay motivated, Fairley made an effort in trying new things and “switching it up,” whether by joining new acting classes, taking private coaching or traveling and stepping into different areas of art, such as music.

Before her leap into the daytime drama landscape, Fairley built her resume. In 2019, she starred in Lifetime’s “I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story,” earning Emmy consideration for that role, and appeared in “GodComplx.”

Later, during a transitional period in her life, Fairley got the Deanna McBride audition. Because she didn’t have much context with soap operas, she conducted research by watching YouTube clips, which led to her arrival at Dr Self Tape Studio to film.

Fairley was also preparing for a stage reading at the time, and the night she performed it, she dreamt about “Beyond the Gates.”

“I had a dream of an email, and it was about the show, but there was no conclusion to the email,” Fairley revealed. “Then the next day, I actually got an email from my agent that they liked it [Fairley’s audition tape], but they wanted me to film the second scene again.”

Everything aligned for the star actress after a rollercoaster day spent trying to refilm that second scene. It was important to Fairley that she film in a studio, but because the studios in Los Angeles were all booked that day, she had to travel outside of the city.

“I went all the way to Venice Beach for Stella Self Tape Studio. I was taking the train at the time, because I had sold my car in LA, so I didn’t have a car. The train was running late, so then I had to pay for an Uber,” Fairley stated. “I was all frustrated, and I made it to the studio, but Deanna had to be frustrated in her second scene anyway, so it kind of helped.”

After overcoming the obstacles of the day, Fairley’s efforts were soon rewarded. About a week later, while staying with a friend, she received the news that she had been cast as Deanna McBride.

“I got that text message and I kind of just froze, and then I get super focused,” Fairley expressed. “Anytime I’ve booked something, I get super focused, like what do I have to do, where do I need to go, what needs to get done?”

Trying to process the huge accomplishment, the star actress also phoned a longtime friend, Jordan Rock, who assured her that she would love being part of the series and living in Atlanta.

Once Fairley got to set, she understood the opportunity she had to make Deanna McBride stand out while remaining relatable, especially in the wake of the character’s grief after losing her father.

“I really just focused in on a couple of key things, which was, what is the story that Deanna is telling, where is she within this journey of losing her parent and what are her thoughts going on in her head,” Fairley said. “That was huge for me. What is she thinking that’s driving all of this madness and just the dialogue that’s coming out of her mouth?”

Having viewers be able to connect with Deanna McBride has been a priority for Fairley as she plays out the storyline, despite the character’s privileged background.

“Because Deanna is in such a place of privilege with her family inheritance and her money and she’s had this beautiful life, I wanted her to be relatable,” Fairley said. “I wanted her personality to be relatable, so I hope people take that away.”

For Fairley, a key step in portraying Deanna McBride’s complex emotions was watching scenes of Jason Graham (Doug McBride), Lauren Buglioli (Vanessa McBride) and Alex Cheeks (Donnell McBride). This helped her recognize the possible family dynamics, “create the stakes” within the story and synthesize all the possible scenarios that would influence Deanna McBride to feel the way she does.

“I thought, what are these conversations her and her dad had and what were they about, and what were those private moments that him and her only experienced together versus her going to her mom for girl conversations,” Fairley said. “Writing those moments on a piece of paper was helpful for me.”

Something the “Beyond the Gates” actress found a bit challenging in portraying Deanna McBride’s grief was having to showcase such gut-wrenching emotions without having any prior onscreen moments between Deanna McBride and Doug McBride.

“That was a really tricky point for me because I’ve never met Doug. So, I’m not an actor that’s had that, at least, family relationship onscreen,” Fairley said. “I’m supposed to be grieving the passing of one of the most people connected, so deeply listening and being in the moment and present was huge for me.”

Looking ahead, Fairley hopes that Deanna McBride’s story will expand beyond grief and family, allowing the character to discover who she is.

“Eventually, I would love to see her outside of her mom, her dad, her grief moments, to where Deanna is really, maybe discovering herself, whether it be with love, or whether it be with a passion of her own,” Fairley said.

Fairley immediately realized the significance of joining “Beyond the Gates.” With years in the industry already under her belt, she knew that working on a show featuring so many women, especially Black women in power, would be next level and amazing.

What has meant a lot to Fairley is that she gets to create art that will last forever, like an “artifact.” She stated that she views the ability to capture a scene and have it possibly outlive her as profound and special.

There’s no doubt that viewers have loved Deanna McBride’s spark and fearless nature, and Fairley would describe her as “unpredictable, clever and blunt,” which perfectly matches what has been shown onscreen.

As Deanna McBride’s story unfolds, viewers remain eager about what’s next—especially when she uncovers the truth within her family. Fairley anticipates her alter ego blossoming and bringing the unexpected.

“We never know where she’s going or what journey she might venture off to,” Fairley said. “Now it’s all up to the writers, and I’m so excited. I’m so grateful for them. It’s been so much fun.”