Beyond the Gates Performer of the Week: Daphnée Duplaix as Nicole Richardson

This week on Beyond the Gates, Daphnée Duplaix is letting Nicole's steady rising battle cry be heard. Daphnée Duplaix has been given quite the assignment of portraying a woman in distress who doesn’t know which way is which — and she has risen to the occasion. Nicole is having her own Dani (Karla Mosley) moment, but on her own terms.

Daphnee Duplaix on Beyond the Gates

Daphnée Duplaix has embodied a woman scorned and completely and utterly, devastatingly so, blindsided and now trying to pick up the pieces, especially now that her character is also reeling from the betrayal of Andre (Sean Freeman). Duplaix, rightfully, expresses her character’s anger with Andre over this, while also maintaining her character’s deep sense of grace and confidence. While Duplaix's Nicole does get some help (nudging) from her baby sister, Dani, to navigate forgiving Andre, she ultimately counsels herself on how to handle the situation. Duplaix gave the scene an air of bittersweet irony as she doesn't take long to heed her own advice of assessing the situation logically and coming to a resolution.

Just as we witness Duplaix giving her character room to process her feelings out loud, Duplaix then switches gears with her ability to have her character put her own nightmare aside to be there for her children. Duplaix understands the role of a mother — that of a protector, despite what else may be going on in her life.

Nicole’s down but not out

Duplaix's character has a notable rapport of being trustworthy, self-possessed, and overall, the go-to person when someone is in need on Beyond the Gates. Now, Duplaix shows the complexities of a character who is navigating a world of uncharted territory where emotions may be displaced or reactions may be stunted or slaps are still waiting to be dispersed. Nicole has another run-in with Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant), and her anger is bubbling to the surface as she analyzes Leslie and then kicks her out, something we'd not seen from the character until now. Even then, however, Duplaix is classy as she does so. Dani may have broken the Dupree code when she shot up Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) and Hayley's (Marquita Goings) wedding, but Duplaix's Nicole is determined to handle her business with her dignity intact.

Even with Nicole making an albeit rash decision to sell her home that she's been living in for well over half of her life, Duplaix maintains Nicole's steadfastness with her own convictions and sense of self. Duplaix's Nicole may doubt decisions that she has made, her knowledge of her own spouse, their marriage, and possibly choices she made all those years ago during a dark time in their respective lives, but Duplaix's Nicole never doubts herself, an important distinction.

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Duplaix is taking her time with Nicole's grief and peeling back the layers of her character's inner being, which will then lend way to her very open and loud healing. As Nicole, Duplaix knows the only way to move is forward, whether she knows what her next steps will be or not. Duplaix carries Nicole with a quiet well-stated strength, proclaiming that Nicole is strong and will be okay either way, as that's how the Dupree women of Beyond the Gates have shown themselves to operate.

Watch Daphnée Duplaix as Nicole on Beyond the Gates weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

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