Exclusive Interview: Greg Vaughan previews his Beyond the Gates character, Dr. Kyle Rollins

Beyond the Gates has kept viewers waiting long enough! On Monday, December 8, fan favorite Greg Vaughan makes his debut on the CBS soap opera. Soap Central sat down with the Daytime Emmy-winner to get a preview of who he'll be playing in Fairmont Crest!

Beyond the Gates welcomes Greg Vaughan

Kyle (Greg Vaughan) and Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) on Beyond the Gates | Image: CBS

Vaughan had already amassed some prime time credits before he first joined the world of soaps as Diego on The Young and the Restless in 2002. After leaving Genoa City the following year, he immediately checked into General Hospital as Lucky. Then, he moved to Salem and became Eric Brady on Days of our Lives. The actor won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for playing Eric in 2018.

Vaughan tells Soap Central that he was thrilled when his phone rang and it was Michele Val Jean, creator, executive producer, and head writer of BTG, asking him if he'd like to play a role on her show.

"Michele knew my work, and we knew each other," Vaughan says. "We crossed paths at my red carpet events and affairs. I jumped at the opportunity [to join BTG]. I was flattered that she thought of me. She has a Rolodex of talent that she could call."

Geographically, the Texas-based Vaughan has an easier commute to Atlanta, where BTG tapes. There's another location benefit, too. When he received the offer to join the show, he had already been scheduled to drive to Alabama to get his son, Jathan, settled in at college.

"I was like, 'Wow, I'm going to be working in Atlanta, which is less than three hours away. I can come visit you on my days off," enthuses Vaughan, who adds with a chuckle, "I don't know if my son was as excited as I was, but yeah, it just made everything all the better."

The doctor is in

Kyle (Greg Vaughan) and Dani (Daphnée Duplaix) on Beyond the Gates | Image: CBS

Vaughan says that he'll be playing Dr. Kyle Rollins, an orthopedic surgeon, on BTG. "He's a widower, and a father of two," the actor previews, calling Kyle a "nomad."

Kyle's goal is to open up his introverted self. "Being a widower has got to be difficult [because] you lose your partner," muses Vaughan. "You have your family. So, he's just saying low-key. Then, he runs into an old friend from some medical events at the hospital, and that opens up a door to a conversation, a handshake, and to, 'Hey, we need someone on staff.'" (Could that old friend be Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson, played by Daphnée Duplaix?)

Both on-screen and off, Vaughan says he's been welcomed at BTG. "He's being embraced by the hospital community," the actor says.

Vaughan knows both Jon Lindstrom (Joey; Kevin, General Hospital) and producer Julie Hanan Carruthers from his years in the daytime community. Being on BTG has reconnected him with Timon Kyle Durret (Bill Hamilton), who played Davis West on Queen Sugar, the series on which Vaughan played Det. Calvin.

"On Queen Sugar, Timon and I never really worked together [except] for one day on the pilot," Vaughan marvels, "but we just had our first scene together here on Beyond the Gates."

To the best of his recollection, Vaughan says that Dr. Rollins is his first physician role. He remembers hearing his fellow actors at GH, including Brad Maule (ex-Dr. Tony Jones), Leslie Charleson (ex-Dr. Monica Quartermaine), and Jason Thompson (ex-Dr. Patrick Drake; now, Billy on The Young and the Restless), rattling off medical facts and figures with ease.

"Playing a doctor has been a part of my checklist for over 25 years," he shares. "I thought, 'I gotta work in my medical jargon because one day I could have an opportunity to be a part of a show and play a doctor."

"I have so much gratitude and appreciation for everybody who has watched me from Y&R to GH to DAYS to Queen Sugar, and now, here," Vaughan adds. "I'm so excited for what's coming up. Michele and the creative team here have a vision, and there's a lot of incredible leadership here."