EXCLUSIVE: What’s Next for Eva? Ambyr Michelle Teases Season Two of Beyond the Gates

Ambyr Michelle is stepping into daytime history in a big way. As a series regular on CBS’s Beyond the Gates, which premiered this February, she brings Eva Thomas to life. In doing so, she made history as part of the first Black-led daytime soap opera to premiere in 25 years.

An American actress, filmmaker, and natural storyteller, Michelle is no stranger to meaningful roles, having built an impressive body of work across television and independent film.

Now, she’s adding daytime drama to the mix. Soap Opera News had the absolute pleasure of chatting with the Omaha, Nebraska, native, who also happens to be our number one soap newcomer of 2025. Michelle opened up about diving into those emotional scenes behind the gates, what could be ahead for Eva in 2026, and the kind of storyline she’d love to explore next.

Ambyr Michelle Talks Working on a Soap

Soap operas are no joke when it comes to pace. Actors usually get one take and a whole lot of dialogue to get through in a day. So when we asked Michelle how she handles that kind of workload, she got candid:

“It’s extremely fast-paced, and I don’t think any of us were prepared—except for some actors who’ve done soaps before. They kind of eased us in, but their idea of easing us in was 40 pages a day, which is still a lot for someone coming from nighttime or prime-time TV.

Honestly, I just relied on my team, the cast, and prayer. I pray a lot—me and God are best friends—and that’s really what allowed me to rise to the occasion. But yeah, it’s extremely fast-paced.”

Behind the Tears: Ambyr Michelle on Eva’s Emotional Moments

As viewers would’ve seen from the get-go, Ambyr handles a lot of emotional storylines, and we couldn’t help but ask how she gets into that “crier” mode.

“Well, those scenes have really good writing, thank God. And honestly, most of the scenes I have where I am crying are with Trisha Mann-Grant, who is just a phenomenal actress. We tap into each other, and our chemistry is intense,” she explains, before adding,

“I really rely on giving Eva a voice, she says as she explains, “I know there are girls out there like her, and I see myself in her a lot of the time, too. I want to give a voice to the women who are trying to relate to her, because they need to see themselves on screen.” Ambyr is determined, “I don’t want to cheapen it, and I don’t want to fall short; I want to rise to the occasion.

So, I pray before my scenes. I ask God to help me be a vessel and use me in a way that allows these girls to be seen and heard. And it happens every time. I’m just grateful that it does.”

The Scene That Left Ambyr Michelle Speechless

Since the show’s premiere, Ambyr and Eva have had a lot of standout scenes, but one in particular comes to mind for Ambyr:

“Oh, the first scene that comes to mind is when Eva lays Tomas out. As a person, I felt like I was speaking for every woman who’s been cheated out of love, every woman who’s put her heart on the line and didn’t get that love back. Every woman who’s been brokenhearted, hurt, and torn apart.

I was like, I’m going to speak for my mom, my sister, and my aunts—women I know who’ve been hurt. So that scene is definitely my number one.”

Eva hasn’t always made choices that viewers agree with. Take, for instance, a recent scene where Eva learned from Laura that Detective Marcel Malone was hired to keep an eye on her mom—she couldn’t wait to spill the news.

Ambyr explains why she thinks Eva makes the choices she does:

“I’m putting myself in Eva’s shoes. This woman raised her, regardless of how toxic it is, and she’s attached to her at the hip. I think a lot of people can’t relate to that, but a lot of people also can, because that’s all she’s known up until now.

You can’t really get rid of her, even when you want to. From the outside looking in, it’s like, why does this girl still deal with her mom? She’s toxic. But when you look at all the memories she’s had, they’ve all been with this woman, wrong or right.

I think Eva’s intention is still to protect her mom, even when it looks strange on the outside. It’s the only woman who raised her. So I do think she wants to do right, but she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to balance both worlds and make sure everyone stays safe.”

What She Wants Eva to Do Next

When asked what she would write for her character if she got the chance, Ambyr shared:

“Oh, obviously Eva’s finding love right now, so that’s already in the works. I know the emotional scenes can be a lot on the heart and the spirit, but I want Eva to go somewhere she almost can’t come back from—if that makes sense. She’s a goodie two-shoes; she wants to do the right thing, but I kind of low-key want to see her do some dirt and get herself into trouble, where it’s like, how is this girl going to get out of it?

I don’t know specifically what that looks like, but as an actor, it would be a dream. Maybe her mom goes to jail, and she has to figure that out, or maybe Eva goes to jail and has to deal with it herself. I don’t know—just something hardcore. Maybe they go to prison together and have to dig themselves out.”

Team Izaiah or Tomas?

Simply put, when asked if she is Team Izaiah or Team Tomas, she said:

“Eva and Ambyr are both Team Izaiah. 100%.”

There’s also the fact that Eva and her half-sister Kat have been at odds. There seems to be no peace in sight; however, Ambyr says:

“I want to see what that looks like. From day one, we’ve already been at each other’s throats, so it would be interesting to see how they come together and what the two sisters look like when their foundation was built on turmoil. What does that mean? I’d definitely love to see some peace and some love, and maybe get into some trouble together instead of being against each other.”

She even jokingly agrees that they should probably team up against Tomas.

As for who most likely made her nervous when she had to do a scene with them, she explained:

“I would say Ms. Tamara [Tunie]. The scenes we’ve had haven’t been extremely intense, but she’s a vet—she’s great at what she does, she looks good, her choices are unique, and she’s been in the industry for so long. So when I first worked with her, I was terrified. I was so nervous. I was like, Ambyr, you have to get it together, girl—the cameras are rolling. On the outside, I think I got through the scenes, and we did great, but on the inside, I was like, oh my gosh, this is insane.”

Ambyr even has a bright idea for Eva and Izaiah. She says, “I want her to go dancing. Maybe she can go with Izaiah or something, but I want to see her really go full out and just do a whole recital at this point.”

Beyond the Gates Season 2: What’s Next for Eva

Beyond the Gates has been renewed for season two, which means more drama and more Eva. Of course, Ambyr couldn’t give too much away, but she did tease:

“Without saying too much, I think Eva is going to be on a journey of self and, you know, a potential love life and what that looks like. She’ll be exploring her relationships around her a bit more deeply.”

Of course, she could not leave without leaving a message for her fans:

“I want to say thank you so much for the support, the love, just the grace you guys have given us. Like, this is a very new show. It’s still a baby, and the love that we’ve received from everyone. We read the comments, whether you guys know it or not. The good, bad, ugly, and indifferent. We’re just glad that you’re talking about it, that you’re supporting us. And we would love for you to keep watching. And, you know, hopefully one day we do get to meet you guys and talk to you and love you guys the way you’ve loved on us.”

Ambyr also reacted to being named Soap Opera News’ top newcomer of 2025:

“When I saw the message, I was like, what? This is so beautiful. I’m honored. I’m grateful. As an actor, you put out work and give it your all and depend on your process, and then you just let it go and see what happens. But for people to recognize it and really see it, that’s a different kind of feeling. So I’m just so grateful for your company, for seeing me and seeing my artwork, and recognizing me. It’s beautiful. Thank you so much.”

Catch Ambyr Michelle as Eva Thomas weekdays on CBS’s Beyond the Gates, and see what drama awaits in season two!

Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/CBS Broadcasting Inc.

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