Beyond the Gates Performer of the Week for April 21-25: Sean Freeman as Andre Richardson

Beyond the Gates this week has seen a previously aloof character become a beacon of hope, thanks to actor Sean Freeman.

Sean Freeman on Beyond the Gates

Actor Sean Freeman is artful in his approach to portraying Andre Richardson on Beyond the Gates. Andre is a bit mysterious; other than knowing that his parents died when he was younger, and that he was then raised by Ted and Nicole, we only knew that the aloof photographer was a world traveler and liked his freedom. Freeman’s Andre has gone from being described as a playboy by Shanice (Ernestine Johnson) to trying to kiss an already-committed Ashley (Jen Jacob) to ending up in his aunt-in-law, Dani's (Karla Mosley) bed. Even with all of this going on, Andre has come across as likeable as well as relatable — thanks to the ease and style of Freeman. The actor brings a vibe of confidence in every scene, with a touch of vulnerability right under the surface.

Freeman, as well as the writers, have now switched gears and the character of Andre has shown his role of being pivotal to the show, not only through Dani (Karla Mosley), but others, including Doug (Jason Graham) and Ted (Maurice Johnson), just to name a few.

From playboy to pivotal

This week on Beyond the Gates, Andre spoke to Doug and encouraged him never to give up hope, and then Doug won $50,000 on a scratch-off ticket — given, Doug then squandered this money instead of listening to Randy (Maurice P. Kerry), but Andre did his due diligence with encouragement. Recently, Ted spoke with Andre about an affair he'd had with Dana/Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant) and Andre gave Ted advice concerning the situation. With Doug, Freeman's words were said in a way that showed he was solid; with Ted, his facial expressions needed few words.

Freeman's approach to Andre didn't make this an over-stated transition. This was demonstrated through Andre’s conversations with Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) or through his finding fulfillment in photography. Andre has been trying to get Dani to stop drinking for some time now, but last week, he'd had enough and told her straight up that he was worried about her and wanted her to make some serious changes.

Freeman shows a new side of Andre as he tries to convince Dani to leave the drinks alone. It's a softer side to Andre, and it’s not a shock to viewers. Fans fully embraced this side of Andre and were able to connect with the story and cheer on both characters. Simply put, Freeman himself is...likeable.

This week, we saw Dani reclaiming her life and making steps to (finally) move on from Bill. The fact that her reclamation is due in large part to Andre's intervention shows Freeman's character's reach and importance in other characters' lives.

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As we learn more about him, Sean Freeman portrays Andre in a way that gets us to invest in him as someone who wants more than to have a good time. He's reintroduced Andre to the audience as a man who has compassion, drive, focus, and a deep hurt from the loss of his parents — not the surface-level playboy we met a couple of months ago. A nod to a job well done, Mr. Freeman.

Catch Sean Freeman as Andre on Beyond the Gates weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

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