After making his daytime television debut last month as an original cast member of the new soap opera “Beyond the Gates,” actor Maurice Johnson is set to exit his role as Dr. Ted Richardson in May, with Keith D. Robinson (“A Million Little Things”) replacing him.
Since news of the casting switch first broke last Friday, Johnson had been reposting and resharing comments by some of the show’s most loyal fans who’ve wondered what may have occurred, if anything in particular, to spur the change.
While the show has not yet addressed any changes to its cast, Johnson did take to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to share that he’s got a little more than 30 episodes left to go before his final episode airs and that he’ll be back on screen as soon as Thursday.
“Sorry #BeyondTheGates fans,” Johnson began in his post. “You’ll have about 30+ more episodes to see if Dr. Ted ever goes shirtless. I’ll be back on your screen on Thursday! Thanks for the love and blowing the internet up over the weekend about ya boy!”
Johnson alluded to sharing an “announcement soon” with his followers as he used the words as a hashtag that accompanied his post.
Quantrell Colbert/CBS
On the series, Ted Richardson is the husband of Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnée Duplaix), the eldest daughter of Vernon (Clifton Davis) and Anita (Tamara Tunie), and father to Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Kat (Colby Muhammad).
Ted is a brilliant plastic surgeon with an ultra-exclusive private practice and women clamor to put their faces and bodies in what they call his blessed hands. Ted has created an impeccable life with his wife – whom he loves passionately – and sleeps well at night, secure that his past will never disrupt his perfect world. However, in recent episodes, that perfect world has been disrupted with the revelation that he may have fathered another child, a daughter named Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle), from a prior relationship.
Quantrell Colbert/CBS
“Thanks for the love and for letting THEM know y’all rock with O.G. Ted. Sooo much more of the storyline you will get to see in the next 30+ episodes!” Johnson commented in a separate post as he responded to a fan who noted they’d miss his portrayal of the character. The “THEM” he referred to in his response is likely the show’s producers.
With more than 50 television and movie credits to his name before he joined “Beyond the Gates,” Johnson is an accomplished actor who back in his school days received a football scholarship to Albany State University where he graduated with a BA in Speech and Theatre.
On television, Johnson appeared in episodes of such shows as “Hawaii Five-0,” “Nashville,” “For Better or Worse,” “Devious Maids,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Chicago Fire,” “Good Girls” and even the short-lived series “Daytime Divas,” which starred Vanessa Williams which chronicled the daily fireworks that erupt between five female co-hosts of a daytime talk show.
A final airdate for Johnson and an official first airdate for Robinson was unavailable at press time.
