Greg Vaughan Dishes on ‘Beyond the Gates’ Role and Teases What’s Next After Year-Long Work Hiatus (Exclusive)
The soap star gets candid about his new role, family and keeping the faith during tough times
As Greg Vaughan premieres as Beyond the Gates newcomer Kail Rollins today, the Daytime Emmy-winning soap opera hunk sits down with Woman’s World to tease what to expect from his new role. Here, Vaughan gets candid about joining the genre’s brand-new series after playing legacy characters on the classic soap operas Days of Our Lives and General Hospital.
Reflecting on how far he’s come since his Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 days, Vaughan also reveals which costars he’s kept up with from his early years—and the Queen Sugar alum is quick to point out that at 52, he’s still building his career.
Plus, Vaughan shares that after a busy year, he and his girlfriend, model and actress Shanna Moakler, are looking to have a cozy holiday season at home as they balance hang time with the kids with working from bed—and working their way through this year’s wave of Christmas rom-coms!
Handling a dry spell at work with family and ‘faith over fear’
Greg Vaughan brought Eric Brady back to Salem to honor Days of Our Lives’ 60th anniversary and John Black’s passing, but for this actor, who’s been in the business since landing on Baywatch and Malibu Shores in 1996, joining Beyond the Gates marks the end of a dry spell.
“Trust me, I’m itchy and OCD, so when I’m not working, it’s, ‘Got tuition to pay! Oh my God, another check for the school!’” admits the father of three boys, including one in college. “But when I’m getting stressed emotionally, financially, or whatever have you, I’m like, ‘Faith over fear. Just sit in your roots, and doors will open when it’s time. This is where you need to be right now.’ I embraced it.”
“My kids, just being a part of their lives, that’s been a great part of not being on a show for the last 15 months,” he continues. “I’ve gotten to see every sporting event, every school function, saw my son’s entire last year of high school. It’s been amazing… but Michele’s call came at the right time!”
‘Beyond the Gates’ EP ‘verbally grabbed my wrist, put it behind my back, twisted it!’
The call he’s referring to came from seven-time Daytime Emmy-winning writer turned Beyond the Gates creator and producer Michele Val Jean, whom Vaughan knows from his General Hospital days.
“Michele verbally grabbed my wrist, put it behind my back, twisted it, and said, ‘I’m calling you because you’re taking this role. Nobody’s gonna do it like you,’” he recounts, and he’s thrilled to have accepted. “It’s been very welcoming, inviting and just… eager. I can’t wait to get the scripts and look forward to going to work. Life is good.”
While his character arrives on the scene with what Vaughan calls a “boom,” Kail Rollins is not a big character.
“He is genuine and internal—he’s no Joey,” he teases, referring to Jon Lindstrom’s shady character. “He is a traveling orthopedic surgeon and widower who’s been a nomad. He’s trying to figure life out and where he’s going to go next, or if he’s ready to settle down. So he’s observant, embracing this community and environment he’s unfamiliar with.”
‘I’m not still on rented furniture from the ’70s anymore!’
Having spent time on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, which have been around for over 60 years, and gotten his soapy start on The Young and the Restless, which is in its 50s, Vaughan also finds himself embracing brand new ground—literally!
“It’s definitely different, because this is not a well-oiled machine,” he says of Beyond the Gates, which premiered in February. “They’re building their own race car from scratch. Laying the foundation, putting in the right parts and still fine-tuning it all. We want the strongest engines to run this thing. We want horsepower, but we also want the beauty.”
For those who haven’t tuned in, the show certainly has that part down—as seen in the Thanksgiving clip below.
“That’s where all the money is, right there in the wardrobe,” Vaughan cracks. “We look good! I love my character, and the glam factor? You can’t do it without the women and department heads in hair, makeup and wardrobe. They give you this new vibe.”
“This is a fresh take on a modern-day set,” he adds. “I’m not still on rented furniture from the ’70s anymore!”
Vaughan on calling Deidre Hall and Genie Francis ‘mom’
For the record, Vaughan is not poo-pooing his runs on legacy shows with deep history or getting to play son to Days of Our Lives’ Marlena and Roman or General Hospital’s Luke and Laura.
“I’ve crossed paths with many incredible daytime players and been the child of iconic legends,” he marvels. “I didn’t get to work with Genie much when she returned in 2008, because Laura was catatonic—but then it was Tyler Christopher [who played Nicholas], myself, Genie, Tony Geary and that whole reunion and the big wedding in the park, with a carriage. I was like, ‘Wow, this is incredible!’”
“And going in with Deidra Hall was also incredible. She’s just as talented and fun, but she likes to know her stuff,” he says, snapping his fingers. “‘We’re professional! Let’s be ready to film.’”
Honoring John Black: ‘I don’t take moments like that for granted’
Vaughan’s recent return to Salem, which honored the passing of Drake Hogestyn’s John Black, drove home the significance of all he’s gotten to be a part of since he joined daytime.
“It was right before we lost Drake, so everybody was very in that moment and emotionally present,” he recounts. “It was a somber day, because he gave his blessing to do this and he was still in our hearts and our prayers. It was special.”
“I don’t take moments like that for granted,” he continues. “And I still have that same burning hunger and desire to create good work. When I go to work, I want to bring out somebody’s best performance. Thinking like that keeps you from getting stagnant. It’s uplifting.”
Vaughan talks ‘Charmed’ Paris convention and ‘90210’ pals
Also uplifting? Meeting fans—and decades after his run on Charmed, Vaughan is preparing to attend his first-ever Charmed Paris convention.
“I have been asked the last five years, so I know what to anticipate: A big welcome from thousands upon thousands, because Charmed was magic,” he grins. “That was 25 years ago! I was young, ambitious, still learning and just absorbing how fast my career was exploding. It happened so quick, from Aaron Spelling and my first job after being in L.A. for less than a year.”
“And I’ve maintained those relationships,” says the actor who romanced Donna on 90210. “I just saw Brian Austin Green last week when he was in town. I’m friends with Jason Priestley and his wife and kids. I used to work out with Ian Ziering all the time. Tori Spelling will send me DMs. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken with Alyssa Milano, but I was very close with her and her family, and I speak with Holly Marie Combs.”
When asked how that young man would feel about the career he’s built, Vaughan doesn’t skip a beat.
“It’s still building!” he cries. “I’m very proud of where I am. It’s such a great realm, daytime, so I keep going back. But I find my way into primetime and I’m reading for a great movie right now, with two big stars. I’m writing more. I’m just putting my best foot forward.”
Vaughan and Moekler are home for the holidays!
At the moment, however, Vaughan isn’t planning to go anywhere. He’s hunkering down for the holidays with his lady love, Shanna Moakler—who is hoping to avoid traveling this season after their busy year.
“She’s like, ‘I don’t want to move. I’m going to stay in bed all day,’” Vaughan shares with a laugh. “She works from the bed or a desk in the room, and I’m good with that. And then we have 30 Christmas movies to watch before the end of December. We’ve already tackled four!”
In addition to hibernating in Houston with Moakler, the dedicated son will be looking after his mother and enjoying his kids this holiday season.
“We have no big plans,” Vaughan tells Woman’s World. “We’re just going to be nice and settled.”
With his new character Kail showing up in Fairmont Crest today, the Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Young and the Restless alum might also be watching himself find a new home on Beyond The Gates!
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
