‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Brandon Claybon Talks ‘Abrupt’ Move from Los Angeles to Atlanta: ‘I Couldn’t Believe It’ (Exclusive)

When Brandon Claybon was cast in Beyond the Gates, he “couldn’t believe” he was about to pack up his life and move across the country.

The rising soap opera star, 37, tells PEOPLE that the move was “so abrupt” for him, sharing that he didn’t share his exciting news with any of his friends in Los Angeles until his birthday party, a week before he was set to move to Atlanta. Claybon, who portrays Martin Richardson in the daytime drama, says the birthday celebration doubled as a going-away party and was filled with a mixture of emotions.

“It was so abrupt for me, especially because I didn’t really tell any of my friends until I had a birthday party,” Claybon, 37, tells PEOPLE. “[I’m] telling my friends about the show and everything, and they’re super excited, but at the same time they’re like, ‘What? Oh my God.’”

“I had a friend crying. I had friends singing. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ ” he adds. “And I had to tell them, ‘I’m leaving in a week,’ and especially with me living in [Los Angeles] for 10 plus years, they just couldn’t believe it. Hell, I couldn’t believe it.”

The actual transition from the West Coast to the South, however, was “pretty smooth” for Claybon. The Tennessee native previously spent time in Atlanta at the beginning of his career as a model with Elite Model Management while in college at the University of Tennessee. Although he knows the city very well, Claybon admits there has been a lot of changes since he’s been away, adding that he found some great people to reintroduce the city to him.

“I had some great people to take me under their wing, especially our stage manager at the time, showing me the city, showing me good people [and] good food,” he explains. “And it’s been immeasurable because some of those people that I met when I first got here are my friends to this day. I’m just so excited because I’m on a different path, a new journey.”

Looking back on his first day on the brand new set over a year ago, Claybon shares that he was “just nervous” and focused on learning his fellow costars’ names and personalities. Despite the initial nerves, he says he “just felt good” being there.

“I remember going to my dressing room and seeing 227. I was like, ‘227, no place like home,’ Claybon shares. “I said, ‘I got it. I got it.’ I’m a person that follows the signs, and I knew then that I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Beyond the Gates, which premiered in February 2025, follows the very accomplished and wealthy Dupree family in the predominantly Black gated community of Fairmont Crest, a fictional town located in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C. The daytime drama is known for its unique ability to cover heavier topics, prioritize inclusivity and bring in an intergenerational audience.

According to Claybon, the goal of the show is simply to portray the realness of humanity, showing the good, the bad and everything in between with its characters.

“In actuality, we want to portray real people, and guess what? People go through things,” he says. “You can’t just label everyone the villain or the hero or bad or good. They are people and they are flawed sometimes, but also the love of family.”

“I think it’s important to be true to reality,” Claybon continues. “Of course, we want to give you the glitz and the glam, but it’s not always sunny and roses. Sometimes life has storms and rain, but those storms don’t last always.”

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The truth embedded in the storylines is what Claybon believes allows the audience to resonate with the show.

“I think the audience has been through so much in their lives as well,” he admits. “People have had to deal with this in their lives. So of course you see something that reflects you, you’ll be touched.”