Beyond The Gates: Greg Vaughan Is Ready To 'Ruffle Feathers' In Fairmont Crest — And Ignite Sparks With Nicole

By Andy Swift
Greg Vaughan as Dr. Kial Roberts and Daphnee Duplaix as Dr. Nicole Richardson on CBS' Beyond the Gates CBS

Greg Vaughan has officially arrived in Fairmont Crest. Last seen as Eric Brady on "Days of Our Lives," the daytime veteran made his debut on Monday's episode of "Beyond the Gates," playing an orthopedic surgeon who likes to "ruffle some feathers" and "stir the pot a little bit."

At least that's how Vaughan describes Dr. Kial Roberts to TVLine, adding that he was a little nervous when "Beyond the Gates" creator Michele Val Jean, with whom he previously worked on "General Hospital," first described the role.

"I was taken back a bit when I asked Michele what the character was and she said, 'You're going to be a doctor, but that's all I can share,'" Vaughan tells TVLine. "I've never portrayed that, and I've probably always feared that a little bit, just because it comes with big verbiage, words that are unfamiliar to me, not my everyday vocabulary, so I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me."

Fortunately, as a father of "three boys that spend a lot of their time injured, and the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree," Vaughan found specializing in orthopedics to be a natural fit. "This is right in my lane," he says. "It's not like I'm playing a heart surgeon or a brain surgeon."

So, what do we know about this mysterious new doctor? "He's a widower, a traveler — a nomad, if you will — who goes from hospital to hospital," Vaughan explains. "So he's never in town for too long, but always long enough to make a dent, and really make his presence known."

Of course, no daytime leading man would be complete without a love interest, and it's already clear which of Fairmont Crest's eligible bachelorettes will be booking a physical with the good doctor — Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix)! Don't even pretend like you don't feel the chemistry between them in the clip below, which ends with the pair's first kiss... on the hand.

Vaughan isn't ready to give away the future of Kial's love life, but he does confirm that "a lot of things are blossoming." Vaughan started filming in early November, so a lot has happened that viewers have yet to see.

And since "Beyond the Gates" technically exists in the same universe as "The Young and the Restless" (via the multiple crossovers we've seen so far), we couldn't help but reminisce about Vaughan's time on "Y&R," where he played Diego Gutierrez from 2002 to 2003. Would he ever step back into the role, more than 20 years later?

"If that was something that happened, I would totally embrace it," Vaughan says. "But that was so long ago. I don't even know if that character would be remembered." (Don't worry, TVLine remembers.)

What do you make of Vaughan's character so far? Are you glad he found his way to "Beyond the Gates"? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.

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