"By God's grace, I'm still hanging in there," the veteran actor tells PEOPLE
Credit: Jack Mitchell/Getty; Sonja Flemming/CBS
NEED TO KNOW
- Clifton Davis is finally sharing his best-kept secret: the magic behind his amazing looks at 80 years old
- The Beyond the Gates star recently sat down with PEOPLE ahead of the show’s historic crossover with The Young and the Restless, revealing that his age “snuck up” on him
- He later adds that he has several things in his life that keep him “hanging in there”
After spending decades gracing stages and screens, Clifton Davis is finally sharing his best-kept secret: the magic behind preserving his good looks.
The Beyond the Gates star recently chatted with PEOPLE ahead of the CBS drama's "landmark" crossover with The Young and the Restless, revealing his top tips to looking amazing at 80 years old. Davis, who has nearly six decades of acting experience to his name, tells PEOPLE that while his age "snuck up" on him, he's fortunate enough to have several things to keep him "hanging in there."
"First of all, forget that you're 80. Don't think about it. It snuck up on me actually," he says with a laugh before revealing the trick to his youthful looks. "I just keep working [and] keep my mind working. And, I'm fortunate enough to have a loving wife who takes excellent care of me and makes sure that if I need medicine, I have it and I take it."
He adds, "And I try to stay active. I fight those things that come on normally because you've lived 80 years and by God's grace, I'm still hanging in there."
Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Davis stars as Vernon Dupree, a retired senator and mighty patriarch of the Dupree family, in Beyond the Gates. The story follows all the twists and turns the family endures in Fairmont Crest, a fictional predominantly Black gated community located in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C.
After portraying Vernon for over 350 episodes, Davis told PEOPLE that he's learned a new life lesson with each script. Overall, Davis says Vernon has taught him a deeper understanding of the boundlessness of love.
"I'm learning every day, and I believe that all actors should learn something more every day," Davis explained. "With Vernon, I've explored a deeper sense of love, actually. I love my family and I love my children and I love my wife, but there's something about Vernon's love for Anita that is different in a sense."
"They have a connection on the level of entertainment and of philosophy and politics and ideology. They can finish each other's sentences on many subjects," he continued. "And so, that relationship I've not had on stage before, [and] I thank my wife for helping me to understand what that kind of love is."
Davis also shared that when it comes to his legacy, one of the things he wants people to remember the most about him is how deeply he loved God, his friends and family, and others.
"I would like them to say that in the body of my work, first of all, that he is a good actor, but more than that, that I love the Lord with all my heart and that I love my fellow man. I think that's my obligation," he said. "So, in each character that I try to play, I want to bring that kind of passion, that kind of devotion, that kind of truth some way into that character."
"It's not necessarily Vernon Dupree's theological conceptions. No, not at all," Davis concluded. "But I want to somehow reflect the love of God somewhere in me, and I want to somehow reflect my love for my fellow men, my family, and for others."
Credit: Quantrell Colbert/CBS
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Amen alum stars alongside seasoned soap opera stars, such as Tamara Tunie, Karla Mosley and Daphnée Duplaix, and newbies, like Brandon Claybon, Colby Muhammad, Ambyr Michelle and RhonniRose Mantilla, in the hit daytime drama. While reflecting on his earliest days filming the show, Davis shared with PEOPLE that he didn't know Beyond the Gates would be "such a hit" when he joined the cast, attributing its success all to the hardworking cast and crew.
"I didn't expect this and for it to be such a hit," Davis said. "The lovely thing for me is that it is so diverse, and everybody is giving so much of themselves. We all contribute the best we can as much as we can."
"Everybody, from the soundman, to the grips, to the lighting, to the cameras, to the actors, to the hair and makeup and wardrobe, all the executive producers and whatnot. Everybody's doing the best they can, and it is evidenced by the fact that CBS picked us up for two more years already," he added. "So, I thank God and I thank CBS."
Beyond the Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on CBS.
Read the full article here
