Something about Vanessa and Deanna McBride on Beyond the Gates feels almost too convincing to be acting. Put Lauren Buglioli and Angela Fairley in the same scene, and the resemblance goes beyond simply looking believable as mother and daughter. The expressions, emotional reactions, mannerisms, and even the rhythm of their exchanges have created an uncanny family connection. But the real explanation may be hiding in a fascinating detail from behind the scenes.
The resemblance becomes even harder to ignore during Vanessa and Deanna’s most emotional confrontations. Deanna can challenge her mother with anger one moment and reveal heartbreaking vulnerability the next, while Vanessa responds with the particular mixture of frustration and maternal protectiveness that makes their arguments feel deeply personal. It is the kind of chemistry casting directors hope for, but rarely can manufacture so naturally.
That raises an irresistible question: was Angela Fairley simply an extraordinary casting match for Lauren Buglioli, or was there something more deliberate behind the way Deanna was created?
Fairley herself provided the first major clue. While discussing how she prepared to join Beyond the Gates, the actress revealed that she did her homework before stepping into Deanna’s world. She watched scenes featuring Buglioli’s Vanessa, Jason Graham’s Doug, and Alex Cheeks’ Donnell so she could understand the established McBride family dynamic. Instead of arriving and creating Deanna in isolation, Fairley studied the fictional family she was about to enter.
Suddenly, the uncanny connection between Vanessa and Deanna makes much more sense.
Fairley wasn’t merely learning plot points. By watching the existing McBride performances, she had an opportunity to absorb the emotional language of the family before creating her own place inside it. That doesn’t mean every similar expression or mannerism was consciously copied from Buglioli, but it offers a fascinating explanation for why Deanna can sometimes feel like she genuinely inherited pieces of Vanessa.
Another behind-the-scenes revelation makes the story even more intriguing. Fairley recalled arriving for an early fitting and receiving an unexpectedly enthusiastic welcome. Cast members reportedly told her, “We’ve been waiting for you,” along with another striking reaction: “They finally found Deanna!” For an actress joining an already established television family, those words carried enormous pressure — but they also suggest just how important finding the right performer for Vanessa’s daughter had been.
And the connection apparently did not stop when the cameras did.
Buglioli has publicly embraced Fairley and Alex Cheeks as her on-screen children, even referring to herself affectionately as their “fictional mama.” That detail adds another layer to a pairing that already feels unusually authentic on screen. Whatever audiences are sensing between Vanessa and Deanna, there appears to be genuine warmth surrounding the fictional McBride family away from the set as well.
The timing makes their bond even more important. Deanna’s recent anger toward Vanessa has gradually revealed itself as something much more painful: fear. After losing Doug, she cannot tolerate the possibility of losing her mother too. Vanessa’s relationship with Joey has therefore become more than a disagreement over whom her mother should date. For Deanna, Joey represents danger, uncertainty, and the possibility of another devastating loss.
That emotional foundation is exactly where Fairley’s preparation pays off. Deanna does not feel like a character who suddenly appeared to create conflict for Vanessa. She feels like a daughter returning to a family with years of history behind her — even though Fairley had to construct much of that history through research, observation, and performance.
So what is the real mother-daughter secret?
There is no public confirmation that Lauren Buglioli and Angela Fairley are actually related away from Beyond the Gates. The documented truth is arguably more impressive. Fairley deliberately studied Buglioli’s Vanessa and the McBride family before building Deanna, while Buglioli has embraced her role as Fairley’s fictional mother beyond their scenes together.
Perhaps that is why the casting works so remarkably well. What looks like an almost impossible coincidence may actually be the result of careful preparation meeting extraordinary chemistry.
And now that Vanessa and Deanna’s relationship is becoming increasingly important to the Doug and Joey story, every familiar expression and emotional exchange may hit differently. The secret was never necessarily hidden in their DNA. It may have been hiding in the work Angela Fairley did before Deanna ever walked through the door.
