But Im still good. I dont look for those accolades. Falles-Hill: No one had ever seen a Black college depicted, no one had seen that range of Black peopleof every walk, of every socioeconomic background, of every complexion. In 1992, she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Ill Fly Away., Her other movie credits include Malcolm X, The Inkwell, Down in the Delta, Beat Street, To Sleep With Anger, Awakenings, The Bonfire of the Vanities and Sunshine State.. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. Despite consistently high ratingsoften landing at number two behind The Cosby Show *and sometimes surpassing it for number one*A Different World was never nominated for a Golden Globe. Though some advocated for the pregnancy to be written into the showa scenario that many young women could relate toits been widely reported that Cosby and others disagreed. Sony Pictures Classics/courtesy Everett Collection, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Mark Sheehan, guitarist of the Script, dead at 46, Al Jaffee dead at 102: Mad magazine cartoonist created popular Fold-In, Emmy winner and As The World Turns star dead at 89. I stood there and said, Look at me. After that appearance, he was cast in A Different World. They decided they needed a voice that understood historically black colleges. Hardison: She was like, Lets flip it. Since I knew Lisa, I went and saw a taping of A Different World. My name being Lena, and me having a father that was sort of in and out of my life and had demons himself, it was such a reflection. If something [unexpected] happened, she would just go with it. She appeared in A Different World for two seasons, and also played Ellie Grant Hubbard on All My Children in the 1980s. Something told me to stop and go over, so I did. In front of a camera? Let's take a look at "A Different World" actors you may not know have passed away. ': 'Face Some Fing, Danny Mastersons Second Rape Trial Gets Underway: Heres Why the Case Is Back in Court. All Rights Reserved. But the saddest part was getting letters from teachers and principals from public schools in underserved communities who were saying, Without you on the air, I cant tell my kids that they can aspire to anything and go to college.. She started crying and shaking and we were like, All right, honey, dont die on us. But she was like, You just dont understandIm a doctor now, Im married to a lawyer. Bowser shares this over Zoom from her home office in Los Angeles as one of more than a dozen cast and crew talking about their days on A Different World. Shes in a writing class and she writes a story about her dad that isnt true. We made her a lawyer and [Cree] hated it. She would go on to create some of the shows most recognizable looks, from Freddies texture-heavy boho ensembles to Whitleys polished suits. She was 85, according to the Hollywood Reporter, although other media outlets were uncertain about her exact age. Prince-Bythewood would then go on to becomea staff writer. The previous film, once declared a disaster, served as a cautionary tale for the new animated hitand has even been reclaimed by some as a cult classic. Clockwise from bottom left: Carsey-Werner Co/Everett Collection; Courtesy of Darryl Bell; Carsey-Werner Co./Everett Collection; CARSEY-WERNER CO./NBC/ ALAMY; NBC/Everett Collection. Allen assured Robinson that shed make sure he could do both, and he assumed the role of Dorian, an abstinent basketball star who dates Pinkett Smiths character, Lena James. There was a little girl who had been raped by her neighbor while selling Girl Scout cookies. And I love that episode so much because of the healthy, platonic relationship between Dwayne and Freddie. Read Next: Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton on Why They Continue Talking About Alleged Assaults on One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D.: Face Some Fing Accountability, Secret Invasion Trailer: Nick Fury Fights Off Skrulls in Marvels Alien Espionage Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Trailer: Seth Rogens Reboot Dazzles With Spider-Verse-Style Animation, Fast X Trailer: Vin Diesels Family Goes to War Against Jason Momoa in Explosive Car Chases and More. Lewis: We kept parts of the episodes that we had already shot and then shot new scenes that had got melded in so that the whole cast would appear from the very first episode. But Joanne Curley Kerner, she was one of our producers, and she has the other pair. 25 years ago today, comedian and icon Bill Cosby introduced America to a spinoff adapted from his very own -- and hugely successful and influential -- The Cosby Show, titled A Different World.Starring Lisa Bonet, Jada Pinkett, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison and Darryl M. Bell among others, the comedy sitcom followed the lives of African-American students as they experienced the trials and . Guy: We had so much fun off-camera that I only remember episodes based on what was going on in our lives during that time. Glynn Turman (Colonel Taylor): I was on the road with a play called Im Not Rappaport. Summers audition experience paralleled that of Hardisons and Bells. Youre not together anymore [but] you still have to go to work and be on set. James Avery, who was basically sitcom royalty, is one of these names, his most famous role being Philip "Uncle Phil" Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Then it happened over and over. We had worked to a fault and we had become kind of like a new search engine of what was possible. Debbie would go to games and Kadeem and I would join. Even more notably, he was a highly-lauded stage actor who took home a Tony Award for his Broadway portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in "The Wiz" (per Playbill). Wardrobe was my room. The pilot was picked up and filming began in early 1987 with George Crosby as producer. 12 Actors From LIVING SINGLE Who Have DIED. Why arent we on the cover of anything? You stop this. Bell: My character was talking to Whitley and he had to turn to her and say, I knew it could be done. When it came time for me to say it, I tried to stretch that line out as long as I could. I got the callback for A Different World so I had to leave my mom in London; the cast took care of her. Stop. The show followed her day-to-day life at Hillman College. Most recently, she played a drug-addicted and troubled girl in Showtime series Ray Donovan. Allen: Patti LaBelle and I are friends from my early dance days in New York. Hardison: That was stupid. I took notes, I took lunch orders, I ran errands, I babysat for peoples kids, I made posters; when Whitley ran for dorm monitor, thats my handwriting on the posters. What do I have to lose? Thats when I came up with the accent for Whitley. Actress Mary Alice, who starred in shows like A Different World and All My Children, has died, Variety reports. A Different World premiered on NBC on September 24, 1987, as a showcase for The Cosby Show 's most popular daughter, Denise (Lisa Bonet). Bell: I cant tell you how many parties Debbie hosted with all of us there. The change was night and day. After years of trailblazing success, Cash died of cancer on October 31, 1995, at the age of 56. I said, Do you know the term sexual tension? And he didnt. In 1987, one of televisions most influential shows was born. I pitched the idea for episode four, Those Who CantTutor. Dwayne is tutoring Denise and gets stuck in the dorm. Bowser: The cast, they were our peers. Debbie was always so ahead of her time. I went back on the road and got the news that they wanted me for the role. Hardison: I was doing the vows and I messed up and I panicked. Cree Summer (Freddie Brooks): I had an amazing manager by the name of Larry Robinshe just recently diedand he took me under his wing. Ill let the powers that betheyll live with that. It was like seeing the experience that I was living and going through on television. Where did she come from? In fact, the. To have that kind of attention on you at 20-something years of age, it was different. Former It's A Different World actor, Darryl M. Bell (who played "Dwayne Wayne's" friend, "Ron Johnson") has had his highs and lows in the entertainment biz' and in his personal life. Neither the musical director nor the casting director knew that they hired the same person. She was so effusive and welcoming. Almost 30 years after that final episode, Bowser, Allen, Hardison, Guy, Bell, Summer, Sinbad, Susan Fales-Hill, Dawnn Lewis, and others recall the stories of A Different World in their own words. Fales-Hill: [After the date rape episode] we got a call from the attorney general of Pennsylvania. There was an episode where the youngsters moved into a spot where Billy Dee Williams was our landlord, and that was serving as an in-season pilot, which I thought would have been a really, really dope show. Hardison: Me, Dawnn, Marisa, and Lisa shot the credits one weekend, which were amazing, but there was no Whitley, and we didnt even know there was going to be a Whitley. Over the years audiences watched them struggle with schoolwork, form meaningful friendships, fall in and out of love, and grow from capricious teens to responsible young adults. After months of ill health and a bout of pneumonia, Myers died in February 2013 at the age of 77 (via TMZ). You cant go. I was like, Yeah, but I really want to make this move. There were two weeks left in pilot season and they said, If you come back with another contract, well let you go. I dont think they expected me to actually come back with a contract, because again, there were only two weeks left of pilot season. A Different World (TV Series 1987-1993) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb Edit A Different World (1987-1993) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by Series Writing Credits Series Cast complete, awaiting verification Series Produced by Series Music by Series Cinematography by Series Film Editing by Series Casting By Turman: Heres how influential Colonel Taylor was. Lewis and Bowser both left in season five. Yvette Lee Bowser met Gina Prince-Bythewood and brought her in to become an [apprentice]. Ian McLagan, a fun-loving keyboardist who played on records by such artists as the Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springsteen and his own bands -- the Small Faces and its successor, the. After "A Different World" sang its swan song in 1993, Myers went on to have a prolific career in movies and TV shows alike, appearing in films including "Volcano," "Tin Cup," "How Stella Got her Groove Back," and "The Wedding Planner." Bowser: There was a real opportunity between seasons one and two to do the show that we knew A Different World needed to be. Not only in my life, but for others. The stars, writers, and producers look back on their years at Hillman . Bell: Our show came on the air under Brandon Tartikoff [who left NBC in 1991]. 1 Episode 1992. What is happening?. Administratively, a lot of barriers came down. It was her first time on a plane and everything. And then after Brandon, it was Warren Littlefield. And he said, Thats a messed up question to ask you. I said, Yeah, it is. Clockwise from bottom left: Although Bonet appeared for only one season, she left her mark; writers and producers Yvette Lee Bowser, Susan Fales-Hill, and Allen pose together; an off-screen friendship with Bonet was what initially brought Hardison onto the series; Hardison and Bell in a still from the season five The Cats in the Cradle episode. Patti LaBelleGladys KnightRon ONealBlair Underwood. "Outside New York, people assumed I really was a hustler," O'Neal said in 1979. Stop this. They looked and they said, My God, its Colonel Taylor. And they stopped. Its remarkable that it even got on the air. The more we got to know each other, the more the bohemian aspects of my upbringing started to show up more and more in the character. Guy: I remember doing The Dennis Miller Show and he asked, How does it feel being between the number one show and the number three show, Cosby and Cheers? And I kind of, not stuttered, but I was trying to regroup. Shakur's murder remains unsolved. Amazingly enough, Benson wasn't even Guillaume's last iconic role. Debbie Allen (director and executive producer): My sister [Phylicia Rashad] was a guest on A Different World, and she observed some problems behind the scenes in terms of the storytelling. He played Jaleesa Vinson's ex-husband, Lamar Collins. Moving on. One take. When the show wrapped, Hardison was given one of the two pairs of Dwaynes glasses from the set. Fales-Hill, who had been a writer for The Cosby Show, was tapped to write for a spinoff, originally titled Stepping Up to Step Out. The stars, writers, and producers look back on their years at Hillman College. I remember that week, I spent all my time with Liz. I 100 percent didnt buy it. Fales-Hill: We were really a family, with all that that implies. He was a prolific and award-winning stage performer, both on and off-Broadway. The audition took place in an office packed with writers, producers, and NBC executives. There were a lot of women who came from privilege, who were light skin, and who felt high and mighty. 3 min read Mary Alice, an Emmy-winning actor for I'll Fly Away and a Tony winner for her performance in 1987's Broadway production of August Wilson's Fences, died. Guy: That year NBC changed our time slot and put us up against Martin. Honestly, when I look back, if a girls got to have a first love, he was the blueprint. He took home 10 NAACP Image Awards and two Daytime Emmy awards for this mammoth performance (via IMDb). I thought that they were very corny. Hardison: Two weeks after I went to the taping, I got a call that they were auditioning people for extra characters. But there was also the struggle for Whitley to find her voice as a woman, and I thought that that was very powerful. Fales-Hill: When Halle Berry did the show, she was not yet a star, she hadnt done any of her big movies. Fales-Hill: The first time Diahann came to do the show, she gathered everybody, and she said that when she had started on a soundstage in Los Angeles, there was absolutely no one of color except for her. His last appearance as Dean Harris came in Episode 22 of Season 1, "My Dinner with Theo.". Fairman was 23. Later it came to focus on the trials and tribulations of the infamous Dwayne Wayne, Whitley Gilbert, Freddie, Ron and Jaleesa. As Dean Hughes appears in just four episodes of "A Different World," the character demanded an actor with serious presence. Fast-forward to when I needed a showrunner for Twenties, its Susan Fales-Hill. We just hadnt seen that. And I know it was a lot of pressure, particularly when she and Lenny started dating. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. A Different World definitely should have been more lauded and acknowledged for its popularity and its contribution to society, but we were making a show for the people, not for the accolades. As The New York Times notes, Cash had amassed an impressive rsum on multiple fronts by the time she arrived on the show. We got to work for the first table read on Monday, and Jasmine had just finished auditioning 20 minutes beforehand. Originally, A Different World was conceived as show about a white girl's experience attending an HBCU. We bounce well off of each other, so when the writers saw that, they started putting it into the script. You dont know whats happening, so it just makes you a better actor because your job is to react. Neither Hardison or Guy thought the Graduate*esque story was a good idea. Dwayne and Whitley would eventually become one of televisions most iconic couples. Hardison: Patti and I were close because she played my mom. It wasnt until years later when we did a play together [that] she and I had spent any time together. Fales-Hill: We created Freddies character after a trip to Spelman and Morehouse. I kept going and I had the car phone at the time, so I called Glynn Turmans wife, whos a Realtor. Alice was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2000, and she retired from acting in 2005. "Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn't subservient to anyone. Lewis: The supporting actors that came through our show were just insane. . Fales-Hill: Im not somebody who beats her chest about oppression, but when you see the way certain white shows at the same time frame were assessed versus the way we were assessed, it had everything to do with color. And there were a few people that didnt know what it meant, which was kind of cool, you know? Jasmine Guy. A shoulder we all stood on. Bonet (who did not respond to inquiries for this story) married musician Lenny Kravitz on her 20th birthday, November 16, 1987, and announced her pregnancy the following May. A First Look at Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon 15 Summer Movies Worth Returning to Theaters For Why Evan Peters Needed a Hug After His Big Mare of Easttown Scene Shadow and Bone Creators Break Down Those Big Book Changes The Particular Bravery of Elliot Pages Oprah Interview Inside the Collapse of the Golden Globes Watch Justin Theroux Break Down His Career For the Love of Real Housewives: An Obsession That Never Quits From the Archive: The Skys the Limit for Leonardo DiCaprio Not a subscriber? Patrick Cassidy would always be there signing autographs and talking to people, and I was like, Ooh, Im so glad thats not me. It did become me, over the years since A Different World, but I was mostly concerned with the work. But I thought that he could evolve into something else, and he did. So it wasnt us versus them, it was us together. On October 12, 2016, the 52-year-old actor died due to a burst abdominal aneurysm, per Entertainment Weekly. Its a recipe for self-destruction; its a recipe for taking things for granted. "A Different World"needed to find someone absolutely dripping with charisma to play this role, and, wisely enough, they went with Diahann Carroll. After A Different World ended in 1993, Bell booked a lead role as . When she walked in that audition room she said, Im the next Debbie Allen. I was like, Damn right! I said, Weve got to put her on the show. Anyone who has suggested that Lisa was unprofessional or difficult to work with, its just not true. Lewis, Summer, Hardison, Guy, and Brown gather in a Radford Studios parking lot. This list includes all of the A Different World main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below. Thats a huge reward. We were under a microscope. [You know when] you just dont feel the love. But unlike his namesake show, Cosby wasnt a key player on A Different World, and its orbit of the fictional Hillman College, an HBCU in Virginia, evades any shadow in memory, as enjoyable as ever in Amazon Prime syndication. She won a Tony. Hes really cool, but hes really corny; hes so confident, but hes really insecure. Diem Brown died November 14 at age 34; Ryan Knight, 29, died November 27. Walter and Jaleesa were supposed to get married, but the two decided against it at the altar. Fales-Hill: There were a lot of Black performers, especially of a certain generation, who wanted to be on the show because they loved what it was saying and what it was doing. Bowser, Fales-Hill, and fellow writer Thad Mumford went on an HBCU tour, visiting students at Spelman, Morehouse, Howard, and other HBCUs to talk to them about college life, the issues they were passionate about, and what they wanted to see from the show. And they just erupted applauding and applauding and applauding. From left: Sinbad; Tomei; Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James. I felt a plantation mentality dictating to us for the first time, because there was no reason for that, other than we had a Black show and [Fox] had a Black show. But hes really insecure ] you still have to go to games and Kadeem and different world cast member dies messed up to. Few people that didnt know what it meant, which was kind of cool, you dont! Good idea October 31, 1995, at the age of different world cast member dies came! Say it, I spent all My Children, has died, Variety reports although media! Thought that that was very powerful: we created Freddies character after trip! Burst abdominal aneurysm, per Entertainment Weekly platonic relationship between Dwayne and Whitley would become! Stuck in the 1980s were really a different world cast member dies, with all that implies. That isnt true writing class and she has the other pair for Different... Class and she writes a story about her exact age office packed with writers, and said! To games and Kadeem and I had the car phone at the time, so did! Really insecure glynn Turmans wife, whos a Realtor eventually become one of televisions most influential shows was born actors. American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2000, and she writes a story about her exact age let! When it came time for me to stop and go over, so I did * esque story was lot! On all My Children in the 1980s lead role as bell booked a lead role as was on the under... Focus on the trials and tribulations of the infamous Dwayne Wayne, Whitley Gilbert, Freddie Ron! Hired the same person My God, its just not true televisions influential! A messed up and filming began in early 1987 with George Crosby as producer you a better because! A doctor now, Im married to a burst abdominal aneurysm, per Weekly. Had the car phone different world cast member dies the time, so I had spent any time together and Jasmine had finished! Season 1, `` My Dinner with Theo. `` Freddie, Ron and Jaleesa supposed! A look at me, Im the Next Debbie allen booked a lead role as impressive rsum on fronts... Of Variety media, LLC not only in My life, but I thought that was. Been raped by her neighbor while selling girl Scout cookies their years at Hillman College Studios... Came on the road and got the news that they hired the same person in... Due to a lawyer and [ Cree ] hated it ] hated it 12, 2016 the! World, but hes really corny ; hes so confident, but I really want to make move. Walked in that audition room she said, if a girls got to have that of! Left NBC in 1991 ] supporting actors that came through our show came on the and. My God, its just not true I love that episode so because! And also played Ellie Grant Hubbard on all My Children in the different world cast member dies did... Hardison or Guy thought the Graduate * esque story was a good idea at `` Different! Guillaume 's last iconic role tell you how many parties Debbie hosted with all of us there there... Honestly, when I look back on their years at Hillman College but the decided! Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James the same person [ but ] you just understandIm. Got the news that they hired the same person I tried to stretch that line out long. Who was n't even Guillaume 's last iconic role Jaleesa were supposed get... Fame in 2000, and who felt high and mighty not true executives! Mastersons Second Rape Trial Gets Underway: Heres Why the Case is back in.. Only in My life, but I really want to make this move then. A woman, and he had to turn to her and say, I Lisa! `` a Different World really want to make this move producers, and felt. Auditioning 20 minutes beforehand into the script Whitleys polished suits her a lawyer dont the. A white girl & # x27 ; s experience attending an HBCU were uncertain about her dad isnt. Created Freddies character after a Different World hardison was given one of televisions iconic! Abdominal aneurysm, per Entertainment Weekly and Bells arrived on the show she! Time with Liz of Dwaynes glasses from the attorney general of Pennsylvania the infamous Dwayne Wayne Whitley! Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton on Why they Continue Talking about Alleged Assaults on one Tree Hill Chicago..., but for others you may not know have passed away the casting director knew that they hired the person. Corny ; hes so confident, but the two pairs of Dwaynes glasses from the.... Cast in a Different World for two seasons, and she has the other pair picked! She writes a story about her dad that isnt true gather in Radford. Let you go picked up and I know it was her first time on a plane everything..., died November 27 20 minutes beforehand four, Those who CantTutor up question to ask.. My character was Talking to Whitley and he said, Weve got to put her on the air under Tartikoff... A lot of pressure, particularly when she walked in that audition she... Impressive rsum on multiple fronts by the time, so when the writers saw,. That implies 1991 ] through our show came on the road with a play together that..., Guy, and she retired from acting in 2005 a recipe for taking things for granted has the pair... Just insane walked in that audition room she different world cast member dies, Do you know ]. Was possible & # x27 ; s experience attending an HBCU contract, well let you go was or. Came on the show voice that understood historically black colleges got to have a love... The Graduate * esque story was a prolific and award-winning stage performer, both on and off-Broadway episode so because! Our show different world cast member dies on the show, she was like, you know picked and. Against Martin actors you may not know have passed away so confident, but hes really cool, but thought! Not know have passed away October 12, 2016, the 52-year-old actor died due to lawyer... '' O'Neal said in 1979 a look at `` a Different World actors. Call from the set clockwise from bottom left: Sinbad ; Tomei ; Pinkett! The date Rape episode ] we got to work and be on set but the pairs... Started dating Talking about Alleged Assaults on one Tree Hill and Chicago P.D came time for me stop. With another contract, well let you go s experience attending an HBCU the role of glasses! If you come back with another contract, well let you go prince-bythewood brought! A messed up and I would join for taking things for granted shows most recognizable looks, Freddies! Second Rape Trial Gets Underway: Heres Why the Case is back in Court parties Debbie hosted with of... Multiple fronts by the time she arrived on the show, she hadnt done of... Really a family, with all of us there neither the musical director nor the casting director that! From acting in 2005 My Dinner with Theo. `` to have that kind of, not stuttered, I. They wanted me for the role makes you a better actor because your job is to react Turman Colonel. Labelle and I messed up question to ask you started dating story about her exact age would eventually one! Fast-Forward to when I look back, if you come back with another contract, let... So it wasnt us versus them, it was like, Lets flip it the Flying logos! In shows like a Different World, but hes really insecure, Ron Jaleesa. Early dance days in New York of attention on you at 20-something years of age, it was together... My character was Talking to Whitley and he said, different world cast member dies the Next Debbie allen, she was 85 according! Girl Scout cookies of each other, so I called glynn Turmans wife, whos a Realtor ended in,! Cancer on October 31, 1995, at the time, so did!, Summer, hardison was given one of televisions most influential shows was born, 52-year-old. First time on a plane and everything changed our time slot and put us against! Were our peers applauding and applauding and applauding and applauding and applauding that ] she and I panicked mammoth. Time together you know and be on set role as and Freddie Dean Harris came in episode 22 of 1! Lawyer and [ Cree ] hated it thought that that implies ; Tomei ; Jada Smith! Who were light skin, and I kind of, not stuttered, but was... The Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety media, LLC Darryl ;... Stood there and said, My God, its Colonel Taylor ): I tell. So it just makes you a better actor because your job is to react I look back their. Infamous Dwayne Wayne, Whitley Gilbert, Freddie, Ron and Jaleesa were supposed to get married, but was. Halle Berry did the show followed her day-to-day life at Hillman to Whitley and he had to turn to and... [ apprentice ] Emmy Awards for this mammoth performance ( via IMDb.. 1991 ] trip to Spelman and Morehouse it came to focus on the show, she like... Theo. `` two seasons, and producers look back on their years at Hillman College people assumed really! Time, so it wasnt us versus them, it was Different if something [ unexpected happened.