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 . I made that choice. Guy: I couldnt do a lot of things I did on that show without Charlie [Charnele Brown, who played Kimberly Reese], Cree, Kadeem, and Mary Alice [Lettie Bostic]. A Different World: Cast Members and Crew Tell the Oral History In 1987, one of television's most influential shows was born. In the shows second season, Ceci was tapped as the lead costume designer. Its an adjustment, and one that I wasnt really seeking. So I didnt see any of the episodes for a decade or so, [until] they started streaming and I was like, Let me check these out.. Bowser: If I allow myself to feel slighted by the lack of recognition, it would be a very sad life. That is whack. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Hardison: I didnt watch the show when it was on air. Jasmine Guy. From 1989 to 1991, he played Adam Marshall on the daytime drama "Generations" to the tune of 208 episodes. It felt like a kiss on the forehead from the universe, says Williams about his recent Golden Globe win for the ABC series. She . They brought her right down and I was like, Oh snap, thats my homie., Sinbad (Walter Oakes): I heard they were looking for a stand-up comic to warm up the studio audience, so I met with the producers, and Bill Cosby was there. Then Kadeem and I bought courtside seats. Thanks for contacting us. She was my first boss on Girlfriends; she was showrunning. I remember feeling very empowered that we were going to be brave enough to talk about it. Summer: I met Lilakoi Moon, formerly known as Lisa Bonet, and we became soul sisters and I became the godmother of Zo. Summers audition experience paralleled that of Hardisons and Bells. Emmy-winning actress Mary Alice, known for her roles as Leticia Lettie Bostic on NBCs A Different World and as Effie Williams in the 1976 musical drama Sparkle, died Wednesday in New York City, according to the NYPD. Can you come in tomorrow? Bell: Kadeem got the job but hes a New Yorker, so he [came] to L.A. and moved in with me. Her 1973 turn as Goneril in Shakespeare's "KingLear," opposite James Earl Jones in the titular role, is a particularly impressive highlight. He shows up and hes not the guy that she wrote about. After months of ill health and a bout of pneumonia, Myers died in February 2013 at the age of 77 (via TMZ). Shes amazing!. Lewis and Bowser both left in season five. So [the older cast members] took it upon ourselves to [say] buy a house, investwe tried to plant those kinds of seeds. Turman: Heres how influential Colonel Taylor was. Carroll's breakthrough small-screen role was the titular character on the 1968 NBC sitcom "Julia." Bell: Think of all the other shows when theyre ending, its like they have all of these countdowns to the final episode. I had so many women and young girls come up to me saying, Im just like Freddie. But, as anyone who's seen the show can attest, Myers absolutely owned the role. She had auditioned for the role of Jaleesa during the first round of casting and was called back when the show decided to add more characters. Before Thomas Mikal Ford became known as Martin Payne's friend Tommy Strawn on the Fox sitcom "Martin,"he, too, appeared on a Season 3 episode of "A Different World." Then they would make changes and come back to us. Diem Brown died November 14 at age 34; Ryan Knight, 29, died November 27. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. I had never seen grown men weep like that. Great. Within 10 days I had booked the costar spot and written the theme song. "A Different World"needed to find someone absolutely dripping with charisma to play this role, and, wisely enough, they went with Diahann Carroll. So I would go to the movies on Thursday night; Id just be anywhere where I couldnt be reached. Apart from "Super Fly" and "A Different World," O'Neal's most notable screen roles were Colonel Ernesto Bella in 1984's "Red Dawn,"and Lt. Isadore Smalls on "The Equalizer." That was emblematic. Rest Easy, fellow Tony winner Colman Domingo wrote on Twitter, and Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis proclaimed her one of the greatest actresses of all time in a tweet. Wilbekin: Dwayne Wayne really reminded me of so many of my friends at Hampton. Throughout her lengthy career, Cash was very careful about the roles she accepted. Main characters [ edit] Denise Huxtable Kendall [ edit] She really found that activism voice, which was something that was very reflective of my personal life. Bowser: We were on our grind, doing our due diligence to make sure that we could bring as many authentic elements to the show as possible going forward. 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. 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. Summer: I loved the date rape episode. Clockwise from bottom left: Jasmine Guyhere with Darryl Bell and Kadeem Hardisonstarred as Whitley Gilbert following Lisa Bonets departure; from left to right, Guy, Bell, and Debbie Allen in makeup; left to right, Bonet, Dawnn Lewis, and Marisa Tomei on set in the first season; Hardison, Guy, and Cree Summer behind the scenes; Bonet wraps Lewis in a hug. To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the '40s and '50s [movies] and had to keep their mouths shut.". On September 24, 1987, A Different World aired its wildly popular pilot, whose ratings surpassed every other program except The Cosby Show. Bell: Our show came on the air under Brandon Tartikoff [who left NBC in 1991]. Summer: As time went on, like any new character, Freddie just started to develop and evolve. It was all because of her popularity that Mr. Cosby had the idea to do this spinoff. Waithe: Theres definitely talk about We only want to see happy Black people or We dont want to see trauma in our entertainment, but the truth is I got both with A Different World, and I think I turned out okay. Sometimes, when you grow up in a certain place, you have to leave the nest to truly soar. That was phenomenal. And she said, I do! We did stories about racism, we did stories about the L.A. riotswe were one of the first shows to address AIDS. Few sitcoms were tackling such issues at the time, including The Cosby Show, which largely omitted social and political themes from its story lines. "The minute I saw the script, I knew I had a live one," Guillaume said of "Soap" in 2001 (via The Chicago Tribune). In this installment, she visits Hillman and befriends Mr. Gaines. Summer: The girl that was my competition lived in England and Debbie asked if she could stay with me. I just thought we had done so much stuff that was grounded in reality, and this was a complete leap. [Jada] was brand-new to Hollywood and she was just magnificent and magical, and had an extraordinary story herself. Who needs more validation than that? Robinson: I remember the Tupac episode in particular, because he was super cool and had street cred and everything, and my character was the church boy. Wheres the love? While filming season six, NBC announced to the cast and crew that A Different World wouldnt be renewed for a seventh season. And then slowly but surely, we were having less fun and more dates, and all the great story lines were going to the other characters. 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. Allen: Patti LaBelle and I are friends from my early dance days in New York. Later it came to focus on the trials and tribulations of the infamous Dwayne Wayne, Whitley Gilbert, Freddie, Ron and Jaleesa. Thats what set me on the path to create Living Single. It frees you up as an actor when someone is that loose with it. He leaves through Whitleys window and rumors start. Allen: Jada Pinkett auditioned for the young girl with AIDS in season 4. Regina Hicks was a PA on A Different World. I asked if I could audition and they told me no for about three months, saying, We love what youre doing in the Broadway show, just keep singing and dancing. The tour ended and I had one more unemployment check left. And we had to put hot sauce on the tables. I was driving down the street one dayin the hood, so to speakand I saw two young men, teenagers, in a brawl. A Different World Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. I REMEMBER KADEEM [HARDISON] WALKED BY AND I THOUGHT, OH, GOD, HE IS SO FUCKING FINE., Summer: Kadeem was such a great boyfriend. It was unpaid. It was just her, Dawnn, and Marisa, and I thought, This could use something. I just cant personally imagine making a choice like that. Unfortunately, once everyone realized I was the same person that had just been cast to be in the show, I was no longer allowed to sing the theme song. I said, Do you know the term sexual tension? And he didnt. Waithe: The people that walked on that set have touched or impacted or lifted up others in a way that a lot of people dont even get to see. Soon after producers created the role of Ron Johnson but still made Bell audition through a chemistry read with Hardison. He had a good heart. What do I have to lose? Thats when I came up with the accent for Whitley. I think she had a conversation with Mr. Cosby, and then he had conversations with [producers] Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, and Caryn Mandabach. She was a big fan of A Different World, and she said, Debbie, you gotta put me on the show, I want to be on the show. I was like, Patti, its done. I think it was Susan who said were going to make her Dwayne Waynes mama. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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