Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘A Different World’?

When A Different World premiered on NBC on September 24, 1987, it broke new ground by focusing on life at the fictional historically Black college Hillman College. A spin-off of The Cosby Show, it ran for six seasons and became one of television’s most influential portrayals of Black college life.

Now, more than 30 years later, Netflix has officially ordered a sequel series, which will reportedly center on the daughter of Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne as she begins her freshman year at Hillman. In anticipation of the new series, here’s where the original cast members are today.

Jasmine Guy (63)

Whitley Gilbert-Wayne

Carsey-Werner Co./Everett Collection; Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images

After the series ended in 1993, Guy continued working steadily in television, appearing in Dead Like Me, The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, and Harlem. She also performed on stage and released an R&B album in 1990. Guy reunited with her castmates for the A Different World HBCU tour in 2024, celebrating the show’s impact on generations of viewers. Recently, she appeared in the shows Grosse Pointe Garden Society and Poker Face.

Kadeem Hardison (60)

Dwayne Cleofis Wayne

Everett Collection; Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

Since the series, Hardison has acted in numerous projects, including K.C. Undercover, Black Monday, and Moonhaven. He recently appeared in an episode of the That ’70s Show spinoff, That ’90s Show. He’s also made appearances at fan conventions and A Different World retrospectives, reflecting on how the show opened the door to authentic Black storytelling on network television.

Dawnn Lewis (64)

Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor

Carsey-Warner/Everett Collection; Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images

She departed after season five but went on to a prolific career in both acting and voice work, lending her voice to animated series like Futurama and The Fairly OddParents and appearing on Veronica Mars and Young Sheldon. She is also known for her role in Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper in the ’90s. Lewis co-wrote and sang the show’s original theme song.

Cree Summer (56)

Winifred “Freddie” Brooks

Carsey-Warner/Everett Collection; Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for GLAAD

After A Different World, Summer became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and prolific voice actors in TV, movies, and video games, with credits in Rugrats, The Proud Family, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. She has also continued performing music and released several albums, both solo and with her band Subject to Change. She recently starred in the award-winning series Abbott Elementary.

Darryl M. Bell (62)

Ronald “Ron” Johnson

NBC/Everett Collection; Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images

Following the series, he starred in Homeboys in Outer Space and The Cosby Mysteries. In 2024, Bell joined several co-stars on a multi-city HBCU tour that encouraged enrollment at historically Black colleges. He has been with actress Tempestt Bledsoe since 1993, best known for her role as daughter Vanessa in The Cosby Show.

Charnele Brown (~65)

Kimberly “Kim” Reese

Carsey-Warner/Everett Collection; Amy Sussman/Getty Images

After the show, Brown made guest appearances on Girlfriends and Living Single, and shifted her focus to producing and mentoring young actors. She has taught performing arts in Houston and continued developing projects behind the camera.

Lisa Bonet (57)

Denise Huxtable

NBC/Everett Collection; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Lisa Bonet originally led A Different World as Denise Huxtable, the character she originated on The Cosby Show. Bonet departed after the first season due to creative differences and personal reasons, returning briefly to The Cosby Show before stepping away from the franchise entirely. Her early exit paved the way for Whitley and Dwayne to become the heart of the series. After Hillman, Bonet appeared in Enemy of the State and High Fidelity. She married musician Lenny Kravitz in 1987 and later actor Jason Momoa. She has two children, including actress Zoë Kravitz.

Where to Watch A Different World

If you want to catch up before the sequel airs on Netflix, you can watch the original series on Netflix as well. It also airs on Philo and the channel TV ONE.

'A Different World' Cast Members Are Reuniting for a 10-City HBCU Tour

Several stars of the 1987-93 'Cosby Show' spinoff, which was set at a fictional Historically Black College, will be touring real-life HBCUs for not only nostalgia reasons, but also to raise awareness of, and enrollment in, HBCUs.

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