A spinoff of ‘The Cosby Show,’ the groundbreaking sitcom aired on NBC from 1987 to 1993

NEED TO KNOW

• A Different World ran for six seasons on NBC from September 1987 to July 1993
• The Cosby Show spinoff, set at the fictional HBCU Hillman College, starred Lisa Bonet, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison and more
• Netflix’s sequel series of the same name will launch on Sept. 24, 2026 — 39 years to the day after the original sitcom premiered

Relax, relate, release and rediscover why A Different World is as beloved today as it was when it premiered on Sept. 24, 1987.

The groundbreaking NBC sitcom ran for six seasons, ending on July 9, 1993. A spinoff of The Cosby Show, the series followed Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and fellow students at Hillman College, a fictional Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Cast members like Bonet, Marisa Tomei and Loretta Devine departed the show after season 1, and a retooling helmed by Debbie Allen focused on Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), all while showcasing Black youth and culture as the Hillman crew navigated their college years.

The cast reunited for a 10-city HBCU tour in 2024, which they extended after a sold-out run.

“It is so spectacular … lightning in a bottle just doesn’t always happen. This is a fact, and you hear people talk about it’s like a family,” Darryl M. Bell, who played Ron Johnson, told PEOPLE in October of that year. “We have always been that [way]; we spend time together intentionally.”

In February 2026, Netflix teased that production was underway for the revival of A Different World. The sequel series follows Whitley and Dwayne’s youngest daughter, Deborah Wayne (Broadway star Maleah Joi Moon), at Hillman. By May, the streaming giant announced the launch date as Sept. 24, 2026, exactly 39 years to the day of the original’s debut.

Here’s everything to know about where the cast of the original A Different World is now.

01 of 12

Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable

Bonet rose to fame as the eccentric Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992. A Different World first centered on Denise’s life as an undergrad at Hillman College.

However, Bonet only appeared on the first season of the show. In May 1988, she and her then-husband, Lenny Kravitz, announced they were expecting their first child together, and Bonet left the series.

Bonet and Kravitz’s only child together, daughter Zoë Kravitz, was born on Dec. 1, 1988. Bonet rejoined The Cosby Show as a series regular in its sixth season but didn’t return for its seventh.

The California native took a break from acting to focus on raising Zoë before returning in 1998’s Enemy of the State alongside Will Smith, and 2000’s High Fidelity. (Zoë would later star on the Hulu series adaptation of the latter.) Bonet then guest-starred on several shows, including Life on Mars, Girls, Ray Donovan and New Girl.

Bonet and Lenny split in 1991 and officially divorced in 1993. She later married Jason Momoa, whom she met in 2005, in a secret ceremony in October 2017.

The pair welcomed two children together, daughter Lola and son Nakoa-Wolf, born in July 2007 and December 2008, respectively. Bonet and Momoa announced their separation in January 2022 and finalized their divorce two years later in January 2024.

02 of 12

Jasmine Guy as Whitley Gilbert

During the first round of casting for A Different World, Guy auditioned for the role of Jaleesa, as the cast told Vanity Fair in May 2021. When more characters were added, she tried out for Whitley, who became the focus of season 2. The sassy Southern belle was known for her passion for art history, fashion and Dwayne Wayne, with whom she was in an on-and-off (but eventually very on) relationship.

Not only did the Atlanta-raised actress appear on every episode of A Different World, but she also directed one in 1992 and wrote three — eventually winning six NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of Whitley.

Throughout her time on the sitcom, Guy acted in 1989’s Harlem Nights and appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and TV movies like Stompin’ at the Savoy (1992) and Boy Meets Girl (1993).

She then had guest stints on the shows Melrose Place, Living Single, Touched by an Angel and That’s So Raven. In the aughts, she starred on Dead Like Me, K.C. Undercover, The Vampire Diaries and was a fixture in the Atlanta theater scene.

Guy won her first Emmy in 2023 for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her performance as Barbara Baldwin on Chronicles of Jessica Wu.

She’s since played Sylvia Wesley in the Wesley Christmas movies and landed recurring roles on Prime Video’s Harlem and NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society. The actress followed up a guest appearance on Poker Face with the 2025 films Noah’s Arc: The Movie and 90 Days Past Due before appearing in the 2026 Lifetime movie Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.

Guy was married to Terrence Duckett from August 1998 to April 2008. The exes share one daughter, artist Imani Guy Duckett.

03 of 12

Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Wayne

Hardison guest-starred on The Cosby Show before landing his breakout role as Dwayne Wayne on A Different World in 1987. Known for his flip-up sunglasses, Dwayne made being a math nerd cool, and his flirtatious antics and relationship with Whitley often took center stage.

The Brooklyn, N.Y.-born actor had recently filmed 1988’s School Daze with Guy and Bell when he went to see an early taping of A Different World — the focus then was on Denise, Jaleesa and Maggie (Marisa Tomei), according to Vanity Fair.

With an emphasis on more characters post-season 1, both he and Bell auditioned for Dwayne, with the part ultimately going to Hardison.

“That final audition, getting that, gave me the confidence to sit or to be comfortable with who I was and with being nervous,” he said during an appearance on Allison Interviews in January 2025. “I had to figure out what to do with that nervous energy, and I decided that, okay, this character is going to have this nervous energy, I’m going to use it on-screen, let it be a strength instead of a weakness.”

Hardison has continued to work steadily, appearing in 1992’s White Men Can’t Jump and 1997’s Drive. He’s had recurring roles on shows like Between Brothers, Abby, Girlfriends, Cult and K.C. Undercover, reuniting with former costar Guy and directing four episodes of the latter. Other TV appearances include Love Is__ and Black Monday.

Hardison directed, co-wrote and starred in 2013’s The Dark Party. Throughout the 2020s, he’s had guest spots on Teenage Bounty Hunters, The Lincoln Lawyer, Moonhaven, Grown-ish and That ‘90s Show. The actor starred on The Chi and reunited in 2026 with his K.C. Undercover costar Zendaya on Euphoria for its third and final season.

Hardison was married to singer Chanté Moore from 1997 to 2000. The two share one child, daughter Sophia Hardison.

04 of 12

Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Vinson Taylor

Lewis toured the Broadway show The Tap Dance Kid before landing her first major TV role as Jaleesa Vinson Taylor on A Different World on the first five seasons.

The play and sitcom had the same casting directors, so they originally wanted Lewis to focus on the tour, she told Vanity Fair. However, after months of rejection, Lewis was called in for an audition and scored the part of Jaleesa, a maternal student who enrolls at Hillman after a failed marriage. She also wrote the theme song — though at first, the musical and casting directors didn’t realize they had hired the same person.

In 1992, the Brooklyn native left the show to join the first season of ABC’s Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. She later guest-starred on Better Call Saul and had minor recurring roles on shows like One Tree Hill, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Major Crimes, The Rich & the Ruthless, Grey’s Anatomy, Days of Our Lives and Young Rock. Lewis appeared on a single episode of RJ Decker in 2026.

She’s also a prolific voice actor, voicing animated characters on shows such as Star Trek: Lower Decks, Futurama, Solar Decks and The Simpsons. On the big screen, she appeared in the 2006 film adaptation Dreamgirls.

In addition to acting, she is a Grammy Award-winning singer inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021.

Lewis was married to former NBA player Johnny Newman in the mid-2000s.

05 of 12

Darryl M. Bell as Ronald “Ron” Johnson

Bell’s big break came in Spike Lee‘s School Daze, working with his soon-to-be A Different World costars Hardison and Guy.

On the sitcom, Bell played Ronald “Ron” Johnson — the lovable, goofy ROTC student, musician and best friend of Dwayne Wayne. Bell told the Chicago Tribune in January 1989 that he and Hardison were “very close off-screen,” despite auditioning for the same role.

The Illinois native first appeared on the show as an unnamed student on the fourth episode. He won over the producers, and the role of Ron was created shortly after, with Bell earning the part following a chemistry read with Hardison, per Vanity Fair. He went on to portray the character for all six seasons.

Today, Bell is mindful of the sitcom’s lasting legacy.

“I think what I’m most proud of is, irrespective of how difficult some subject matter may have been, A Different World was always funny,” Bell told PEOPLE in June 2024. “We approached everything through the lens of humor.”

After A Different World ended, Bell starred on the short-lived sci-fi show Homeboys in Outer Space. He has appeared in the 2000 film Brother and alongside Hardison in The Dark Party. In addition to voicing Bravo Leader in the 2003 video game X2: Wolverine’s Revenge, he returned to the small screen on the TBS spinoff Are We There Yet? and HBO’s Insecure.

Bell has been in a long-term relationship with The Cosby Show star Tempestt Bledsoe since the ‘90s. The couple appeared together on the 2009 Fox reality show Househusbands of Hollywood.

06 of 12

Charnele Brown as Kimberly “Kim” Reese

Brown’s first major TV role came as Kimberly “Kim” Reese, Whitley’s studious pre-med roommate, on season 2 of A Different World. Kim was best friends with Whitley and “Freddie” and briefly dated Ron.

The Long Island native has continued to act, appearing on episodes of Living Single, Girlfriends, My Wife and Kids and 5th Ward, as well as in films like 1994’s Drop Squad and 2023’s The Reading. She’s also a writer and producer, writing and starring in the 2020 TV movie BKS, Best Kept Secret and 2021’s Changes.

Brown lives in Houston, where she has run the Charlene Brown Acting Academy at Yates High School since 2000.

07 of 12

Cree Summer as Winifred “Freddie” Brooks

Summer joined the cast on season 2 as Winifred “Freddie” Brooks, Jaleesa’s free-spirited roommate.

She has had a very successful voice acting career. In addition to video games, her credits include Blizzard (2003), Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (2009) and the Atlantis franchise, as well as on animated shows like Sabrina: The Animated Series, Pepper Ann, Rugrats, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Proud Family, Vampirina, Voltron: Legendary Defender and The Patrick Star Show.

The Canadian-American actress also has a recurring role on Abbott Elementary and appeared in the 2026 film Toni Braxton‘s Breathe Again. Along with Hardison, Guy, Bell, Lewis, Brown and Turman, she will reprise her role as Freddie on the 2026 Netflix spinoff.

Summer met her ex-husband Angelo Pullen when she was 40, and the pair were together for what she told StyleLikeU in 2022, per Essence, was a “good” near-decade. They share two children: daughters Brave Littlewing, born in 2011, and Hero Peregrine, born in 2013.

08 of 12

Sinbad as Coach Walter Oakes

Born David Adkins, the actor and comedian is known by his stage name Sinbad. After nabbing a stand-up role and a guest spot on The Cosby Show, he was cast as Coach Walter Oakes on A Different World, per Vanity Fair.

Not only was he the director of Gilbert Hall, but the boldly dressed and funny Walter was also the coach for Hillman’s football, basketball, baseball and track teams. Sinbad toured with the singers Luther Vandross and Anita Baker and hosted Showtime at the Apollo while filming, per the publication, which became too much. He left in 1990 during season 4, hoping to transition into film and his own TV show.

His wish came true when he landed the sitcom The Sinbad Show in 1993 and appeared in the comedies Houseguest (1995), First Kid (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996) and Good Burger (1997). He also hosted the talk show Vibe and wrote a self-help book, 1998’s Sinbad’s Guide to Life (Because I Know Everything).

He has headlined HBO comedy specials, including 1993’s Afros & Bellbottoms, and has continued to tour while appearing on Rel and Atlanta and in the 2023 film Good Burger 2.

The Michigan native suffered a stroke in November 2020. He made a virtual appearance during the A Different World cast’s HBCU tour in 2024, thanking fans on Instagram for their “prayers, support and positive thoughts.” Sinbad returned to acting in June 2025 in Tyler Perry‘s Straw and made his first post-stroke stage appearance at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, Calif., in April 2026.

Sinbad wed Meredith Fuller Adkins in 1986. They have two children together, daughter Paige and son Royce, and are grandparents. Sinbad and Meredith divorced in 1992 but remarried in 2002, and they appeared together with their kids on the We TV reality show Sinbad: It’s Just Family.

09 of 12

Lou Myers as Vernon Gaines

Lou Myers is best known for his portrayal of Vernon Gaines — the grumpy, feisty military vet who owns the on-campus restaurant called The Pit — on A Different World.

Following the sitcom, he appeared in Tin Cup (1996), Volcano (1997) and The Wedding Planner (2001) and had guest spots on various shows from The Sinbad Show to NYPD Blue. His last film role was in 2013’s Dreams.

The West Virginia native continued to perform on Broadway, including in Oprah Winfrey‘s production of The Color Purple. He won an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of Stool Pigeon in the August Wilson play King Hedley II.

Myers died in February 2013 from a heart-related emergency and complications with pneumonia, per Playbill. He was 77. He’s survived by one son, Melvin Myers, and two grandsons, Brayden and Christian.

10 of 12

Glynn Turman as Colonel Brad Taylor

Turman was touring the play I’m Not Rappaport when he auditioned for the role of Colonel Brad Taylor on A Different World. Joining the cast for season 2, Col. Taylor was a math teacher nicknamed Mr. War who later married Jaleesa.

Turman’s career continued to shine after the sitcom. He had recurring roles on The Wire, How to Get Away With Murder, Fargo, Women of the Movement, Queen Sugar and Black Cake. Turman was also a main cast member on House of Lies. In 2008, he won an Emmy for his guest role on HBO’s In Treatment.

His credits on the big screen include Men of Honor (2000), Burlesque (2010), Super 8 (2011), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), Rustin (2023), 80 for Brady (2023) and Straw.

The N.Y.C. native guest-starred on Paradise in 2025 and has had a recurring role on Percy Jackson and the Olympians since 2023, as well as appeared in the 2025 Peacock documentary High Horse: The Black Cowboy.

Turman’s first wife was Ula M. Walker. He was then married to the late singer Aretha Franklin from 1978 to 1984. Turman has been with his third wife, realtor Jo-Ann Allen, since 1992. He has four children.

11 of 12

Marisa Tomei as Maggie Lauten

Tomei starred as Maggie Lauten on the first season of A Different World.

“It seems like another planet. It was a highlight, for sure. I really, really enjoyed it. I had a really good time on that,” the actress said on the Today show in February 2024.

She said the only downside was Maggie’s auburn wavy shag and bangs, calling it an “unforgivable haircut.”

Her breakout role came a few years later in 1992’s My Cousin Vinny, earning an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mona Lisa Vito. The Brooklyn native received two more Oscar nominations for 2001’s In the Bedroom and 2008’s The Wrestler.

A founding member of the Naked Angels Theater Company, Tomei made her Broadway debut opposite Quentin Tarantino in 1998’s Wait Until Dark.

The actress and producer has become a fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), playing Peter Parker’s aunt May in the Spider-Man franchise. Tomei has also appeared in The King of Staten Island (2020), She Came to Me (2023), Upgraded (2024) and You’re Dating a Narcissist! (2025). She was also part of the ensemble cast of the 2025 one-night-only play THIS IS CRAZY!

12 of 12

Loretta Devine as Stevie Rallen

Devine had a successful stage career before being cast on A Different World, including originating the role of Lorrell in the 1981 Tony-winning Broadway musical Dreamgirls. (She had a small part in the 2006 film adaptation.)

The Emmy Award-winning actress appeared on only 10 episodes of season 1 as Stevie Rallen, a graduate student and Gilbert Hall dorm director. However, her acting career since her departure has been prolific. She went on to star on Boston Public and Grey’s Anatomy, and has appeared in films such as Waiting to Exhale (1995), Urban Legend (1998) and Crash (2004).

Throughout the 2020s, she’s appeared in holiday TV movies and had guest roles on P-Valley, Days of Our Lives, Kingdom Business, The Ms. Pat Show and M.I.A.

Devine met her husband Glenn Marshall when she was in her 50s. In December 2024, she told PEOPLE that she’s “sort of like a loner“ but is “really crafty,” knitting and crocheting in her spare time.

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