2 More Original 'A Different World' Cast Members Return For Sequel

The band is getting back together. More of the original actors from A Different World are returning for the show’s reboot on Netflix. Dawnn Lewis and Glynn Turman, who played Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor and Col. Bradford Taylor, will play those same roles, Deadline reports.

Most of the show’s original cast are part of the new show, with notable exceptions Lisa Bonet and Marisa Tomei, who were on the sitcom’s first season and never returned. Loretta Devine is not part of the reboot so far, and Sinbad, who played Coach Walter Oakes, has been limited by a stroke, and it’s unknown if he’ll return.

Originally expected to be a vehicle for Bonet, The Cosby Show spinoff ultimately focused on Jasmine Guy’s Whitley Gilbert and Kadeem Hardison’s Dwayne Wayne characters and their fellow students at fictional HBCU Hillman College.

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A Different World ran six seasons on NBC from September 1987 to July 1993. It’s credited with renewing interest in HBCUs, developing a dedicated fanbase who enjoyed watching Black students navigate life at a Black college. It made stars of Guy and Hardison and cemented itself in pop culture lore with its popular cast, empowering story lines and celebrity guest stars.

“There couldn’t be a better time than now to reboot A Different World,” Allen said in a statement to Tudum. “Our show changed lives, tripled the enrollment of historically black colleges and gave a strong voice and platform for Young Black America. The incredible fresh young talent we have discovered, paired with the lovable audience favorite OGs makes this much-anticipated return a must-see on Netflix.” 

The ten-episode reboot, helmed by Felicia Pride, focuses on Deborah Wayne, the daughter of Gilbert and Wayne, who also attends Hillman. She’s played by Hell’s Kitchen star and Tony Award winner Mahleah Joi Moon, joined by Alijah Kai Haggins (daughter of Tichina Arnold and producer Carvin Haggins) as Rashida, Cornell Young playing Shaquille, Kennedi Reece, who’ll play Hazel, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, and Chibuikem Uche, who plays Kojo.

The new version of the sitcom focuses on Deborah acknowledging her parents’ legacy without being defined by it as she navigates her first years of independence. Original cast members making a comeback who have already been announced are Guy and Hardison, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell.

Debbie Allen, who directed 83 episodes of A Different World, returns for three episodes this first season. Reggie Rock and Gina Prince Bythewood, writers on the original series, return as executive producers, along with Tom Warner.

A Different World is currently in production in Atlanta.

See social media’s reaction to the show’s return below

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