"Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn't subservient to anyone. Something told me to stop and go over, so I did. Born in Indianola, Mississippi, she got into acting in her community at a young age, but briefly took a break from the business to be an elementary school teacher in Chicago. She was not on my radar, and clearly, I was not going to her radar at the time. I was like, Jo-An. MTV. Neither Hardison or Guy thought the Graduate*esque story was a good idea. *, Fales-Hill: Originally, we had written it in a much more staid way, and everyone had a civilized, polite conversation about Whitley and Byron not working out. But I understood Whitley, and I understood why she became what she was and the journey that she had to go on. But Im still good. I dont look for those accolades. Is he going to make it? I got all the way to the last one and hit it. We were crisscrossing the country, and during a break I met with Susan Fales and Debbie Allen. I kept going and I had the car phone at the time, so I called Glynn Turmans wife, whos a Realtor. 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." Twitter. Actor Lou Myers, best known for his role as ornery restaurant owner Mr Gaines on the television series A Different World, has died. Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert): The second time I went in there, I said, They have a certain perception of what I can do, so I want to be something totally different. A Different World cast list, including photos of the actors when available. Tuesday, August 4, 1987, writer and producer Yvette Lee Bowser pulled out her diary and started an entry: Its 2:52 AM. He became more sophisticated throughout the years, and his look needed to reflect that. It was like seeing the experience that I was living and going through on television. A Different World really altered the molecules in my soul and my destiny. He was also a prominent voice actor, and, in 1994, gained international renown for his performance as Rafiki in Disney's "The Lion King" (viaThe New York Times). She really found that activism voice, which was something that was very reflective of my personal life. He played Jaleesa Vinson's ex-husband, Lamar Collins. I will! We kept going with the scene and Debbie said, Got it. Bell: When Debbie came on board, after every rehearsal wed have a note session with the writers and producers, and we could talk to them about what we liked and didnt like. A Different World Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. The cause of her death is under investigation . I lied so much. I thought of myself as a film actor. Summer: I fucking live for wardrobe [and] Ceci was heaven on earth. A Different World: Cast Members and Crew Tell the Oral History In 1987, one of television's most influential shows was born. I know that the show never won an Emmy, but it never felt like we were part of that party anyway. Bell: I met Tempestt four or five times before she ever remembered meeting me once. I thought everything was just over. There were some things that were really beautiful that Whitley wore. 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). She was going to wait for her cue, but I wasnt going to get to it. I was devastated. He didnt have a drivers license, so I would have to take him in to work every dayto the job I auditioned for and didnt get. Why Was Frank Ocean's Coachella Set Such a Disappointing Mess? I said, Wait. If youre driving down the street, are there any posters for our show? During one scene in particular, he was struggling. Allen: Jada Pinkett auditioned for the young girl with AIDS in season 4. [You know when] you just dont feel the love. Fales-Hill: It was bittersweet. The amount of press and paparazzi that hounded and followed themthey were 20-year-old kids. I REMEMBER KADEEM [HARDISON] WALKED BY AND I THOUGHT, OH, GOD, HE IS SO FUCKING FINE., Summer: Kadeem was such a great boyfriend. Brooks on "A Different World." That is so corny.. She was my first boss on Girlfriends; she was showrunning. Susan Fales-Hill hired Yvette Lee Bowser, who would then go on to create Living Single. I said, Do you know the term sexual tension? And he didnt. Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson): Through School Daze, Kadeem and I got really close. This prompted shocked and saddened reactions from his colleagues and loved ones (via CNN). Later it came to focus on the trials and tribulations of the infamous Dwayne Wayne, Whitley Gilbert, Freddie, Ron and Jaleesa. And there were a few people that didnt know what it meant, which was kind of cool, you know? Both of you. Hardison: I was not a fan of that whole idea. 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. 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 By the time season five came, I think there were 14 people that were considered principals. Thanks for contacting us. Though NBC's "A Different World" started out as a fairly standard spin-off show with frequent appearances from the characters of its parent sitcom, "The Cosby Show," it was ultimately able to stand on its own two feet. Singer, actor, dancer, and all-around legend Lena Horne appeared as herself on the appropriately named Season 6 episode "A Rock, A River, A Lena." I just cant personally imagine making a choice like that. Its all in the middle of the wedding. Prince-Bythewood would then go on to becomea staff writer. Originally, A Different World was conceived as show about a white girl's experience attending an HBCU. Stop this. They looked and they said, My God, its Colonel Taylor. And they stopped. Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson) Darryl M. Bell played goofy musician and ROTC student Ron Johnson for all six seasons of the show. It was retooled, making Denise Huxtable the lead and her best friend Maggie Lauten the. I just thought we had done so much stuff that was grounded in reality, and this was a complete leap. Viewers who revisit "A Different World" might be surprised to find that shortly before he took that iconic role, Avery appeared on the show's Season 3 episode, "To Have and Have Not," as the Pin Punisher. It was easy to let go of that relationship, let me just say that. On October 12, 2016, the 52-year-old actor died due to a burst abdominal aneurysm, per Entertainment Weekly. Ive been here ever since. 'To Catch a Killer' Review: Shailene Woodley Hunts a Mass Shooter on the Loose in Baltimore, Brett Goldstein on Being a Fing Sex Symbol, Wanting More Ted Lasso and Breaking His Rule of Not Smiling in Photos, The Best Celebrity-Designed Sunglasses to Wear This Summer, Netflix Proceeds With Love Is Blind Reunion Taping After Technical Issues Crater Live Broadcast Plans, WGA Approves Strike Authorization With 97.9% Voting Yes, Night Jitters: TVs Late Crowd Grapples With Weakness in the Wee Hours. We cast her as somebodys girlfriend and it was a one-shot deal. 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. This was a time when it was perceived that the writers were gods and the actors [should just] do what theyre told. Summer: I loved the date rape episode. I just thought, with all the brothers on campus, with all the fish in the sea, she didnt have to sleep with Kims man. That was phenomenal. Little did I know how truly tough and oppressive the world would be outside. Bell: There were a lot of people who wanted to say, Yeah, youre just [successful] because youre in the time slot behind The Cosby Show. They didnt want to give us credit for being as good as we were. 1 Episode 1992. Hardison: We were friends at first. Thats me too.. 1 min read Mary Alice, an Emmy and Tony Award winner best known to TV viewers for her roles in A Different World and I'll Fly Away, died on July 27in New York City,. What do you mean? And then I thought about it and I was like, Well, Im not messing with nobody [and] shes my bestie, why not? And then it just went on and on. So when we decided we wanted to meet Whitleys mother and we knew we wanted Diahann [to play her], I literally drove up to her house in Beverly Hills and said, You need to come do this show. And Lena Horne, similarly, Id known her all my life. 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. He died on Feb. 19, 2013 at Charleston, N.C. Medical Center in West Virginia after experiencing a heart-related emergency and falling into a coma. But any show that works is a real collaboration. Lewis, Summer, Hardison, Guy, and Brown gather in a Radford Studios parking lot. Guy: Some of the writers and producers were coming up to me and going, Are you nervous? I was like, No more nervous than any other time. I wanted to tell people, Im not her, Im not really getting married. I think its disappointing to people that I wasnt as invested, but I would definitely be crazy if I thought I was the characters that Ive portrayed. The Tony winner and comedy legend reflects on a wild, 40-year-plus acting careerall leading to this moment. Bell: One of my favorite nights was the night that Magic Johnson broke the all-time assist record. Matthew Diamond. You felt like they were in love. And we had to put hot sauce on the tables. 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. Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne): I had just finished filming School Daze [with Jasmine Guy and Darryl M. Bell], and Id come to L.A. to visit some friends. David Alan Grier Always Knew He Could Do It All. Lewis: [The creators] wanted to go in a different direction culturally, which meant Marisa was also gone. In a way, Ted Ross was part of "A Different World" before the show even existed. Robinson: My experience in the real world was hilarious, because some folks who cant separate art from real life were like, Bruh, seriously, you dont want to be with Jada? There was a lot of that. From left: Sinbad; Tomei; Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James. However, as Playbill notes, O'Neal's screen resume doesn't encompass the entirety of his career. That was an episode that dealt with colorism, and I remember after our first table reading we had a two-hour conversation because everyone had their own story of being otherized because of the color of their skin, whether it was considered too light or too dark or whatever. Hes really cool, but hes really corny; hes so confident, but hes really insecure. , so I called Glynn Turmans wife, whos a Realtor know what it meant, which something! Is so corny.. she was showrunning summer, Hardison, Guy, and,... 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