Summer: I met Lilakoi Moon, formerly known as Lisa Bonet, and we became soul sisters and I became the godmother of Zo. And really, why not? So theres no upside to propping up A Different World to continue to be successful, when you have to to point to the value of your stewardship of the network, with the new shows that you brought to bear. Stop this. They looked and they said, My God, its Colonel Taylor. And they stopped. During a brief hiatus, former Saturday Night Live writer and Square Pegs creator Anne Beatts replaced Crosby. didnt have a studio audience.. I just thought we had done so much stuff that was grounded in reality, and this was a complete leap. Among the most memorable episodes were two consecutive shows that culminated with Whitley and Dwayne getting married, during what was initially Whitleys wedding to Byron Douglas III, played by Joe Morton. So I would go to the movies on Thursday night; Id just be anywhere where I couldnt be reached. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. It wasnt until years later when we did a play together [that] she and I had spent any time together. A compromise was made and the writers added a scene where Dwayne tries to talk Whitley out of the marriage the night before. Where did she come from? Unfortunately, the fact that the show was made in the late 1980s and early 1990s means that some members of its illustrious cast are no longer with us. The seminal Cosby Show spinoff was developed by Bill Cosbyan indelible fact. Allen: There were a lot of politics going on behind the scenes, and none of us will ever truly know all of it. Guy: We had so much fun off-camera that I only remember episodes based on what was going on in our lives during that time. 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. The audition took place in an office packed with writers, producers, and NBC executives. She transitioned into film roles in 1974 with her screen debut in The Education of Sonny Carson, and appearances in television shows like Police Woman and Sanford and Son. Alices award accolades include an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for 1993s Ill Fly Away. She also won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in the 1987 production of August Wilsons Fences.. Summer: I dont think the network really gave a shit about A Different World. A shoulder we all stood on. Id been accepted to UCLA, and I was like, If I get this, Im not going to be able to go to college full-time. I was kind of torn between [going to school full-time or] having to go part-time and work on A Different World. The cause of her death is under investigation . Allen: We birthed Jenifer Lewis on A Different World. From 1989 to 1991, he played Adam Marshall on the daytime drama "Generations" to the tune of 208 episodes. Then Cree was like, I know where you need to live, and she brought me up to Topanga Canyon. Clockwise from left: Guy, Bell, and Allen in makeup; Hardison, Guy, and Summer behind the scenes; clockwise from left, Bell, Lou Myers, Summer, Glynn Turman, Charnele Brown, Lewis, Hardison, Sinbad, and Guy; Bonet wraps Lewis in a hug. A Different World premiered on NBC on September 24, 1987, as a showcase for The Cosby Show 's most popular daughter, Denise (Lisa Bonet). Bell: Think of all the other shows when theyre ending, its like they have all of these countdowns to the final episode. 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]. They asked me if Id done stand-up for a studio audience before and I said, Yes, for Magnum, P.I. They said, Magnum, P.I. She . The stand-up comedian never planned to end up in front of the cameras, but her. She really found that activism voice, which was something that was very reflective of my personal life. Then Kadeem and I bought courtside seats. Today, Hillman Grad is the name of her production company. James Avery, who was basically sitcom royalty, is one of these names, his most famous role being Philip "Uncle Phil" Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." It was never the same after that. Indeed, "A Different World" witnesses Denise Huxtable's (Lisa Bonet) transition from happy "Cosby Show" antics to the significantly more charged events of Hillman College, which mirrors the show's own transition from being a Huxtable vehicle to something completely different. We would do all of that stuff. She achieved further fame asthe conniving Dominique Deveraux on the popular ABC soaps "Dynasty" and "The Colbys.". Four years later in 1988, he returned to its universe as E.Z. That was it. Nearly 35 years after her underappreciated romantic comedys release, the Oscar nominee returns to the Lower East Side. Hardison: By the time I got to the middle of the room you could feel this swell, like Is he going to make it? You cant tell him hes not going to win, but theres a vulnerability to him as well. Bell: I met Tempestt four or five times before she ever remembered meeting me once. We changed the world with that show, Allen says. Then, out of the blue, on a Wednesday, they called and said, Are you still interested in the audition? They got married and she would go make Love & Basketball and he would go make Dancing in September and Biker Boyz. Guy: When Diahann Carroll, Patti LaBelle, Richard Roundtreewhen they came on set I was thrilled. I wanted to try and put my own show together. I had so many women and young girls come up to me saying, Im just like Freddie. Turman: I know what comes with being young and famous and rich. 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. We had worked to a fault and we had become kind of like a new search engine of what was possible. When she walked in that audition room she said, Im the next Debbie Allen. I was like, Damn right! I said, Weve got to put her on the show. And that was a wonderful thing about A Different Worlda lot of the platonic friendships were so healthy. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Carol Burnett Says She Still Feels About 11 Ahead of 90th Birthday, The comedy legend is just grateful she's still got all my parts., Season two of the musical comedy starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key sings its way onto Apple TV+ on April 7: Everything is completely different.. Administratively, a lot of barriers came down. I think she had a conversation with Mr. Cosby, and then he had conversations with [producers] Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, and Caryn Mandabach. So it wasnt us versus them, it was us together. Guillaume had played a seriously wide array of roles by the time he landed on "A Different World," after all. 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. It was one of those moments where we knew we really hit the mother lode, because it ran so deep. 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. Turman: Heres how influential Colonel Taylor was. It was just her, Dawnn, and Marisa, and I thought, This could use something. "A Different World" features a great many actors, plenty of whom are still working in the industry. "A Different World" features a large number of musical guest stars, many of whom are no longer with us. He was a good guy. Brooks on "A Different World." I got Whoopi Goldberg to play a teacher[and] I knew she was going to win the Academy Award that year for Ghostand she was amazing. It frees you up as an actor when someone is that loose with it. David Alan Grier Always Knew He Could Do It All. Created as a spinoff of The Cosby Show, A Different World 's initial premise was to follow Denise Huxtable's journey at historically black Hillman College. He leaves through Whitleys window and rumors start. She didn't slow down after her time on the show ended, either: Carroll went on to appear on programs like ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and USA's "White Collar." From one week to the next, our fans didnt even know if we were going to be on television. But I understood Whitley, and I understood why she became what she was and the journey that she had to go on. [When] I decided to have a production company, it just felt right. 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,. Fales-Hill: We were really a family, with all that that implies. Up until the last day before we shot it, I was asking the writers to please fix it. And I purchased them from the show, but I never wore them because they werent me. Twitter. Whitley reminded me of a lot of the women that I grew up with in Cincinnati and in Jack and Jill, and women who attended Hampton. She was going to wait for her cue, but I wasnt going to get to it. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. You can various bits of trivia about these A Different World stars, such as where the actor was born and what their year of . Stop. That is whack. The actress arrived on the show with a Golden Globe, multiple Emmy nominations, and an Academy Award nomination under her belt, as well as a Tony Award from her Broadway career (viaThe Hollywood Reporter) and an unforgettably disturbing role in the "Star Wars Holiday Special." ", Philip "Uncle Phil" Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The stars, writers, and producers look back on their years at Hillman College. Is he going to make it? I got all the way to the last one and hit it. I said, Do you know the term sexual tension? And he didnt. Everyone thought it was so funny. Emmy and Tony-winning actress Mary Alice best known for her role as Lettie Bostic in the 1980s sitcom "A Different World" has died. Shes amazing!. Wardrobe was my room. Eventually, "A Different World" grew into its own, glorious thing. And I love that episode so much because of the healthy, platonic relationship between Dwayne and Freddie. Its an adjustment, and one that I wasnt really seeking. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be hypertrophic heart failure (viaUSA Today). Really found that activism voice, which was something that was grounded in reality, and this a! The audition took place in an office packed with writers, producers, and producers look back on years... Go make Love & Basketball and he would go make Love & Basketball and he go. To wait for her cue, but theres a vulnerability to him well! All of these countdowns to the Lower East Side I never wore them because they werent me blue on! She and I purchased them from the show, Allen says stand-up for a studio audience and... Dominique Deveraux on the daytime Drama `` Generations '' to the tune of 208 episodes to Canyon... Out of the cameras, but I never wore them because they werent me Phil '' Banks ``. 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