Cast and Crew of A Different World

A Different World

A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities.

While it was a spin-off from The Cosby Show, A Different World would typically address issues that were avoided by The Cosby Show writers. One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Main Cast of A Different World

Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Cleophus Wayne

Kadeem Hardison

Dwayne Cleophus Wayne (144 episodes)

Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role Dwayne Wayne...

Cree Summer as Winifred 'Freddie' Brooks

Cree Summer

Winifred 'Freddie' Brooks (122 episodes)

Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969), best known as Cree Summer, is an African-Canadian Aboriginal actress,...

Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor

Dawnn Lewis

Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor (119 episodes)

Dawnn Lewis (born August 13, 1961) is an American actress, voice actress, singer and songwriter.

Glynn Turman as Colonel Bradford Taylor

Glynn Turman

Colonel Bradford Taylor (122 episodes)

Glynn Russell Turman (born January 31, 1946) is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer,...

Sinbad as Coach Walter Oakes

Sinbad

Coach Walter Oakes (72 episodes)

David Adkins (born November 10, 1956), better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up...

Secondary Cast of A Different World

Marisa Tomei as Maggie Lauten

Marisa Tomei

Maggie Lauten (22 episodes)

Marisa Tomei (born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including an...

Loretta Devine as Stevie Rallen

Loretta Devine

Stevie Rallen (22 episodes)

Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous...

Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James

Jada Pinkett Smith

Lena James (47 episodes)

Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990,...

Sinbad

Sinbad

David Adkins (born November 10, 1956), better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up...

Galyn Görg as Monica Gilbert

Galyn Görg

Monica Gilbert (2 episodes)

The person Galyn Görg was born on July 15, 1964 and passed away 4 years ago at the age of 55 on July 14, 2020.

David Alan Grier

David Alan Grier

David Alan Grier is an American comedian and film and television actor, best known for his work on the sketch comedy...

John Marshall Jones as Otis Curtis

John Marshall Jones

Otis Curtis (1 episode)

John Marshall Jones Jr. Is an American actor.

Halle Berry as Jaclyn

Halle Berry

Jaclyn (1 episode)

Halle Maria Berry (born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model...

Carlos Lacámara

Carlos Lacámara

The person Carlos Lacámara was born on November 11, 1958 and is currently 66 years old.

Mary Testa

Mary Testa

The person Mary Testa was born on June 4, 1955 and is currently 69 years old.

Clyde Kusatsu

Clyde Kusatsu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clyde Kusatsu (born September 13, 1948) is a U.S. actor. Kusatsu was born...

Monica Calhoun as Yolanda

Monica Calhoun

Yolanda (1 episode)

The person Monica Calhoun was born on July 29, 1971 and is currently 53 years old.

Alaina Reed Hall as Claims Officer #5

Alaina Reed Hall

Claims Officer #5 (1 episode)

Alaina Reed Hall (November 10, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and singer

Jana Marie Hupp

Jana Marie Hupp

Jana Marie Hupp is an actress.

Phylicia Rashād

Phylicia Rashād

Phylicia Rashād (born Phylicia Ayers-Allen; June 19, 1948) is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer,...

Eriq La Salle

Eriq La Salle

Eriq La Salle (born July 23, 1962) is an American actor and director, known for Coming to America and ER.

Gilbert Gottfried as Sergeant

Gilbert Gottfried

Sergeant (2 episodes)

Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 - April 12, 2022) was an American actor and stand-up comedian....

Michael Ensign as Auctioneer

Michael Ensign

Auctioneer (1 episode)

Born in Arizona (height 6' 1" (1,85 m)), he is of British/American descent; living extensively in both the USA and...

Alex Désert

Alex Désert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Alex Désert (born July 18, 1968) is a Haitian-American actor and musician...

Peter Jason

Peter Jason

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Peter Edward Ostling (born July 22, 1944), also known as Peter Jason, is an...

Tamara Taylor

Tamara Taylor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tamara Taylor (born September 27, 1970, height 5' 6½" (1,69 m)) is a...

Vanessa Bell Calloway

Vanessa Bell Calloway

Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in...

Joseph C. Phillips

Joseph C. Phillips

Joseph C. Phillips is an actor.

Juanita Jennings

Juanita Jennings

Juanita Jennings (born September 12, 1952) is an American actress, known for her roles on television.

Tom Arnold

Tom Arnold

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thomas Duane "Tom" Arnold (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and...

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942) is an American actor. Roundtree is noted as being "the first black action...

Phill Lewis

Phill Lewis

Phillip David "Phill" Lewis (born February 14, 1968) is a Ugandan-born American actor, comedian and director who is...

Rif Hutton

Rif Hutton

The person Rif Hutton was born on November 28, 1962 and is currently 62 years old.

Raven-Symoné

Raven-Symoné

Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (born December 10, 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia), known professionally as Raven-Symoné,...

Roseanne Barr

Roseanne Barr

Roseanne Cherie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, television producer and...

Vernee Watson-Johnson

Vernee Watson-Johnson

Vernee Watson-Johnson (born January 14th, 1954, North Trenton, New Jersey) is an American television actress who has...

Lee Weaver as Ray Nay

Lee Weaver

Ray Nay (1 episode)

Lee Weaver (born April 10, 1930) is an American film and television actor.

CJ Jones as CJ

CJ Jones

CJ (1 episode)

CJ Jones (born September 29, 1950) is a deaf American actor residing in Los Angeles. He is one of the subjects of...

Whoopi Goldberg as Dr. Jordan

Whoopi Goldberg

Dr. Jordan (1 episode)

An American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, and talk show host. Goldberg made her film...

Michael Milhoan as Fireman

Michael Milhoan

Fireman (1 episode)

Michael was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. He spent most of his youth studying jazz music and attended...

Beverly Todd as Julia Reeves

Beverly Todd

Julia Reeves (1 episode)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Beverly Todd (born July 11, 1946) is an American actress, producer and...

Jenifer Lewis as Susan Clayton

Jenifer Lewis

Susan Clayton (1 episode) , Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport (8 episodes)

Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American film and television actress and singer. She is one of...

Debbi Morgan as Lisa Westin

Debbi Morgan

Lisa Westin (1 episode)

Debbi Morgan (born September 20, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her...

Debbie Allen as Dr. Langhorne

Debbie Allen

Dr. Langhorne (2 episodes)

Debbie Allen is an American film and television actress and director.

Ron Canada as Grover James

Ron Canada

Grover James (1 episode)

Ron Canada is an American actor and producer who began his acting career in 1978. Canada has had a long career in...

Tom Wright as John Holtworth

Tom Wright

John Holtworth (2 episodes)

Harold Thomas Wright is an American television and theatre actor. Wright has appeared in over 40 stage productions...

Nestor Carbonell as Malik Velasquez

Nestor Carbonell

Malik Velasquez (2 episodes)

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Nestor Gastón Carbonell (born December 1, 1967) is an American actor,...

Carol Ann Susi as Desk Sergeant

Carol Ann Susi

Desk Sergeant (1 episode)

Carol Ann Susi (February 2, 1952 – November 11, 2014) was an American actress whose career spanned 40 years. Her...

Marcia Wallace as Waitress

Marcia Wallace

Waitress (1 episode)

Marcia Karen Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian, primarily known for...

Marla Gibbs as Principal Shaw

Marla Gibbs

Principal Shaw (1 episode)

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Marla Gibbs (born June 14, 1931) is an American television and film...

Billy Dee Williams as Langston Paige

Billy Dee Williams

Langston Paige (1 episode)

William December "Billy Dee" Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor, voice actor, and artist. He is...

Aries Spears as Ty

Aries Spears

Ty (2 episodes)

The person Aries Spears was born on April 3, 1975 and is currently 49 years old.

Leslie Uggams as Dr. Eileen Redding

Leslie Uggams

Dr. Eileen Redding (1 episode)

Leslie Marian Uggams (born May 25, 1943) is an American actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child in the...

Juan Pope as Guy #1

Juan Pope

Guy #1 (1 episode)

The person Juan Pope was born on January 1, 1967 and is currently 58 years old.

Reginald Ballard as Guy #2

Reginald Ballard

Guy #2 (1 episode)

Reginald Ballard (born October 13, 1965) is an American character actor and comedian from Galveston, Texas, who is...

Diahann Carroll as Marion Gilbert

Diahann Carroll

Marion Gilbert (7 episodes)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Diahann Carroll (born Carol Diahann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019)...


Crew of A Different World

Full backstage crew list →