The mid-1980s sitcom “The Bill Cosby Show” became such a successful hit that it gave birth to an even more impactful spin-off, “A Different World,” in 1987, which centers around a black girl who befriends a white girl in a fictional historically black college.
The show’s original lead role was Denise Huxtable, played by Lisa Bonet; however, the actress had to exit the show after appearing for one season when she got pregnant with her celebrity daughter, Zoe Kravitz. The writers moved the spotlight to the Southern Belle, Whitley Gilbert.
Whitley is joined by her friend and roommate Dwayne Wayne and Maggie Lauten in Hillman College. The show successfully delves into critical issues among the students, including race and equal rights. After over three decades, the cast continues thriving in the acting and film industry.
Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable
Lisa Bonet was born to a teacher and an opera singer in San Fransico on November 16, 1967. Bonet landed her role of Denise Huxtable in “The Cosby Show,” which began airing in 1984. Her role was extended into the spin-off “A Different World.”
However, the actress, who was meant to lead the show, only remained for one season; she got married and had her first child the year it began airing. After Bonet left “A Different World,” she starred alongside famed actor Will smith in the 1988 film “Enemy of the State.”
Before landing that role, Bonet released “Angel Heart” in 1987, a film that included several adult and nude scenes. She also starred in the 2000 film “High Fidelity.” Moreover, Bonet has appeared in many walk-on roles on TV shows, including a minor one in the “Ray Donovan” series.
The Celluloid Actor’s studio alumna was once married to musician and rock singer Lenny Kravitz, with who Bonet shares a daughter Zoe Kravitz. However, due to media scrutiny, Lenny’s alleged infidelities, and a strained companionship, the couple eventually divorced in 1993.
Bonet’s IMDb also reported that she dated a yoga instructor the year before her divorce was finalized. However, there are no details as to when that relationship ended. In 2005, she began dating DC Universe’s “Aquaman” star Jason Mamoa.
The couple, who had no children, was rumored to have married two years into their relationship in 2007. Regardless, they never confirmed their marriage until 2017. Sadly, in a joint Instagram statement, the former couple announced they were parting ways earlier this year.
Marisa Tomei as Maggie Lauten
Marisa Tomei was born to Italian descended parents, an English teacher mother, and a lawyer father. She took her first breath on December 4, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York City. Her acting career began in the 1950s CBS show “As the World Turns.”
In 1984, she starred in “The Flamingo Kid” before landing her role as one of the few white students, Maggie Lauten, in Hillman College on “A Different World” in 1987. Tomei shot to fame from then onward, starring alongside big names such as Michael Keaton in 1994’s “The Paper.”
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Tomei also appeared in one of the lead roles in 2000’s “What Women Want.” The actress recently gained an even larger fandom with her recurring role as Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the MCU Avengers and Spiderman film franchises.
Jasmine Guy as Whitley Gilbert
Born on March 10, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts, Jasmine Guy has led a multifaceted performance career both on screen and on stage. Before leading as Whitley Gilbert in “A Different World,” she started performing in musicals at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Guy continued working simultaneously in film and theater while adding author and director to her titles. She wrote and published “Afeni Shakur: Evolutionary,” a biography of the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s mother.
Guy is also an award-winning actress, snatching six consecutive NAACP awards for her portrayal of Whitley. However, the singer, who also appeared as Grams in “The Vampire Diaries,” is no stranger to rumors.
Per Distractify, Guy was subject to unsubstantiated rumors about her health several years ago. Folks speculated that the actress had lupus disease. However, she cleared them via a Facebook post in 2014.
Jasmine Guy remains in the entertainment scene and sometimes sits down during interviews to talk about how being on “A Different World” changed her career trajectory.
