Alisa Gyse Dickens portrayed Kinu Owens in 8 episodes of the NBC sitcom A DIFFERENT WORLD. She also was in 2 uncredited roles one prior to and the other after her stint as Ms. Owens. Kinu arrived at Hillman college in the first episode of season 4. She was a girlfriend that Dwayne, (Kadeem Hardison) had hooked up with while in Japan. She was a student at Avery College which was not far from Hillman but spent as much time in the Pit as Hillman students. Dickens, like many others who were on this spin-off of THE COSBY SHOW, made an impression on the viewers but is not included in cast reunions.
Sinbad who portrayed Walter Oakes in seasons one through four and Dawn Lewis who left after season five are always included with Jasmine Guy, Darryl Bell, and Kadeem Hardison who were on the series for the entire six year run. Charnelle Brown who played Kim Reece and Cree Summer, (Freddie Brooks) came aboard in season two and they are also involved in reunion projects. Alisa Gyse’s one year of being a foil for Whitley does not put her with those who are considered the mainstays of the series cast.
As Dwayne’s love interest Dickens was in the 7 episodes plus 2 where she was not credited. Her final time on A DIFFERENT WORLD she had graduated and was working. She interviewed Dwayne for a job at the same company and when he did not get it Whitley assumed Kinu was getting even because Dwayne broke up with her. Ms. Owens later explained that the person hired instead of Dwayne spoke fluent Spanish and had a 4.o GPA. When she added that she was happily married Dwayne was clearly embarassed.
Kinu’s name was fodder for jokes as Mr. Gaines, (Lou Meyers) referred to her as Canoe. When she told Freddie, (Cree Summer) that her name meant silk, Whitley(Jasmine Guy) replied under her breath (Smooth as). During her year on the show, a jealous Whitley made a point to call Ms. Owen various monikers as if she could not remember her name. Instead of Kinu, Whitley would say Kinusobi, Kekookala, Kimono, and Kekoko. Dwayne’s new love never had a chance as Ms. Gilbert went out of her way to make the competition jealous and Dwayne’s best friend Ron, (Darryl Bell) plotted against her as well.
At a glance, the actress looks like an African American with slanted eyes which is pretty common. In truth, she is biracial or rather birasian because she is both Black and Asian. This is not to be confused with Bi-Asian which refers to sexual orientation. There possibly may have been others with the distinction of being both Black and Asian who were in the entertainment industry but Dickens is the first whose ethnicity was front and center in her television character.
Lisa Bonet who starred in season one of A DIFFERENT WORLD was biracial with parents who were black and white but she was portrayed as African American only and the daughter of Cliff and Clair Huxtable from THE COSBY SHOW.It is common in the entertainment business for mixed race individuals to play black characters and no one ever questions it. Halley Berry describes herself as having been a little black girl with a white mother and other actors in the same situation simply accepted roles where they were considered as African American.
Alisa joined Sammy Cahn in 1991 on BROADWAY in ”Sammy Cahn (and Friends)” at the Wellington Theatre. A Northwestern University graduate, Gyse, went on to a role in MISS SAIGON. The actress was born in October of 1960 and nothing is on record regarding her personal life or career since leaving the hit NBC series.
