Dawnn Lewis Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
The world has changed a lot since the late ‘80s, but actress Dawnn Lewis and her former A Different World castmates are prepared to keep up with the times — and the show’s new sequel series.
“All we know is that the majority of us, if not all of us, will be participating in the show in some kind of way,” Lewis, 63, exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, December 13, while attending The Simpsons holiday special world premiere at Disney’s El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.
The actress — who played Jaleesa Vinson on the original series from 1987 to 1992 — noted that she’s also in talks about the sequel using the OG theme song, which she wrote.
“We’ll see,” she said of whether the team had decided to keep the track as is or start from scratch. “We’re having those conversations now, so we’ll see how it turns out.”
A Different World premiered in 1987 as a spinoff of The Cosby Show, following Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) as she attended a fictional historically black college in Virginia called Hillman College. Marisa Tomei played her white roommate, Maggie Lauten.
Bonet, now 57, only starred in the first season, leaving after she and then-husband Lenny Kravitz found out she was pregnant with daughter Zoë Kravitz. The show continued without Bonet for five more seasons.
Beginning in season 2, the focus was on other students at the HBCU with the love story between Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Gilbert) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) at the forefront. When the series ended in 1993, Whitley and Dwayne were married and expecting their first baby.
Darryl M. Bell, Lisa Bonet, Dawnn Lewis, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Debbie Allen, Cree Summer and Sinbad of “A Different World.” Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc for Nickelodeon Television;Getty Images
In August, news broke that Netflix was reviving the series with original executive producers Debbie Allen, Tom Werner, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood all on board along with Mandy Summers. Bel-Air writer and executive producer Felicia Pride is the mastermind behind the project, per Deadline.
The sequel will center on Dwayne and Whitley’s daughter, who is now attending Hillman College. While the cast has not been confirmed, Lewis told Us on Friday that she thinks the new show is “exciting.”
As fans wait to see who returns — the original also starred Charnele Brown, Cree Summer, Glynn Turman and Lous Myers — they can catch up with the actors at different HBCUs during their tour, which kicked off in February.
“The original cast, we’re going around to different HBCUs and colleges now, just keeping the legacy alive and answering questions and doing what we can to inspire and empower this current generation of young adults that are making their move into the world,” Lewis explained.
She noted that college students today are experiencing a “different world from where they were to where they’re on their way to.” Lewis told Us that with any “luck” the young students will “continue to carve out a different world, a better world, a brighter future, a more inclusive future.”
Those kinds of positive changes and conversations is what Lewis and the rest of the A Different World cast are hoping to continue with a new version of the show raising more awareness of hot topics.
“These kids [that] are watching the show now, weren’t even born in the same decade as when we shot the show, yet it still is relevant,” Lewis added. “It’s still as vibrant, and it’s just a huge blessing. It’s a huge honor that is received so well.”
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In addition to taking part in the upcoming sequel, Lewis is happy to be celebrating The Simpsons holiday special after voicing various characters since season 28. The actress is best known for portraying Bernice Hibbert on the animated series.
“It’s amazing and it’s hard to believe for one third of [the show’s 35-year run], I have been in the cast doing Bernice Hibbert,” she gushed to Us on Friday. “I feel like everyone here is so inclusive. They treat you as though you’ve been there from day one, whether you do one episode or years of episodes.”
Lewis added, “It’s lovely to be a part of this family and bring some other flavor, other flavor, to the neighborhood.”
The Simpsons holiday special, titled “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” premieres on Disney+ Tuesday, December 17.
With reporting by Mariel Turner
