“We were laughing a lot. Let me just say that,” Debbie Allen, director and executive producer of 1987’s original A Different World tells Tudum. Allen — who returns to direct the premiere episode of the sequel series — is sitting next to creator, showrunner, and fellow executive producer Felicia Pride of the upcoming dramedy.  Both women are thinking back to just how great it felt to reunite the beloved sitcom’s original cast for the modern continuation, which follows the lives and loves of a new class of Hillman College’s finest. Season 1 filmed earlier this year in Atlanta and premieres on Sept. 24.

“The minute they were in the room together, there was just laughter and memory,” Allen continues. Pride adds, “I thought to myself, ‘We are in the midst of history right now.’” 

If there was ever a day for giggles and nostalgia, it’s this summer afternoon, when the next generation of the fictional HBCU — Maleah Joi Moon (Deborah Wayne), Alijah Kai (Rashida Duvall), Cornell Young IV (Shaquille Johnson), Jordan Aaron Hall (Amir Rodale), Kennedi Reece (Hazel Henry), and Chibuikem Uche (Kojo Achebe) — and the “OG” cast of A Different World — Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne), Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert), Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson), and Cree Summer (Freddie Brooks) — have been brought together for the cast’s historic first photo together, along with Pride and Allen. Young is quick to point out the love has been there since the sequel series kicked off production in Atlanta.  

“Darryl and I have a really beautiful relationship off-camera,” says Cornell, who plays Shaquille, Bell’s onscreen football star offspring. “He has qualities that allow me to connect with him so effortlessly. When I’m looking at him in the scenes, I really see somebody I care about.”   

PHOTO BY MICAIAH CARTER

In fact, the entire cast shares this sentiment. The feeling is there when they’re describing a years-long connection between original cast members (“It’s family now,” says Summer) or the intergenerational relationship between Hillman student past and present (“Cree is like my auntie,” exclaims Kai). The already tight-knit bond shared by A Different World’s latest stars is undeniable — just ask Moon, who portrays Deborah, the protagonist of the sequel series and the lovable “troublemaker” child of original stars Dwayne and Whitley. 

“Yes, I’m playing the daughter of these iconic characters. But I did not carry this show by myself by any means. This is an ensemble show,” Moon says, referring to her young co-stars. “We’ve been ushered into this new universe via the legacy cast, and they’ve done such a beautiful job at holding our hands and sometimes pushing us into deep water, and knowing when to do either.”  

So just how deep does A Different World go? And what kind of relationships can you expect to see when the new series debuts this fall? Fresh off the trailer debut, keep reading for a full report from the up-and-coming stars and legacy cast.  

PHOTO BY DANIEL DELGADO JR

Deborah, Dwayne, and Whitley 

“Whitley gave her daughter her confidence, style, and outspokenness,” explains showrunner Pride. “Dwayne gave Deborah her warmth and a quiet intelligence.” 

But “Debo,” as her dad calls her, is still coming to Hillman with a lot to learn. “It was important to create a character who didn’t have it all exactly figured out. Who is finding her way,” Pride continues. Moon, a Tony Award–winning Broadway star, is delighted with the results, as free spirit Deborah embarks on her first year of college  

“She’s a mess — that’s the wonderful thing about it. She’s got these parents who are so well-loved and well-regarded,” Moon says. “Yes, Deborah has some of the most redeeming qualities of both of them. But she also has their flaws.” 

Still, Dwayne and Whitley are proud of their artistic daughter, who is the youngest of their three children. When viewers check back in with the original series’ core couple, both halves will be at the heights of their careers. Dwayne is a key figure in the Hillman administration, and Whitley has built a booming skin-care empire. But their main focus is their baby girl, who’s now becoming a woman in her own right.  

“Deborah is tough. She’s badass. She’s got all that Debo heart in her,” Hardison says. “I love the younger generation of actors and performers. Anything they ask of me, I’ve been ready to give.”  

Guy agrees, and has been impressed by her new class of co-stars. “Sometimes I call them puppies because the difference in energy level is a trip,” she says. “They’re very talented and very beautiful.”

PHOTO BY QUANTRELL COLBERT

Shaquille and Ron

Dwayne and Whitley aren’t the only ones sending their progeny to Hillman this fall. Ron, the couple’s BFF, is the father of Shaquille, college football’s next rising star. Naturally, the Johnson men connected off-camera with sports. 

“Darryl Bell, that’s a great man,” Young says reverently. “He invites me over to his house. We watch games together.” The pair have seen everything from the NFL opener to the NBA finals together. “I’m always kicking it with him. The dynamic we have and the relationship we have is something I’m very grateful for,” Young continues. “He is somebody who always has great words of advice and someone that you can just really trust.” 

The onscreen father-son duo are so close, Bell has even met Young’s real-life dad. This dynamic comes in handy within A Different World, since Shaquille and Ron aren’t just family, they’re also business partners. Ron is Shaquille’s manager.  

“It’s really fun what Ron is like as a father because Ron had a very important relationship with his own father,” Bell says. In the original series, Ron worked for his father. “So it’ll be interesting to see what Ron looks like as a parent raising a son and walking the same path that he did,” Bell adds. 

PHOTO BY ELI JOSHUA ADE

Rashida and Freddie 

Or, should we say Rashida and Professor Brooks? Deborah’s roommate, Rashida, is a leader in the making with lofty goals for herself. As a criminal justice major, Rashida can’t help but shine under the tutelage of Freddie, who is now a distinguished law professor. 

“What’s most special about Rashida is that she’s a go-getter,” Kai says. “She stands on her own and I feel like that’s relatable for a Black woman, especially in the field of criminal justice.” 

Still, Rashida (and Kai herself) understands the wisdom that can come from her elders. Hence, Kai’s strong relationship with Summer, whom she’s admired from a young age. “I love Cree so much,” Kai says. “Working with her was such an honor. I realized ‘Wow, you’re as ethereal as you are on TV.’ She has so many gems and so much good energy to share.”  

Summer is feeling the energy right back. She couldn’t help but reminisce while witnessing the passion radiating off the new cast. “When I was a young one on A Different World, we were just so hopped up on excitement,” Summer says. “I remember the senior cast on the show would look at us and go, ‘Gee, I don’t know where they get that energy.’ And now we’re doing it.” 

Freddie, however, has still got it too. “She’s here to continue to fight the man and to inspire young people to stand up for what’s right,” Summer says.  

PHOTO BY ELI JOSHUA ADE

Kojo and Rashida 

It wouldn’t be A Different World without some romance. Enter Kojo and Rashida, whose instant spark can be spotted in the trailer. “They grow with each other. They learn from each other. They challenge one another,” Uche, who plays Kojo, reveals. 

Kojo comes from a household with rigid expectations, so he craves the kind of “vulnerable” emotional connection he finds with Rashida. He finds similar freedom in studying fashion. 

“It’s a way to express himself. Becoming this fashion designer is not the path that his parents would have expected for him,” Uche explains. “So this is his creative outlet.” 

PHOTO BY ELI JOSHUA ADE

Deborah and Shaquille 

You didn’t think Kojo and Rashida would be Hillman’s only freshman couple, did you? Deborah and Shaquille enter Hillman with a mysterious romantic history, which makes sense — their parents have been pals for decades. Within the trailer, we see the duo share loaded glances across the quad, and there are even a few cozy moments. But Shaquille also admits Deborah can be a little “extra” sometimes. 

“Deborah, that’s my baby, man! And Shaquille? He’s trying,” Young swears. “I’m Team ShaBorah, for sure.” 

PHOTO BY DANIEL DELGADO JR

Amir and Hazel 

Not all the first-year class’s relationships are romantic. Take a look at Amir and Hazel, who round out the core friend group. Amir is a street-smart truth-teller from New York City and Hazel is a small-town preacher’s kid who’s never attended a “secular concert.” Some might assume these two would be natural enemies. But, they’re actually besties. 

“Their different walks of life make their relationship so interesting and unique. People can disagree, but you can come back from it and still love each other,” Hall, who plays Amir, says. “It is so refreshing. It’s so different from anything we’ve seen before.” 

Reece is happy there’s more to her God-fearing character than meets the eye. “I’m just so happy to play her, rather than a caricature,” the actor says. “Hazel is definitely is a bit of a contradiction. But I’m sure there are so many people who are just like her. So I really focused on finding that humanity in all of those contradictions.” 

Get to know Hazel — along with Deborah, Shaquille, Rashida, Amir, and Kojo — when A Different World premieres on Sept. 24. Press the “Remind me” button below to make sure you don’t miss the upcoming dramedy. And keep coming back to Tudum for all your Hillman news. 

Watch the Teaser for A Different World