30+ Celebrities You Forgot Appeared On ‘A Different World’
A Different World gave us some of the most recognizable characters in Black television history, but Hillman College also attracted a ridiculous number of famous visitors.
During the show’s six-season run, music legends, comedians, Hollywood stars and even a few future superstars popped up on the series.
Some played themselves, some became members of our favorite characters’ families, and others appeared years before becoming household names.
Here are some of the biggest celebrities you may have forgotten appeared on A Different World.
1. Tupac Shakur
Before becoming one of hip-hop’s most iconic artists, Tupac appeared as Piccolo, Lena James’ ex-boyfriend from back home. The appearance put him opposite his real-life friend Jada Pinkett Smith.
2. Halle Berry
Before the Oscar and blockbuster movies, Halle Berry made an appearance on A Different World as Jaclyn, a woman who catches Ron’s attention.
3. Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle didn’t just stop by Hillman once. The music legend had a recurring role as Dwayne Wayne’s outspoken mother, Adele Wayne.
4. Diahann Carroll
Whitley’s personality suddenly makes a lot more sense once you meet her mother. Television legend Diahann Carroll appeared throughout the series as Marion Gilbert.
5. Heavy D & The Boyz
Heavy D & The Boyz brought hip-hop to Hillman when the group appeared for a benefit concert. Heavy D even performs “Somebody for Me.”
6. Gladys Knight
The Empress of Soul appeared as herself when Jaleesa and Whitley competed for an opportunity to sing backup at one of her concerts.
7. Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg played Dr. Jordan in the powerful episode “If I Should Die Before I Wake,” which tackled HIV/AIDS and the stigma surrounding the disease.
8. Kris Kross
Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith appeared during the final season as two teenagers named Billy and Michael.
9. Jermaine Dupri
Kris Kross weren’t alone. A young Jermaine Dupri also popped up in the episode as a DJ.
10. En Vogue
En Vogue traded their glamorous R&B image for a completely different look when they appeared as Mr. Gaines’ grandnieces Faith, Hope, Charity and Henrietta.
11. Billy Dee Williams
The legendary Billy Dee Williams played Langston Paige, a former professional baseball player who returns to college later in life.
12. Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams appeared alongside Billy Dee Williams as Dr. Eileen Redding, one of Langston’s former loves.
13. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared as himself after Ron claimed that Jackson had endorsed Dwayne’s campaign for student government president.
14. Raven-Symoné
Before That’s So Raven, Raven-Symoné appeared at Hillman as Olivia Kendall, her character from The Cosby Show.
15. Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Theo Huxtable made the trip from The Cosby Show to A Different World, with Malcolm-Jamal Warner reprising the role.
16. Keshia Knight Pulliam
Rudy Huxtable also visited Denise at Hillman, giving Keshia Knight Pulliam several appearances during the show’s early years.
17. Phylicia Rashad
Clair Huxtable wasn’t letting Denise go off to college without checking in. Phylicia Rashad reprised her famous Cosby Show role multiple times.
18. Bill Cosby
Heathcliff Huxtable also appeared during the show’s original Denise-centered era as A Different World established its connection to The Cosby Show.
19. Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen may be best remembered for taking over behind the scenes and helping reshape A Different World, but she also stepped in front of the camera as Dr. Langhorne — and as herself.
20. Jenifer Lewis
Long before becoming everybody’s favorite TV auntie and mama, Jenifer Lewis appeared on A Different World in multiple roles, most notably Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport.
21. Robert Guillaume
The Benson star appeared in several episodes, including roles as Dean Winston and Professor Murphy.
22. Richard Roundtree
Yes, Shaft made his way into the world of Hillman. Richard Roundtree appeared as Clinton Reese, the father of Kim Reese.
23. Ron O’Neal
Another legend of 1970s Black cinema appeared on the series. Super Fly star Ron O’Neal played Whitley’s father, Mercer Gilbert, among his appearances.
24. Lena Horne
Music and Hollywood legend Lena Horne appeared as herself, giving A Different World another connection to a major figure in Black entertainment history.
25. Tisha Campbell
Before Martin made her Gina Waters one of the most recognizable sitcom characters of the ’90s, Tisha Campbell appeared on A Different World.
26. David Alan Grier
Before In Living Color and decades of comedy roles, David Alan Grier was another recognizable face to make his way onto the series.
27. Tommy Davidson
Another future In Living Color favorite, Tommy Davidson, also appeared in the world of Hillman.
28. Blair Underwood
Before becoming one of television’s most recognizable leading men, Blair Underwood made an appearance on the series.
29. Dean Cain
Before putting on Superman’s cape in Lois & Clark, Dean Cain appeared on A Different World.
30. Al B. Sure!
The New Jack Swing era reached Hillman too, with R&B star Al B. Sure! making an appearance on the show.
31. Vanessa Bell Calloway
Before roles in classics like Coming to America, What’s Love Got to Do with It and countless other projects, Vanessa Bell Calloway appeared on the series.
32. Rosalind Cash
Veteran actress Rosalind Cash appeared as Dean Hughes, adding another respected Black Hollywood performer to Hillman’s faculty.
33. Roscoe Lee Browne
The acclaimed actor brought his unmistakable voice and presence to several episodes as Dr. Barnabus Foster.
34. Josephine Premice
Broadway and television veteran Josephine Premice appeared several times throughout the later seasons of the show.
35. Roger Guenveur Smith
Before appearing in projects like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, Roger Guenveur Smith played Professor Howard Randolph.
36. Brandon Quintin Adams
If you grew up on The Sandlot, The Mighty Ducks or Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, you may recognize Brandon Quintin Adams. He appeared in several A Different World episodes as different characters.
37. Phill Lewis
Years before becoming Mr. Moseby on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Phill Lewis appeared in several episodes as Sam Lee.
38. Joe Morton
Long before Scandal fans knew him as Rowan Pope, Joe Morton played politician Byron Douglas III — the man Whitley nearly married instead of Dwayne.
39. Kim Wayans
Before In Living Color, Kim Wayans was part of A Different World’s first season as Allison, appearing in several episodes.
40. Loretta Devine
Broadway and Hollywood favorite Loretta Devine appeared throughout the first season as Stevie Rallen, who worked in the Gilbert Hall dormitory.
And That’s Still Not Everybody…
One of the best parts of rewatching A Different World decades later is realizing just how many familiar faces passed through Hillman.
Some were already legends. Others were rising stars. And a few were years away from becoming the celebrities we know today.
That’s just another reason A Different World remains one of the most important — and star-studded — Black sitcoms of its era.
