Prince-Bythewood would then go on to becomea staff writer. Marisa Tomei admits that she "never got into coffe" and instead, she makes a very different choice that has proven to be much better for her health and helps her maintain her youthful glow. "A Different World" went on for six seasons (though it saw Bonet, Marisa Tomei and Loretta DeVine depart after its debut season) and ended on July 9, 1993, 20 years ago today. I was like, Jo-An. My name being Lena, and me having a father that was sort of in and out of my life and had demons himself, it was such a reflection. And I liked that math was his thing because it was my thing until they put letters in it. So it wasnt us versus them, it was us together. By the time season five came, I think there were 14 people that were considered principals. Marisa Tomei followed up As the World Turns in 1986 with a role on the sitcom A Different World as Maggie Lauten during the first season. That to me encapsulates the best of that time. Costume department polaroids of cast members Cree Summer, Darryl Bell, and costume designer Ceci (in a Hillman cheerleading uniform). Devine: One day I came to work and my whole apartment was gone. The Cosby Shows Tempestt Bledsoe guest starred in an episode during season two. Falles-Hill: No one had ever seen a Black college depicted, no one had seen that range of Black peopleof every walk, of every socioeconomic background, of every complexion. Then, she starred in the sitcom "A Different World" (1987) and appeared in several feature films. Date rape had just been defined in the culture; we had just named it. Robinson: My experience in the real world was hilarious, because some folks who cant separate art from real life were like, Bruh, seriously, you dont want to be with Jada? There was a lot of that. Summers audition experience paralleled that of Hardisons and Bells. At the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the three nominated actors each participated in in-depth conversations about their careers and recent work. Thats me too.. I felt like we had top-notch people in that regime. Debbie Allen came on as director and executive producer, and stayed until its final episode in 1993. I just thought, with all the brothers on campus, with all the fish in the sea, she didnt have to sleep with Kims man. . And we were doing that while we were writing the show. It was just her, Dawnn, and Marisa, and I thought, This could use something. Tomei puts a lot of focus into cleansing and starts each morning with hot water and lemon instead of that cup of java that most people reach for. A post shared by Marisa Tomei (@marisatomei) But a source claimed to Page Six on Saturday that not only had Tomei been paid, but she was handed more than $1 million upfront. Turman: I know what comes with being young and famous and rich. Summer: As time went on, like any new character, Freddie just started to develop and evolve. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. It was her first time on a plane and everything. So, we came back to work and were looking around and weve got new folks. Neither the musical director nor the casting director knew that they hired the same person. Tisha Campbell played the young girl who had been infected with AIDS, which was also the first role on the show Jada Pinkett auditioned for. The audition took place in an office packed with writers, producers, and NBC executives. We made her a lawyer and [Cree] hated it. And I love that episode so much because of the healthy, platonic relationship between Dwayne and Freddie. Its not deep, its messy and crazy.. Allen urged Bonet to tell Cosby and accompanied her to his office. A compromise was made and the writers added a scene where Dwayne tries to talk Whitley out of the marriage the night before. Why arent we on the cover of anything? You cant get there without melet me know how long I need to hang out.. There were a lot of women who came from privilege, who were light skin, and who felt high and mighty. [The writers] were talking about me playing a dean and I was like, You know what? She said, You guys are driving onto this lot and walking around like you own the place. Yes, we saw Cliff and Clair Huxtable, a [married] couple with kids, but to go from watching Dwayne relentlessly pursuing Denise to becoming this articulate, genuine, compassionate, caring guy who vies for Whitleys heartand to see Whitley also mature past being this dilettante into someone who could actually allow herself to be loved by her soul mate, Dwayne, it just felt so real. . That was emblematic. Bell: Our show came on the air under Brandon Tartikoff [who left NBC in 1991]. Im going to make something happen with this opportunity, I really am. So I had my competition sleeping on my couch, and the two of us drove to NBC together. In the show, Hardisons Dwayne Wayne quickly developed a crush on Denise. Then she became the Halle Berry we know now. Then, the Italian-descent parents would take her to watch Broadway shows which eventually triggered her interest in pursuing acting as a future career. On A Different World, Denise's personality got lost and later on we saw them do it right with Freddie but she wasn't the lead. Bell: One of my favorite nights was the night that Magic Johnson broke the all-time assist record. 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When she came to do the guest episode, it was Liz Narvaez, the actress who played Vanessas best friend, she was the one that I felt was really cute. In 2009, Marisa Tomei explained part of her reasoning for never tying the knot to Manhattan Magazine (via Glamour Magazine UK). Up until the last day before we shot it, I was asking the writers to please fix it. We bounce well off of each other, so when the writers saw that, they started putting it into the script. Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert): The second time I went in there, I said, They have a certain perception of what I can do, so I want to be something totally different. Just point the camera. We were crisscrossing the country, and during a break I met with Susan Fales and Debbie Allen. And then slowly but surely, we were having less fun and more dates, and all the great story lines were going to the other characters. [Jada] was brand-new to Hollywood and she was just magnificent and magical, and had an extraordinary story herself. "She's clearly confused.". Bowser: The cast, they were our peers. He became more sophisticated throughout the years, and his look needed to reflect that. Guy: Some of the writers and producers were coming up to me and going, Are you nervous? I was like, No more nervous than any other time. I wanted to tell people, Im not her, Im not really getting married. I think its disappointing to people that I wasnt as invested, but I would definitely be crazy if I thought I was the characters that Ive portrayed. Robinson: We actually had a spinoff in place. About Maggie A Different World is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of The Cosby Show.It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. Debbie Allen was a graduate of Howard University and. It was not nice. Its remarkable that it even got on the air. So theres no upside to propping up A Different World to continue to be successful, when you have to to point to the value of your stewardship of the network, with the new shows that you brought to bear. And I know it was a lot of pressure, particularly when she and Lenny started dating. Stop. During a brief hiatus, former Saturday Night Live writer and Square Pegs creator Anne Beatts replaced Crosby. Fales-Hill: I was able to share something that a lot of people didnt know, which is that there were Black people in America who owned slaves, particularly in Louisiana. She was a big fan of A Different World, and she said, Debbie, you gotta put me on the show, I want to be on the show. I was like, Patti, its done. I think it was Susan who said were going to make her Dwayne Waynes mama. That is so corny.. If I didnt do well on a test or if I got in trouble at school, I remember my mom saying You aint going to be able to watch A Different World if you keep acting up.. It was my decision [to leave] because I was working so much, doing too many things. Since I knew Lisa, I went and saw a taping of A Different World. The same people who casted the play were casting A Different World. Fales-Hill: There were a lot of Black performers, especially of a certain generation, who wanted to be on the show because they loved what it was saying and what it was doing. Why is there no . Bowser: We were on our grind, doing our due diligence to make sure that we could bring as many authentic elements to the show as possible going forward. I went in for Dwayne Wayne., I WANT TO BE SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Her sun sign is Sagittarius. Lewis, who was also pursuing a musical career, landed the role of Jaleesa. One of those projects was A Different World, the late-'80s Cosby Show spinoff that helped launch her career. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. I wanted to try and put my own show together. They brought the case to the prosecutor. Patrick Cassidy would always be there signing autographs and talking to people, and I was like, Ooh, Im so glad thats not me. It did become me, over the years since A Different World, but I was mostly concerned with the work. I REMEMBER KADEEM [HARDISON] WALKED BY AND I THOUGHT, OH, GOD, HE IS SO FUCKING FINE., Summer: Kadeem was such a great boyfriend. I thought that they were very corny. Rape, racism, AIDS, and colorism were all among issues the show explored. Hardison: Patti and I were close because she played my mom. Debbie was always so ahead of her time. Summer: I loved the date rape episode. The original premise was to chronicle the lives of Denise and her two roommates, Maggie and Jaleesa. Great. Within 10 days I had booked the costar spot and written the theme song. Hillman College was set in Virginia, so you couldnt tell any of us that it wasnt based on Hampton. She was like my second mom. Season 1 saw Denise make friends with Marisa Tomei's Maggie, Cree Summer's Freddie, and Dawnn Lewis' Jaleesa. I think she had a conversation with Mr. Cosby, and then he had conversations with [producers] Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, and Caryn Mandabach. I remember that week, I spent all my time with Liz. If youre running a network, you dont get credit for the shows you didnt develop. You can see Ron breaking down in tears. Hardison: I loved that Dwyane was smart and I love that he was from Brooklyn. Tuesday, August 4, 1987, writer and producer Yvette Lee Bowser pulled out her diary and started an entry: Its 2:52 AM. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Marisa Tomei) and Whitley's sidekick, Millie, along with the first and second dorm moms Stevie (Loretta Devine) (season 1), and Lettie (seasons 1-2), respectively, and post season 5 . To have that kind of attention on you at 20-something years of age, it was different. 20 Things You Never Knew About Marisa Tomei Anna Fletcher 2021-11-24T14:41:03+00:00. . The theme song was sung by Phoebe Snow for season one, Aretha Franklin for seasons two through five, and Boyz II Men for season 6. Theres a picture of myself, Kadeem, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson at a party that was in People magazine. Bell: After the chemistry read I was like, What time are we heading home Kadeem? Turman: Heres how influential Colonel Taylor was. The seminal Cosby Show spinoff was developed by Bill Cosbyan indelible fact. Hardison: I was doing the vows and I messed up and I panicked. Fast-forward to when I needed a showrunner for Twenties, its Susan Fales-Hill. Rebecca Miller's 'She Came to Me' had its world premiere at 2023's Berlin Film Festival and . Not long after the show first aired, a litany of guest stars began appearingsome of whom were already established, and others who were relatively unknown at the time and have since become famous actors and musicians. Guy: I remember doing The Dennis Miller Show and he asked, How does it feel being between the number one show and the number three show, Cosby and Cheers? And I kind of, not stuttered, but I was trying to regroup.