The cast of “A Different World” caused an uproar on social media after reuniting for the show’s 35th anniversary.
“A Different World” starred Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, and Darryl M. Bell. The sitcom, which was on the air for six seasons, debuted on television on Sept. 24, 1987, and was created by Bill Cosby as a spinoff of “The Cosby Show.”
“A Different World” followed the lives of a group of students as they attended a historically Black college.
On Sept. 29, the cast all came together in Wilmington, Delaware, to commemorate the show’s anniversary and opened up about its impact on the Black community during a discussion panel at Wilmington Public Library. This panel was a part of the library’s “Chopping it Up” series.
Days following the event, actress Cree Summer took to her official Instagram account to give fans a preview of what occurred during the reunion.
Alongside behind-the-scenes clips of the cast, Summer shared a video of the group singing the iconic “A Different World’s” theme song, which was originally performed by Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin, and Boyz II Men, respectively.
In addition to the recordings, Summer also uploaded several photos of the cast. One appeared to have taken at the event, while another occurred at what looks to be a restaurant.
In the post that Summer shared on her Instagram page, she wrote the caption, “The Band Got Back Together @kadeemhardison @iamjasmineguy @darrylmbell@dawnn_lewis @bcharnele @wilmingtonlibraryde#godblessthefreaks #adifferentworld (camera emoji) by @elakephotos 35 Years and Still Going Strong.”
As Summer’s photos went viral, many expressed how youthful 61-year-old Dawnn Lewis, who portrayed the role of Jaleesa Vinson–Taylor, looked in the images.
“Jaleesa looks the youngest and she may be the oldest.”
“Ummm Jaleesa looks exactly the same! Love this!!! The crew!!”
“Jaleesa didn’t age at all.”
“Jaleesa ain’t aged NOT ONE DAY!!”
“Not Jaleesa looking 35.”
Among the previous responses, others brought up how much they loved the show. One wrote, “35 years!! They all look good! How is Jalisa looking 35 years old. Man I love that show.”
Another said, “One of the greatest shows of all times!” A third person stated, “The nostalgia was getting looking at this is unbelievable. One of the best shows ever.”