*Whitley Gilbert became one of the defining characters of “A Different World,” but Jasmine Guy entered the NBC sitcom after one major piece of season one had already been completed.
According to TV Line, the show had already shot its opening sequence when Guy landed the part. That timing explains why Whitley does not appear alongside Lisa Bonet, Dawnn Lewis, Marisa Tomei, and Kadeem Hardison in the original credits.
The character was not part of the show when Guy first tried out, and her earliest reading was for Jaleesa. She later returned with a different approach for a character named Sydney.
“I went in for Jaleesa the first time, and came back with this character … Sydney,” Guy told TV One. “Obviously, what I’ve been doing isn’t getting me the part, so I’m going to go in there as somebody who’s different from my natural tendencies.”
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Her next attempt changed the direction of the series. Writer and producer Susan Fales-Hill told Vanity Fair that Guy’s third audition made the decision clear. “I can’t even remember anyone else who auditioned,” Fales-Hill said. “Because [Jasmine] just came in and owned it.”
Kadeem Hardison later described how quickly Whitley entered the picture. He said the credits shoot took place before the cast knew the character would be added.
“Me, Dawnn [Lewis], Marisa [Tomei], and Lisa [Bonet] shot the credits one weekend … but there was no Whitley, and we didn’t even know there was going to be a Whitley,” Hardison said in a Vanity Fair interview. “We got to work for the first table read on Monday, and Jasmine had just finished auditioning 20 minutes beforehand.”
The story now has a new chapter at Netflix. A sequel series will follow Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Whitley and Dwayne Wayne, during her first year at Hillman College. Maleah Joi Moon stars as Deborah in the 10-episode comedy, which wrapped production in Atlanta and premieres Sept. 24.
Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison will return as Whitley and Dwayne. Debbie Allen, who helped shape the original series as a director and producer, will executive-produce the sequel and direct three episodes, including the premiere.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Netflix Brings Back Original ‘A Different World’ Stars for Highly Anticipated Sequel Series
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