Matthew Brookes
It’s been 35 years since the classic Black sitcom A Different World premiered, and its impact on generations then-and-now is undeniable. The whole gang got back together again to reflect on how the show changed their lives on Red Table Talk.
During the reunion, Ajai Sanders who played Gina Devereaux, shared that she was homeless before getting her big break on A Different World.
“I was supposed to only be there for one episode and I remember thinking, ‘Well if I don’t get this, then I’m just gonna go back home and rethink this whole thing.’ The first person that I met was Jasmine [Guy] and she walked up to me and said, ‘Hi, my name is Jasmine and welcome to the show.’ I’ll never forget what that felt like.”
Jasmine Guy said that after A Different World ended, she realized how special it was to have the co-stars she had.
“I learned the hard way on other sets. I was like, ‘Oh, actors don’t like to get notes from other actors,’” Guy said. “Because Kadeem and I talked about everything…But when I did that with other actors, there I learned the hard way on other sets. I was like, ‘Oh, actors don’t like to get notes from other actors.’ Kadeem and I talked about everything, right…but when I did that with other actors there was a brace, and I said ‘Oh, I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that.’”
Pinkett-Smith’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones also spoke with Debbie Allen about how it felt to see her baby girl on television. Pinkett-Smith joined A Different World for season five.
“I remember the day that she was going to premiere on the show. I can remember sitting in the living room with my family,” she told Allen. “I was so excited. I was so excited for her and I’ll just never forget.”
Watch the full episode below.
