Exclusive: ‘A Different World’ Alum Charnele Brown: “It is such an honor to revisit Kimberly Reese” in New Netflix Sequel

‘A Different World’ Charnele Brown is set to reprise her role as Kimberly Reese in the new sequel series coming to Netflix.

We asked Brown “How does it feel to be back at Hillman College? (the fictional HBCU was made famous when the original spinoff series from the Cosby Show aired from 1987-1993 on NBC).

“It is such a blessing and an honor to revisit Kimberly Reese, says Brown. “Seeing everybody again was like seeing each other yesterday.”

Brown’s Kimberly Reese rejoins Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Wayne, Jasmine Guy as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne, Darryl M. Bell as Ron Johnson, and Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks and all have remained close over the years celebrating the 35th anniversary of the series in 2022, and recently, partnering with the A Different World HBCU College Tour aimed to inspire a new generation to enroll in HBCUs and raise vital scholarship funding. We spoke with Charnele Brown about it in this clip in 2023.

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Along with the original cast of A Different World, newcomers of the sequel are Maleah Joi Moon as Deborah, Dwayne and Whitley’s daughter, as well as the next generation of the fictional HBCU’s finest: Alijah Kai Haggins as Rashida; Cornell Young as Shaquille, Kennedi Reece as Hazel, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, and Chibuikem Uche as Kojo. And veteran actress Jenifer Lewis will return in her role as Dandridge Davenport, formerly a dean and now a professor.

Felicia Pride will serve as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer, with Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood, writers from the original sitcom, will also executive produce the new series sequel alongside Mandy Summers and Tom Werner, and Debbie Allen as director will round out the production team for the 10-episode single-cam series.

Is Kimberly Reese now Dr. Reese? Did she marry her boyfriend, Spencer Boyer? Is she still close friends with Whitley and Freddie? These are all questions we will have to tune in to watch.