- - Dawnn Lewis Discusses “A Different World” Sequel, and If She Will Reprise Her Role (Exclusive)

Virginia ChamleeFebruary 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM

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Dawnn Lewis

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; NBCU Photo Bank

Dawnn Lewis tells PEOPLE she may make an appearance in Netflix' upcoming sequel to iconic '90s sitcom, A Different World

Lewis portrayed Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor — a divorcée and student at Hillman College who doled out wisdom to her younger peers

Speaking to PEOPLE on the red carpet of The Simpsons 800th episode party, Lewis said producers of the forthcoming A Different World sequel have been in touch

Dawnn Lewis spent six years playing Jaleesa on the NBC sitcom A Different World and the actress says she may step back into the role once more.

Speaking to PEOPLE on the red carpet of The Simpsons 800th episode party at The Fonda Theater, in Hollywood, CA on Friday, Feb. 6, 64-year-old Lewis said producers of the forthcoming A Different World sequel have been in touch.

"They have asked my availability date, so I'm sure at some point I'm going to be doing a guest star spot on the show," Lewis, who's voiced a number of different characters on The Simpsons in recent years, tells PEOPLE. "They also indicated last summer that they're going to be reusing the original theme song, which is especially special for me because I wrote it. So we'll see if that actually manifests. That would be beyond cool."

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A spin-off of The Cosby Show, A Different World aired from 1987 to 1993 for six seasons and initially followed the lives of Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and other idealistic students at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU in Virginia.

Cast members like Bonet, Marisa Tomei and Loretta Devine departed the show after the first season, and a retooling helmed by Debbie Allen centered the show around Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), all while showcasing Black youth and culture as the Hillman crew navigated their college years. Lewis portrayed Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor — a divorcée student at Hillman College who doled out wisdom to her younger peers. Lewis herself also co-wrote the show's iconic theme song.

In November, Netflix announced a sequel series to the iconic ’90s sitcom centering on Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Wayne and Gilbert.

As Lewis notes to PEOPLE, the original show's resonance has lasted far beyond its six-season run.

"The show has never not been on the air," she says. "Since we first aired in 1987, the show has been on every week of every month of every year since then. And not just here in the States, but around the world. So people, the young generation is still watching it, but now they're going to have kids their own age, more current."

Lewis adds that the new generation of viewers will no doubt still connect with the show's themes, all these years later.

"Sadly, some of the things that we had to tackle on that show are still issues to be tackled today, but now we've got different resources, we've got different options, different perspectives," she says. "So we'll see how they deal with it, but I'm looking forward to this being a game changer and a mind changer for this current generation."

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In 2024, the cast reunited for a 10-city HBCU tour, which they extended after a sold-out run.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2025, Bell — who played the lovable Ronald 'Ron' Johnson on the NBC sitcom — told PEOPLE that the group's work together was just beginning.

"Not a day goes by when all of us who are connected to the cast of A Different World don't have someone say to us that they went to college because of the show, that they're a lawyer or an engineer or a doctor because of the show. It's the most satisfying thing," he shared.

He added: "All the response the tour is getting is emblematic of the impact that A Different World has had over the years. It's among a few shows that has never been off the air since it debuted in 1987. It's always been around, either on the air in primetime or in syndication or streaming."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”