Who's that mystery lady with the A Different World Cast

Who's that lady?

The above image has been circulated on Facebook of the cast of A Different World, who toured 10 HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) this summer. I was disappointed they did not stop in Virginia because this is the state where Hillman College in the NBC sitcom was located.

From left are Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne), Glenn Turman (Colonel Bradford Taylor), Cree Summer ( Freddie Brooks), Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert, an unknown female, Charnel Brown (Kim Reese), Darryl Bell (Ron Johnson), and Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa Vinson).

Everyone had opinions about the woman standing between Guy and Brown. Some people thought she was a cast member, although her face is not familiar. Others suggested she was the daughter of Lou Myers ( Vernon Gaines), who was standing in for him. In the image below, Myers is between Vinson and Brown, but he passed away at 77 on February 19, 2013.

The identity of the mystery is solved sort of

One commenter said that the unknown woman was his colleague at Spellman. He also said he wondered why Hollywood Insider chose that particular image when they had hundreds to choose from.

There were other comments about why Lisa Bonet ( Denise Huxtable) was not part of the group. Perhaps it's because she was only in season one of A Different World. Many actors showed up at Hillman College and left their mark on viewers, but those touring had the most hours on the hit series.

Hardison, Guy, and Bell were in all six seasons of the sitcom. Brown, Summer, Meyers, and Turman's characters debuted in season two. Lewis was in seasons one through five but not season six.

ADW had several honorable mentions

If you are watching A Different World on retro channels and streaming services, you may have noticed regular characters who were not named in the credits and who were not given lines.

Loretta was a light-complexioned girl with long hair, often seen eating in the pit. In season 4 episode 5, The Goodwill Games, she was competing in the academic contest. In episode 20, Showtime at Hillman, she was working the telephones.

There was a young man who often wore sweaters, who never said a word except with a group of people in the season four episode Ex-Communication.

Whitley was complaining about Julian Day ( Dominic Hoffman) marrying Shelby and moving to Paris, and a group of people at a table in The Pit all responded to her simultaneously. This college student was in all six seasons as a background player.

There was a girl who worked in the pit for several seasons who was tall, light, and plus-sized. She was in the background and never said a word. Michael Ralph appeared on A Different World from season two through season six. He portrayed five different characters, and the last was Spencer Boyer, who married Kim.

The core cast members are beloved

For many fans of A Different World, the cast members who are touring are considered the main characters because they had so many interactions with one another. Dawnn Lewis left after season five to star in Hanging With Mr. Cooper on ABC.

There were rumors that she walked away from ADW because so much emphasis was placed on Whitley, but in season five, Jaleesa's relationship with Colonel Taylor, their marriage, and their baby were front and center.

The nameless young woman in the combat uniform was fortunate to be able to take a picture with this group of celebrities who are so well-loved and whose television series continue to remain popular four decades later.