Every Cast Member Who Died in Real Life

There are several members of the A different world cast members who died – and actors who passed away after appearing on the NBC series show just how high the caliber of talent on the show really was. Aired between 1987 and 1993, A different world was a spin-off of The Cosby Show which went on to gain a solid following in its own right. Jasmine Guy led the cast as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne, and the show followed her life at the fictional Hillman College.

In the years following the cancellation of the 1990s sitcom A different world In 1993, several former cast members passed away. Some were recurring presences on the show, while others were guests who only appeared in single episodes. However, each member of the A different world The late cast left behind an incredible career, highlighting the importance of the sitcom actors' performances in cementing their legacy.

Lou Myers

He passed away in February 2013 at the age of 77

Actor: A prolific actor before joining the cast of A different world in season 2, Lou Myers is still best known for playing Vernon Gaines on the NBC series. However, he also had a successful career on Broadway, first appearing in the 1975 series of The first breeze of summer, and was a member of the original cast of many of August Wilson's plays, such as Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Lou Myers died in 2013 after complications from pneumonia, aged 77.

Role: Lou Myers played Vernon Gaines in A different world, joining the sitcom in season 2 to debut in the episode “Two Gentlemen of Hillman”. The owner of Hillman College's “The Pit” restaurant appeared in 88 episodes of the show and was one of the most popular characters, despite being incredibly grumpy. However, his gruff exterior was just a facade, and over the course of many conversations with characters like Kim (who worked for him), it became clear that deep down he was a complex individual.

Diahann Carroll

Passed away in October 2019 at age 84

Actor: Diahann Carroll, who played Marion in A different world, passed away in 2019 after a long fight with major cancer, which was first diagnosed in 1997. Carroll was one of the most critically acclaimed members of A different world cast, and won a Golden Globe and a Tony Award, in addition to receiving five Emmy nominations. Out of A different world, Diahann Carroll is best remembered for her appearance in classic films such as 1974 Claudina and 1961 Paris Blues.

Role: As Marion Gilbert, Diahann Carroll appeared in 7 episodes of A different world, and it was always hilarious. Marion was Whitley Gilbert-Wayne's mother and an extremely nosy and critical socialite. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Carroll as the incredibly charismatic, middle-class character, and the late actor really took on the role. She first appeared in season 2's “For She's Only A Bird In A Gilded Cage”, with Marion's final episode being “When One Door Closes… Part 2” in season 6.

Rosalind Cash

He passed away in October 1995 at the age of 56

Actor: The first A different world The cast member who passed away was Rosalind Cash in 1995. Like Diahann Carrol, Cash passed away from cancer, although at the much younger age of 56. She was still active when she passed away and played Mary in General Hospital on ABC at the time of his death. In addition to playing Dean Hughes in A different world, Rosalind Cash is also known for her work in science fiction films such as 1971 The Omega Man.

Paper: Rosalind Cash only appeared in four episodes of A different world like Dean Hughes. A serious character who needed to be an intimidating presence, Cash parlayed his theatrical work into plays such as Shakespeare's. King Lear to give the sitcom's recurring role the necessary gravitas. Although it is not one of the most central A different world characters, Rosalind Cash's Dean Hughes was definitely among the most memorable.

Ron O'Neal

He passed away in January 2004 at the age of 66

Actor: A different world cast member Ron O'Neal is fondly remembered for his prevalence in the blaxploitation film movementespecially due to his role as cocaine dealer Youngblood Priest in 1972 Super fly. His career began on Broadway before moving on to film roles in the 1970s. He also dabbled in writing and directing, directing the 1973 film Super fly sequence Super Fly TNT in 1973. O'Neal died in 2004 after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Role: Ron O'Neal played Whitley's father, Mercer, in A different world, and although his character was married to (and later divorced from) Diahann Carrol's Marion, the two couldn't be more different. O'Neal only appeared in four episodes of the series and was not as integral a presence as Marion, although thanks to the actor's considerable talent, the character was memorable and helped add emotional depth to the adult Whitley.

Roberto Guillaume

He passed away in October 2007 at the age of 89

Actor: Robert Guillaume was among the most acclaimed members of A different world castand how Diahann Carroll has won numerous awards, including a Grammy and two Emmys. Playing Dean Winston and Professor Murphy in A different world This is also not what Guillaume is best known for. Playing Benson DuBois in Soap and Benson, as well as voicing Rafiki in The Lion King remain career highlights. He also made history as the first black actor to play the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera before dying in 2017.

Paper: Despite his high level of acclaim, Robert Guillaume only appeared in three episodes of A different world, and portrayed two characters. Guillaume played Dean Winston in a single episode and Professor Murphy twice in the sitcom, with Winston being a history teacher and Murphy teaching Kim medicine. Of all the esteemed actor's roles and appearances, it is among his smallest.

Ted Ross

He passed away in September 2002 at the age of 68

Actor: The late Ted Ross' career was defined by playing the Lion in The Sorcerer, a role for which he received a Tony Award during the show's 1975 Broadway run. He appeared in the same role in the 1978 film, although this and A different world are far from being his only career highlights. He also played Bitterman in the 1981 romantic comedy Arthur, and his last film role before passing away in 2002 was in 1991 The Fisher King. Ross suffered a stroke in 1998, and it was the complications that led to his death.

Role: Ted Ross' character, Dean Harris, is one of several A different world characters to cross The Cosby Show. He first appeared in the season 3 finale of The Cosby Show, “Hillman,” which also introduced the college that would become the central location for A different world. He appeared in the pilot of A different world, although he did not return for many episodes, with his final performance as Dean Harris coming in the first season of “My Dinner with Theo”.

Kristoff St.

Passed away in February 2019 at age 52

Actor: A different world cast member Kristoff St. John passed away in 2019 at age 52, one of the youngest at the time of death. The late actor's most notable appearance wasn't in A different world but the CBS daytime soap opera The young and the restless, in for which he appeared from 1991 to 2019 as Neil Winters (and won two Daytime Emmys). He also played Adam Marshall in Generations and Alex in Roots: the next generations. His death was ruled accidental and linked to an underlying heart condition.

Role: Kristoff St. John only appeared in a single episode of A different world, playing EZ Brooks. He appeared in the 12th episode of Season 1, “Advise and Descent,” and is a failing student who Denise agrees to help during finals week. Just like Ted Ross, Kristoff St. John also appeared in The Cosby Show, albeit in a completely different role. In the series of which A different world St. John's spinoff played David James, a character who was ironically the opposite of EZ Brooks in many ways, as James had a great interest in books and philosophy.

James Avery

He passed away in December 2013 at the age of 68

Actor: Actor James Avery is best known predominantly for playing Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was playing Philip Banks alongside Will Smith that put Avery's name on the map, however The Fresh Prince and A different world are far from his only appearances. He also received acclaim for playing Judge Michael Conover in Los Angeles Law and voicing Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. Avery tragically passed away in 2013 at the age of 68 due to complications during open-heart surgery.

Role: James Avery had a brief appearance in A different world, which happened shortly before he debuted as Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He had a small role in the season 3 episode “To Have and Have Not,” which aired in 1989. His character was simply called “The Pin Pusher.” A small role, but one that became even more memorable in retrospect given Avery's later career.

Thomas Mikal Ford

Passed away in October 2016 at age 52

Actor: A different world cast member Thomas Mikal Ford was no stranger to comedies. He had regular roles in Martin like Tommy and Mel in The Parkers. However, he plays Lt. Malcolm Barker on the 1994-1999 Fox drama New York undercover which he is perhaps most recognized for, especially since it has been confirmed by creator Dick Wolf that the show is set in the Law and Order, Chicago, and FBI universe. Another member of A different world cast member who died relatively young, Ford passed away at age 52 after a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.

Paper: Thomas Mikal Ford is one of several cast members in A different world who died and who only had a small appearance on the program. Ford guest starred in the A different world season 3 episode “The Thing About Women”. His character, Lama Collins, was Jaleesa Vinson's ex-husband.