Explained: A Different World’s complicated family tree and how every character is connected

Netflix’s A Different World family tree is super confusing. The new series brings a fresh class of students to Hillman College, but loads of them are connected to characters from the original 1987 series. Some are children, some are grandchildren, and one connection isn’t revealed until right at the end.

So, here’s A Different World’s family tree explained, including who Deborah’s parents are, who Shaquille’s mum is, who Ellington’s parents are and how all these families link back to the original Hillman crew.

Deborah Wayne is Whitley and Dwayne’s daughter

Deborah Wayne is the youngest child of Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne, played by Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison in the original series. She arrives at Hillman as a freshman, following in the footsteps of both her parents.

Deborah is actually the youngest of three children, with her older siblings having already attended Hillman. Her dad, Dwayne, is now part of the Hillman administration, while Whitley has built a successful skincare business.

Shaquille Johnson is Ron Johnson and Jaclyn’s son

Shaquille Johnson is another Hillman legacy student, but his family connection goes back to a character you might not immediately remember. He is the son of Ron Johnson, played by Darryl M. Bell in the original series. But Shaquille’s mum is Jaclyn, the character played by Halle Berry when she appeared in A Different World in 1991.

The new series reveals that Ron and Jaclyn reconnected after the original show and eventually had a son together. Showrunner Felicia Pride confirmed the connection as one of the revival’s Easter eggs. She explained that the writers wanted to bring back someone Ron had dated before and create a new story around her.

Jaclyn has sadly died before the events of the new series, so Shaquille arrives at Hillman carrying that part of his family history with him.

Nellie Gaines is Mr Gaines’ granddaughter

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nellie is the granddaughter of Mr Vernon Gaines, the much-loved owner of The Pit in the original series. Now, Nellie is the one running The Pit, Hillman’s familiar student hangout, and she serves up the same kind of food and advice that her grandfather was known for.

Netflix confirms that Nellie is Mr Gaines’ granddaughter and says she serves “hush puppies and sage advice” to Hillman students, just like her grandfather did.

Dr Brooklyn Boyer is Kimberly Reese’s daughter

Dr Brooklyn Boyer is the daughter of Dr Kimberly Reese Boyer, the original Hillman student played by Charnele Brown. Kimberly eventually became an award-winning heart surgeon after graduating from Hillman Medical School. Her daughter has followed a similar academic path, becoming a Hillman alum herself before returning as an adjunct professor of psychology.

Netflix describes Brooklyn as “a legacy herself” and says she has a kind of cool older-cousin relationship with students, including Deborah.

Ellington Kendall is Denise Huxtable’s son

For most of the season, Ellington Kendall is simply Ellington, a clever student who helps Deborah with her studies and develops feelings for her. But near the end of the season, he reveals his full name and that he is the son of Denise Huxtable and Martin Kendall.

Denise Huxtable, of course, is the character played by Lisa Bonet, who originally left The Cosby Show for Hillman College and became the central character around whom A Different World was initially built.

Netflix’s Felicia Pride specifically called this one of the show’s major Easter eggs, explaining that the writers wanted Denise’s son at Hillman and then decided to connect him romantically with Deborah.

Deborah and Ellington’s parents knew each other decades ago, when Dwayne had feelings for Denise. And now their children are developing feelings for each other.

As Pride put it, the pairing was meant to be “nice and messy and spicy in all the ways.”

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