Veteran Nigerian actor Richard Mofe-Damijo has made a special appearance in Netflix's newly released sequel series, A Different World. He plays Mr Chukwu in the 2026 Netflix series, making a guest appearance in Episode 7. The series premiered on Netflix on 24 September 2026, 39 years after the original A Different World debuted on NBC in 1987. This marks RMD's extension of his screen career into another major international production.
The new production returns viewers to the fictional Hillman College, a historically Black college in the United States, but follows a new generation of students. The series centres on Deborah Wayne, the free-spirited, kindhearted, and rebellious youngest daughter of Whitley Gilbert-Wayne and Dwayne Wayne. Deborah is forced to attend her parents' alma mater after a setback at NYU, determined to escape their long shadow and forge her own path.
RMD's appearance comes alongside a cast led by Maleah Joi Moon, Alijah Kai, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall, Kennedi Reece and Chibuikem Uche. Original cast members including Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell and Cree Summer return to reprise their roles. In Episode 7, Chukwu Achebe and his Ghanaian wife paid their son, Kojo Achebe, a surprise visit at Hillman College; there they met some of his colleagues.
Kojo Achebe, played by Chibuikem Uche, is a Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and student at Hillman College. He had told his parents that he was studying engineering, but his parents are worried about his distancing himself from his family and have not reached out to them in a long time. Kojo is described as a fashion merchandising student and entrepreneur from a UK/London background.
This is not the first time RMD would feature in an international movie project; he had featured in other international shows such as 'Namaste Wahala' (2020), 'Revelations' (2025) and the upcoming Children of Blood and Bone. Another Nigerian cast, Chibuikem Uche, played Kofo, and is a London-born Nigerian who moved to Connecticut around age 8.
Netflix's 'A Different World' is a 10-episode single-camera comedy-drama sequel series created by Felicia Pride. The show follows a new generation of students while bringing back beloved alums, successfully updating the classic for Gen Z without losing its heart, humour, or cultural specificity. The series navigates classic college territory, roommates, romance, low GPAs, parties, athletics, and identity, while confronting modern pressures.
The short 10-episode season is both a strength (tight, bingeable) and a limitation. Some storylines feel rushed once the show finds its rhythm, and a few supporting arcs could have used more breathing room. Viewers seeking pure multi-camera laugh-track comedy may need adjustment; this is a contemporary dramedy first.
Key points
- Richard Mofe-Damijo makes a notable Nigerian presence in the new A Different World.
- The series updates the classic for Gen Z without losing its heart, humour, or cultural specificity.
- The show navigates classic college territory and confronts modern pressures.
