The Inspiration for Whitley Gilbert's Signature Accent

When Jasmine Guy first auditioned for A Different World—the hit spin-off of The Cosby Show—she says she went in for the role of Jaleesa but lost out to actress Dawnn Lewis. During her third audition, she tried something a little different.

"The next time I went into the audition, I said, 'Look, whatever I'm doing isn't working.' I said, 'No, I got to be funny,'" she says. That's when she came up with her character Whitley Gilbert's signature Southern accent, an imitation of her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Pinkard.

"My third-grade teacher talked like that, and I thought it was funny!" Jasmine says in her Whitley voice. "It had nothing to do with whether this girl really would talk like that."

In the above video, Jasmine and her onscreen love interest, Kadeem Hardison, reflect on their memorable roles. Plus, Kadeem reveals why he loved being the "Ricky" to Jasmine's "Lucy."

More from this episode