Cree Summer I'm Grading Papers Now in ‘A Different World’ Revival!!!

Published April 18, 2026 12:00 AM PDT

Cree Summer is heading back to Hillman ... but this time, she’s not hitting the books -- she’s running the classroom.

We caught up with Summer -- best known for playing free-spirited Freddie Brooks on "A Different World" -- at LAX on Thursday, and she told us she’s leveling all the way up in the show’s Netflix revival.

“I get to come back as a teacher, law professor, esquire,” she says, revealing her full-circle moment as the beloved series returns with a next-gen twist.

The fan-favorite "The Cosby Show" spinoff is being revived with a new generation of students … picking up decades after its original six-season run from 1987-93. Summer won’t be the only familiar face roaming campus in the new 10-episode series, either.

“All the OGs are back,” she says … with stars like Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy returning to help usher in the next generation.

But Summer makes it clear this isn’t just a nostalgia play, instead promising a fresh, standout cast bringing their own identity to Hillman.

“Black people are not a monolith. So, once again, just like the original, we're showing all the different facets of Black life,” she said.

As for how it feels to step back on campus after all these years, Summer says the whole thing still feels surreal.

“Man, it’s like I smoked a lot of weed … it was 30-some-odd years ago, and completely unexpected. We never thought we were coming back,” she says.

Still, the reunion hits deeper than just TV ... Summer says the cast has stayed tight over the years, making this return feel more like a family reunion than a reboot.

Check out the full clip!!!