REVIEW: Brief appearance, big impact: RMD steals show in Netflix’s ‘A Different World’

Veteran Nigerian actor Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) has made a special appearance in Netflix’s newly released sequel series, A Different World, extending his screen career into another major international production.

RMD plays Mr Chukwu in the 2026 Netflix series, making a guest appearance in Episode 7 of Netflix’s new sequel to the classic American sitcom, A Different World.

The series premiered on Netflix on 24 September 2026, 39 years after the original A Different World debuted on NBC in 1987. 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.

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, with original cast members including Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell and Cree Summer returning to reprise their roles.

RMD’s role in the new series

While RMD is not part of the principal ensemble, his appearance as Mr Chukwu marks a notable Nigerian presence in the new A Different World.

The principal Nigerian actor in the series is Chibuikem Uche, who plays Kojo Achebe, a Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and student at Hillman College.

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, who was a fashion entrepreneur, had told his parents that he was studying engineering.

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 Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion merchandising student and entrepreneur from a UK/London background. He’s only at Hillman largely to satisfy his more traditional parents while pursuing his real passion for fashion design and business.

He becomes part of the core first-year group alongside Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), and Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece).

This is not the first time the Nollywood veteran 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

RMD was not the only Nigerian cast in the series; Chibuikem Uche, who played Kofo, is a London-born Nigerian who moved to Connecticut around age 8.

He is frequently identified as British-Nigerian. Before acting, he studied mathematics/actuarial science and worked as an actuary. He has featured in other Hollywood movies such as ‘One of Us Is Lying’, ‘The Tomorrow War’, and appearances in ‘American Housewife’ and ‘All American’.

Review

Netflix’s ‘A Different World’ is a 10-episode single-camera comedy-drama sequel series that premiered on September 24, 2026, exactly 39 years after the original NBC sitcom debuted. Created by Felicia Pride, it returns to the fictional HBCU Hillman College. 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 centres on Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the free-spirited, kindhearted, and rebellious youngest daughter of Whitley Gilbert-Wayne (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison).

Forced to attend her parents’ alma mater after a setback at NYU, Deborah arrives at Hillman determined to escape their long shadow and forge her own path. She quickly forms bonds with a diverse freshman class that reflects the breadth of contemporary Black experiences: first-generation criminal justice major Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai); star athlete and legacy student Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV, son of original character Ron Johnson); sharp but troubled psychology major Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall); church-raised small-town student Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece); and Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion entrepreneur Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche).

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Over one academic year, the group navigates classic college territory, roommates, romance, low GPAs, parties, athletics, and identity, while confronting modern pressures: HBCU funding threats, political and social issues on campus, mental health, sexual health, parental expectations, and the search for belonging.

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.

Early episodes lean more heavily on establishing the new class and reconnecting with alums, so the series takes a few instalments to hit its stride fully. Certain modern Gen Z dialogue and social-media references occasionally risk feeling slightly forced, though the cast sells them well. Viewers seeking pure multi-camera laugh-track comedy may need adjustment; this is a contemporary dramedy first.