We’ll always love us some Jasmine Guy for for crackin’ us up back in the day with her stuck up “Different World” character, “Whitley.” But let Jasmine tell it- for her, everything wasn’t always so peachy when it came to being “Whitley.” Although she is very grateful for having had the opportunity to make the late 80’s/early 90’s culture entertaining and memorable for us all, to the surprise of many, Jasmine Guy, began to despise this one thing about her character and it drove her to no end.
WHY SHE DISLIKED HER “WHITLEY” CHARACTER AFTER A WHILE
Jasmine Guy absolutely hated that people thought she was like “Whitley” in real life. For those who don’t know, Jasmine Guy is the FARTHEST thing from “Whitley” that a person could possibly be!
In real life, there’s nothing pampered, nor prissy about homegirl. Truth be told, Jasmine is classy, but she’s got some hood in her, LOL. Her real personality is more of a stern, but friendly woman who does not take any mess from anybody. Jasmine was raised in a Black Atlanta neighborhood by a Black preacher dad and a White teacher mom. However, because she played the “Whitley” character so well, she says that she began to resent her role because the public actually started to believe she was like “Whitley.” But she actually says she couldn’t stand people like “Whitley”:
Via People Magazine: “I would never talk the way Whitley talks,” says [Jasmine]Guy. “In fact I don’t know why she hasn’t gotten slapped a few times. Believe me, if I knew someone like Whitley, we wouldn’t be going to the movies together.”
Jasmine then began to purposely take on other work that were in direct contrast to her “Whitley” character. So when she landed the role of “Dominique Larue”- the seductive girlfriend of a gangster in the film, “Harlem Nights”- she was ecstatic. She also released an R&B album in 1990- again, a very non-“Whitley” move.
But still, even after “Different World” was over in 1993, Jasmine despised that most people were continuing to approach her in public and assuming that she was much like “Whitley.” After a while, she just learned to live with it and embrace the reality for what it is.
BEING LIGHT SKIN CAUSED TREMENDOUS HEARTACHE AS A KID
Jasmine also explained to People Magazine how being biracial brought a lot of pain as a child and also affected her during “School Daze”:
“I remember getting into several fights in grade school because black kids would think I thought I was pretty because I had light skin and long hair,” she says. “They said I always tried to talk properly. But I wasn’t trying to seem better. I just wanted to be me.”
“The [School Daze] role was difficult for me because it brought back ugly memories,” says Guy. “Again I had to face the reality of how the world sometimes views people only on outward appearances. I don’t like being prejudged.”
Like we always say, here at ILOSM, we just never know what celebs are dealing with behind closed doors. Props to Ms. Guy for sharing her truths.
