'A Different World' Star Cornell Young IV Says Debbie Allen ‘Mothered Us' While Filming Sequel Series (Exclusive)

'A Different World' premieres Sept. 24 on Netflix NEED TO KNOW Netflix's A Different World star Cornell Young IV says the original cast and crew guided him throughout filming "We met Debbie, and she mothered us immediately," he tells PEOPLE of original series director and producer Debbie Allen A Different World premieres on Netflix on Sept. 24 The new class of A Different World was welcomed with open arms. For Cornell Young IV, who stars as Shaquille Johnson in Netflix's sequel series, stepping into the world of the beloved The Cosby Show spinoff was daunting. But one person who made all the difference was the "legendary" original series director Debbie Allen. "We met Debbie, and she mothered us immediately," he tells PEOPLE at Netflix's End of Summer Bash in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 18. "It was a feeling you never feel in this industry. [I] felt like I have family in this. I feel protected in this." "Immediately, the pressure was gone because it's like I'm working with my family," Young adds. "It's like you're doing stuff with your mom, your dad, your auntie, your uncle. That's how it felt." Filming A Different World felt like a "family project," Young says, adding that laughter was abundant on set. "It was good times and a lot of bonding," he says. "You didn't even have time to have anxiety or stress because you were just in the moment [and] in love. It was beautiful." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. If any doubts did creep in, Young says Allen, 76, who served as executive producer and director on the new series, assured him that he was "hired for a reason." "Debbie was big on, 'You already are the character. You possess everything, so trust yourself,'" he says, noting that the other original cast members emphasized the importance of having fun. "That was their main thing. They [also] said they see so much of themselves in us, in how close we are, how much we connect. I think that was the biggest thing that was just legendary, letting loose and really just enjoying it." The A Different World sequel series, which premieres on Sept. 24, follows a new class of Hillman students as Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the youngest daughter of Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), starts her first year of college. "She finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest," a logline reads. The series also stars Alijah Kai, Chibuikem Uche, Jordan Aaron Hall and Kennedi Reece. Hardison, Guy, Darryl M. Bell and Cree Summer reprise their roles. Young says that being a part of A Different World has "filled him with gratitude." Growing up watching the original, he says he was inspired by the on-screen representation. "It meant so much to me," he says. "Coming from where I come from, not many people go to college. So to see A Different World and to see that this [could be] a thing for me, it really inspired me in so many different ways." "Now, to be a part of that legacy, to meet people that inspire me and for them to be just beautiful people has meant the world to me," Young adds. A Different World premieres on Netflix on Sept. 24. Read the original article on People