The character Hal Jackson was based on Cal Worthington, owner of the Worthington Dealership Group, who often appeared in car dealership commercials with exotic animals.
Whoopi Goldberg and Nia Long play mother and daughter. In real life their age difference is less than 15 years.
Thandiwe Newton (Thandie Newton) was initially cast for the role of Zora but she fought hard for Nia Long instead.
Nia Long would go on to play the love interest of Will Smith on his series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) during the show's fifth season.