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Lisa Bonet
Born
Lisa Michelle Bonet

(1967-11-16) November 16, 1967 (age 57)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Other names Lilakoi Moon
Occupation Actress
Years active 1983–present
Known for Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show
Spouse(s)
(m. 1987; div. 1993)
(m. 2017; div. 2024)
Children 3, including Zoë Kravitz
Relatives Kadhja Bonet (half-sister)

Lisa Bonet (born Lisa Michelle Bonet; November 16, 1967) is an American actress. She is well-known for playing Denise Huxtable on the TV show The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992. For this role, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1986. She also played Denise in the first season of the spin-off series A Different World.

Lisa Bonet has appeared in several movies, including Angel Heart (1987), Enemy of the State (1998), and High Fidelity (2000). She also starred in Biker Boyz (2003) and Road to Paloma (2013). On TV, she had roles in Life on Mars (2008–2009) and Ray Donovan (2016).

Early Life

Lisa Michelle Bonet was born on November 16, 1967, in San Francisco, California. Her mother, Arlene Joyce Litman, was a schoolteacher. Her father, Allen Bonet, was an opera singer. Lisa has five half-sisters, including singer Kadhja Bonet, and two half-brothers. She went to Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California. After high school, she studied acting at the Celluloid Actor's Studio.

Career Highlights

As a child, Lisa Bonet appeared in some TV shows. She then got the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Denise was the second-oldest child in the Huxtable family. Later in the show, Denise became the stepmom to Olivia Kendall, played by Raven-Symoné.

In 1987, when she was 19, Bonet played Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart. She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in this film.

In 1986, Bonet was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her acting in The Cosby Show. She left A Different World after announcing her pregnancy. She later returned to The Cosby Show but left the series in 1991.

In 1992, Bonet hosted a TV special called Why Bother Voting?. This show focused on what young voters cared about. She also had supporting roles in the films Enemy of the State (1998) and High Fidelity (2000). In 2003, she played Queenie in Biker Boyz. In this movie, she worked again with Kadeem Hardison, who was also on A Different World.

Bonet co-starred in the film Whitepaddy in 2005. She later appeared in Road to Paloma in 2014, acting alongside Jason Momoa. She said she felt "protected" and "safe" when working with him. She also appeared in TV series like Life on Mars and The Red Road. More recently, she has made guest appearances on shows like Girls and Ray Donovan.

Personal Life

On her 20th birthday, November 16, 1987, Lisa Bonet married rock singer Lenny Kravitz in Las Vegas. Their daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz, was born on December 1, 1988. Bonet and Kravitz divorced in 1993. That same year, she legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon. However, she still uses Lisa Bonet for her acting career.

Lisa Bonet has been close friends with actress Marisa Tomei since they met in 1987. Marisa Tomei is the godmother to all three of Bonet's children.

In 2005, Bonet started a relationship with actor Jason Momoa. They got married in October 2017. Bonet and Momoa have two children: a daughter born in July 2007 and a son born in December 2008. In January 2022, they announced they were separating. Lisa Bonet filed for divorce in January 2024. The divorce was finalized quickly, and they agreed to share custody of their children.

Filmography

Film Roles

Lisa Bonet film credits
Years Title Role
1987 Angel Heart Epiphany Proudfoot
1993 Bank Robber Priscilla
1994 Final Combination Catherine Briggs
1998 Enemy of the State Rachel Banks
2000 High Fidelity Marie De Salle
2003 Biker Boyz "Queenie"
2005 Whitepaddy Mae Evans
2013 Road to Paloma Magdalena

Television Roles

Lisa Bonet television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1983 St. Elsewhere Carla Episode: "Entrapment"
1984–1991 The Cosby Show Denise Huxtable Main cast
1985 Tales from the Darkside Justine Episode: "The Satanic Piano"
ABC Afterschool Special Carrie 1 episode
1986 Sesame Street Herself Recurring Guest
1987–1989 A Different World Denise Huxtable Main cast: season 1; Guest: season 3, 1 episode
1990 The Earth Day Special Denise Huxtable
1992 Why Bother Voting? Herself Elections special with Bonet as host
1994 New Eden Lily Television movie
2002 Lathe of Heaven Heather Lelache Television movie
2008–2009 Life on Mars Maya Daniels 5 episodes
2013–2014 ... History Mary Ellen Pleasant / Rosa Parks 2 episodes
2014–2015 The Red Road Sky Van Der Veen 7 episodes
2014 New Girl Brenda Brown Episode: "Teachers"
2016 Girls Tandice Moncrief Episodes: "Homeward Bound", "Love Stories"
Ray Donovan Marisol Recurring – Season 4

Music Videos Directed

Lisa Bonet music video credits
Year Song Artist Role
1990 "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" Tony! Toni! Toné! Director
1991 "Stand by My Woman" Lenny Kravitz Director
1999 "Revelation Sunshine" Cree Summer Director
2019 "Freedom (TROY NōKA Remix)" Dorothy, Angel Haze Director

Awards and Nominations

Awards and nominations received by Lisa Bonet
Year Award Category Work Result
1985 Young Artist Awards Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series The Cosby Show Nominated
1986 Young Artist Awards Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series The Cosby Show Nominated
1988 Young Artist Awards Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series The Cosby Show Nominated
Best Young Female Superstar in Motion Picture Angel Heart Won
1988 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress Angel Heart Nominated
1986 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series The Cosby Show Nominated
1989 Young Artist Awards Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special The Cosby Show (shared with cast) Nominated
2001 Black Reel Awards Theatrical – Best Supporting Actress High Fidelity Nominated
2006 TV Land Award Favorite Singing Siblings The Cosby Show (shared with cast) Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lisa Bonet para niños

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