Lisa Bonet
| Lisa Bonet | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Lisa Michelle Bonet[1] November 16, 1967 San Francisco, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Lilakoi Moon[2] |
| Education | Birmingham High School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for |
Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show A Different World |
| Spouse(s) |
Lenny Kravitz (m. 1987–93) Jason Momoa (m. 2007)[3] |
| Children | 3, including Zoë Kravitz (b. 1988) |
| Parent(s) |
Allen Bonet (father) Arlene Litman (mother) |
Lisa Michelle Bonet (born November 16, 1967)[2] is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable–Kendall on the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show (1984–92) and originally starring in its spinoff comedy, A Different World for its first season (1987–88).[4]
Early life
Bonet was born in San Francisco, California.[5] Her African-American father, Allen Bonet (1945-2008), was an opera singer and was born in Texas; her Jewish mother, Arlene (née Litman) (1940-1998), was a teacher. She has several younger half-siblings. Bonet attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California.[6] She also attended the Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood where she majored in acting.[7]
Career
After being in beauty pageants and appearing in guest spots on television series as a child, Bonet landed the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show alongside Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad. In 1987, she briefly left The Cosby Show to star in the spin-off series A Different World, which focused on Denise Huxtable's life at college. That year, Bonet, then 19, accepted the role of 17-year-old Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, directed by Alan Parker. In the film, several seconds of an explicit scene she shared with Rourke were edited to ensure an R-rating.[8] It was followed by a topless centerspread in Interview magazine.[9] After announcing her pregnancy during the run of A Different World, Bonet left the series.[10] The following year, she returned to The Cosby Show, but was fired in 1991 because of "creative differences".[11]
After The Cosby Show, Bonet began to accept jobs on straight-to-video releases and made-for-TV movies. In 1998 she had a supporting role in Enemy of the State with Will Smith. In 2000, she appeared in the movie High Fidelity. In 2003, she played the role of Queenie in Biker Boyz, which reunited her with former co-star Kadeem Hardison of A Different World.[12]
Bonet also co-starred in the 2006 film Whitepaddy alongside Sherilyn Fenn, Hill Harper, Debra Wilson, Karen Black, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Two years later she appeared in the US adaptation of the British television series, Life on Mars.
Personal life
On November 16, 1987, her 20th birthday, she eloped with singer Lenny Kravitz in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bonet recalled of their relationship:
| “ | It was interesting when we were first finding out about each other, that our backgrounds were so similar. When I first told him my mom was Jewish, and he said 'So's my dad,' I thought that was both unusual and enchanting. I felt like, 'Okay, here's someone who really knows how it is.' And I think I trusted him a little more with my feelings and let him inside a little more than I ordinarily would have.[13] | ” |
She gave birth to their daughter Zoë Isabella on December 1, 1988.[14] She and Kravitz separated in 1993. In 1995, Bonet legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet professionally.[2]
In 2005, she began a relationship with actor Jason Momoa, and they married in 2007.[3] On July 23, 2007, Bonet gave birth to her second child, Lola Iolani Momoa, her first with Momoa. On December 15, 2008, the couple had a son named Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.[15]
Filmography
- Film
| 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
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | St. Elsewhere | Carla | Episode: "Entrapment" |
| 1984–91 | The Cosby Show | Denise Huxtable | 103 episodes |
| 1985 | Tales from the Darkside | Justine | Episode: "The Satanic Piano" |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Carrie | 1 episode | |
| 1987–89 | A Different World | Denise Huxtable | 22 episodes |
| 1990 | The Earth Day Special | Denise Huxtable | |
| 1994 | New Eden | Lily | Television movie |
| 2002 | Lathe of Heaven | Heather Lelache | Television movie |
| 2008–09 | Life on Mars | Maya Daniels | 5 episodes |
| 2013–14 | Drunk History | Mary Ellen Pleasant and Rosa Parks | 2 episodes |
| 2014–15 | 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" |
| 2016 | Ray Donovan | Marisol | Recurring - Season 4 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Young Artist Award | Nominated | Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series | The Cosby Show |
| 1986 | Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | The Cosby Show | ||
| 1988 | Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Comedy Series | The Cosby Show | ||
| Won | Best Young Female Superstar in Motion Pictures | Angel Heart | ||
| 1989 | Nominated | Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special | The Cosby Show (shared with Tempestt Bledsoe, Sabrina Le Beauf, Geoffrey Owens, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Deon Richmond, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner) | |
| 1988 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Cosby Show | |
| 1988 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress | Angel Heart | |
| 2001 | Black Reel Awards | Theatrical – Best Supporting Actress | High Fidelity | |
| 2006 | TV Land Awards | Favorite Singing Siblings | The Cosby Show (shared with Tempestt Bledsoe, Sabrina Le Beauf, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner) |
References
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet". Familytreelegends.com.
- 1 2 3 Westbrook, Caroline (September 14, 2003). "Lisa Bonet". Somethingjewish.co.uk. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- 1 2 Jason Momoa of 'Conan the Barbarian' talks about his horse fears, August 20, 2011, Olivia Allin, OnTheRedCarpet.com
- ↑ "Bonet's in `A Different World'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet Biography (b. 1967)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- ↑ Valle, Victor (February 26, 1987). "Bonet's 'Angel' Heartache". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet Biography". movies.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Appeals Board Upholds 'Angel Heart' X Rating". The New York Times. February 21, 1987.
- ↑ Norment, Lynn (December 1987). "Lisa Bonet: The Growing Pains of a Rising Star". Ebony. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- ↑ Hunt, Darnell. "A Different World". museum.tv. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- ↑ Allis, Tim (May 4, 1992). "Leaving the Nest". People. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (September 14, 2003). "Lisa Bonet". SomethingJewish. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
- ↑ Cooper, Carol (February 1990). "Let Love Rule". Essence. p. 104. Retrieved July 7, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ "Zoe Kravitz. Alternate Name: Zoe Isabella Kravitz" at All Movie Guide via The New York Times
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa Welcome Son Nakoa-Wolf". Celebrity-babies.com. January 7, 2009.
External links
- Lisa Bonet at the Internet Movie Database
- Lisa Bonet at AllMovie