Lisa Bonet - Biography

Lisa Bonet (born Lisa Michelle Boney; November 16, 1967), also known as Lilakoi Moon, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable Kendall on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, and originally starring in its spinoff A Different World.

Early life

Bonet was born in San Francisco, California. Her African American father, Allen Boney, is an opera singer and Texas native; her Jewish mother, Arlene (née Litman), was a teacher. She has several younger half-siblings.

Bonet attended Reseda High School in Reseda, California, and Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood where she majored in acting.

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 Rashād. 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 accepted the role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, directed by Alan Parker. In the film, she appeared in a graphic sex scene with Rourke from which scenes had to be censored to ensure an R-rating, though later an uncut X-rated version was released. After announcing her pregnancy during the run of A Different World, Bonet left the series. The following year, she returned to The Cosby Show, but was fired in 1991 for "creative differences".

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.

In August 2006, Nick at Nite briefly aired A Different World. Bonet appeared in a week-long A Different World reunion special that aired on Nick at Nite — along with fellow co-stars Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, Dawnn Lewis, Darryl M. Bell, and Sinbad — to promote the series' Nick at Nite debut. Bonet also co-starred in the 2006 film Whitepaddy alongside Sherilyn Fenn, Hill Harper, Debra Wilson, Karen Black, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She resurfaced two years later 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. Bonet recalled of their relationship:

She gave birth to daughter Zoë Isabella on December 1, 1988. She and Kravitz separated and eventually divorced in 1993.

In 1992 Bonet legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet professionally.

On July 23, 2007, Bonet gave birth to her second child Lola Iolani Momoa, the first of two children with Jason Momoa, an actor noted for his roles in the television shows Baywatch and Stargate Atlantis, and in the role of Khal Drogo in the HBO series Game of Thrones. On December 15, 2008, Bonet and Momoa had a son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

External links