Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet | |
---|---|
Born |
Lisa Michelle Bonet November 16, 1967 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Lilakoi Moon[1] |
Education | Birmingham High School |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1982–present |
Known for | Denise Huxtable – The Cosby Show, A Different World |
Spouse(s) |
|
Children | 3; including Zoë Kravitz |
Lilakoi Moon (born Lisa Michelle Bonet, November 16, 1967)[2][3][4] is an American actress. Bonet is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, which originally aired from September 1984 to April 1992, and later originally starring in its spinoff comedy, A Different World, for its first season (1987–88).[5]
Early life
Bonet was born in San Francisco, California.[6] Her Texas-born African-American father, Allen Bonet, is an opera singer; her mother, Arlene (née Litman), was a music teacher and was of Jewish descent.[7][8][9][2][4] She has several younger half-siblings. Bonet attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California.[10] She attended the Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood where she majored in acting.[11]
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, appeared in the role of seventeen-year-old Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, directed by Alan Parker.[12]
In the film, several seconds of an explicit scene she shared with Rourke (filmed when she was 18) were edited to ensure an R rating.[13] It was followed by a topless centerspread in Interview magazine.[14] After announcing her pregnancy during the run of A Different World, Bonet left the series.[15] The following year, she returned to The Cosby Show, but was fired in April 1991 because of "creative differences".[16]
After The Cosby Show, Bonet began to accept jobs on straight-to-video releases and made-for-television movies. In September 1992, she hosted Why Bother Voting?, an elections special focusing on the concerns and apathy of young voters. 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.[17]
Bonet also co-starred in the film Whitepaddy in 2006, alongside Sherilyn Fenn, Hill Harper, Debra Wilson, Karen Black, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Two years later, she appeared in the United States adaptation of the British television series, Life on Mars.[18][19]
Personal life
On November 16, 1987, her 20th birthday, Bonet eloped with American rock singer Lenny Kravitz in Las Vegas. 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.[20][21]
Bonet gave birth to their daughter Zoë Isabella on December 1, 1988.[22] 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.[1]
In 2005, she began a relationship with actor Jason Momoa. Although it was widely believed that Momoa and Bonet married on November 15, 2007, the couple did not actually make it official until October 2017.[23] 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.[24]
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 | 119 episodes |
1985 | Tales from the Darkside | Justine | Episode: "The Satanic Piano" |
ABC Afterschool Special | Carrie | 1 episode | |
1987–89 | A Different World | Denise Huxtable | 23 episodes |
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 |
2008–09 | 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
- 1 2 Westbrook, Caroline (September 14, 2003). "Lisa Bonet". Somethingjewish.co.uk. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- 1 2 McCann, Bob (2007). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland and Company. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7864-3790-0. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet Marries Musician Lenny 'Romeo' Kravitz, Son of 'The Jeffersons' TV Star". Jet. December 7, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- 1 2 "Lisa Bonet | Biography and Filmography | 1967". Hollywood.com, LLC. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ↑ "Bonet's in `A Different World'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet Biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet on family, husband Jason Momoa & working with Bill Cosby". Porter Edit / NET-A-PORTER.COM. March 9, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
Bonet was born in the heart of the hippie movement, in November 1967 in San Francisco, to a white Jewish schoolteacher mother and a black opera-singing father.
- ↑ D'Souza, Joy (May 16, 2017). "Zoe Kravitz Reveals How She Learned To Love Her Mixed Background". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ↑ Barnes, Henry (20 August 2015). "Zoë Kravitz: 'Why do stories happen to white people and everyone else is a punchline?'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ coopa.net. "Angel Heart - Alan Parker - Director, Writer, Producer - Official Website". alanparker.com.
- ↑ "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. Ebony Media Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- ↑ Hunt, Darnell. "A Different World". museum.tv. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. 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.
- ↑ Ausiello, Michael (August 1, 2008). "ARTICLE Exclusive: Lisa Bonet Sentenced to 'Life on Mars'". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ↑ "'Life on Mars' Star Lisa Bonet Pregnant". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ↑ Cooper, Carol (February 1990). "Let Love Rule". Essence. Essence Ventures. p. 104. Retrieved July 7, 2016. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Bloom, Nate. "Interfaith Celebrities: Young, Gifted, Black and Jewish". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Zoe Kravitz. Alternate Name: Zoe Isabella Kravitz" at All Movie Guide via The New York Times
- ↑ "Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet Officially Marry in Secret Wedding". Us Weekly. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ↑ "Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa Welcome Son Nakoa-Wolf". Celebrity-babies.com. January 7, 2009.
Further reading
- Kimble, Julian (May 23, 2017). "Lisa Bonet's May 1988 cover of Rolling Stone is timeless in its confident rebellion". The Undefeated.
External links
- Lisa Bonet on IMDb
- Lisa Bonet at AllMovie