Lisa Bonet (born November 16, 1967) is an Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She is perhaps best known for portraying the character of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show and its spinoff A Different World. She is currently playing the role of Maya Daniels on the ABC television series Life on Mars.

Biography

Early life

Bonet was born Lisa Michelle Bonet in San Francisco, California. Her African American father is Allen Bonet and her Jewish American mother is Arlene Litman Bonet. Her parents divorced when she was young. She lived most of her life in New York and Los Angeles, where she attended Reseda High School in Reseda, California, and Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood where she majored in acting.

Personal life

On her 20th birthday, she eloped with 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. ”

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

In 1992, Lisa started dating yoga instructor Bryan Kest. They began living together but did not have a child as previously reported.
“ Bryan and Lisa were in a brief relationship that did not bear any fruits. The pic floating around on the net with a little boy is a the son of a mutual friend of ours. Lisa only has the two children...Zoé and her newest daughter with Jason, but is also expecting. All are well, and Jason waits on her hand and foot.

It was around this time (1992) that Lisa legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet for her entertainment career. Lisa has said that she has deliberately cut back on acting so that she could spend more time with her family.

Bonet gave birth on July 23, 2007, to her second child, daughter Lola Iolani Momoa. This is her first child with Jason Momoa, an actor noted for his roles in the television shows Baywatch and Stargate Atlantis . she is currently expecting her second child with Momoa .

Career

Bonet is known for playing the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show alongside Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashād, among others, but Bonet actually began acting when she was 11, attending auditions and participating in television commercials before she became well-known.

In 1987 she accepted the role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, directed by Alan Parker. Her appearance caused controversy and some scenes had to be cut to avoid an X rating.

Bonet began to accept jobs on straight-to-video releases and made-for-TV movies. She changed her name legally in 1995 to Lilakoi Moon, but continues to use her birth name professionally[citation needed]. In 1998 she had a supporting role in Enemy of the State with Will Smith. In 2000 she appeared in the movie High Fidelity. Her most recent film appearance was in Biker Boyz which reunited her with former co-star Kadeem Hardison of A Different World.

In August 2006, 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. Bonet co-starred in the 2006 film Whitepaddy, alongside Sherilyn Fenn, Hill Harper, Debra Wilson, Karen Black, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bonet is also in negotiation for a role in the 2007 Coen brothers film Gambit, also starring Jennifer Aniston, Colin Firth, and Sir Ben Kingsley[citation needed].

In the fall of 2008, Bonet made her return to television in the ABC drama, Life on Mars.

Filmography

* Angel Heart (1987)
* Bank Robber (1993)
* New Eden (1994)
* Dead Connection (1994)
* Enemy of the State (1998)
* High Fidelity (2000)
* Lathe of Heaven (2002)
* Biker Boyz (2003)
* Whitepaddy (2006)