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LISA BONET

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisa Bonet
BornLisa Michelle Bonet
November 16, 1967 (age 57)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Other namesLilakoi Moon[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1983–present
Known forDenise Huxtable in The Cosby Show
SpousesLenny Kravitz​​(m. 1987; div. 1993)​Jason Momoa​​(m. 2017; div. 2024)​
Children3, including Zoë
RelativesKadhja Bonet (half-sister)

Lilakoi Moon[1] (born Lisa Michelle Bonet; November 16, 1967), known professionally as Lisa Bonet[2] (/boʊˈneɪ/), is an American actress. She portrayed Denise Huxtable[3] on the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992), for which she earned widespread acclaim and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1986; she reprised the role of Denise in the first season of the spinoff series A Different World.

She also appeared in the psychological horror film Angel Heart (1987), which earned her a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Bonet has starred in the action thriller film Enemy of the State (1998), the comedy-drama film High Fidelity (2000), the action drama film Biker Boyz (2003) and the thriller film Road to Paloma (2013). She has sporadically worked in TV acting, appearing in roles such as Maya Daniels in Life on Mars (2008–2009) and Marisol on Ray Donovan (2016).

Early life

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Lisa Michelle Bonet was born on November 16, 1967, in San Francisco, California,[4][5] to Arlene Joyce Litman, a white Jewish-American schoolteacher, and Allen Bonet, an opera singer of African-American heritage from Texas.[6][7][8][9][10] She has five half-sisters, including singer Kadhja Bonet, and two half-brothers by her father’s marriage to Deborah Church. Bonet’s parents separated when Bonet was still a baby. Bonet was raised by her single mother in middle-class Reseda and never knew her father.[11] Bonet said she never fit in at Birmingham High School, in Van Nuys, California. “I was stuck in the middle,” she told The Los Angeles Times. “The black kids called me an Oreo. The white kids didn’t talk to me.”[11]

She said she did not date in high school because she didn’t fit in. “My biggest worry in high school was who was going to take me to the prom, since I didn’t have a date,” she told the Los Angeles Times. She said the problem disappeared when she landed the Cosby job in New York and wouldn’t attend prom.[11]

Bonet graduated Birmingham High School and later studied acting at the Celluloid Actor’s Studio in North Hollywood.[12][13]

Career

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After being in beauty competitions and appearing in guest spots on television series as a child, Bonet landed the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, the second-oldest child of the parents played by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad.[14] Later in the show, she becomes the stepmom to Olivia Kendall played by Raven-Symoné.

The same year, Bonet, then 19, played 17-year-old Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke.[15] In the film, several seconds of an explicit scene she shared with Rourke (filmed when she was 18) were edited to avoid an X rating.[16] For Angel Heart, Bonet earned a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was featured topless in Interview magazine.[17]

Bonet didn’t appreciate the way the press covered her or the controversy at the time. “I think the whole scandal is ridiculous,” she said. “They (the news media) are trying to steam it up.”[11] She said that the brief glimpse of one of her bare breasts is “nothing that hasn’t been done before or that hasn’t been seen before,” including in films like Blue Velvet, which was rated R even though it contained frontal nudity.[11]

In 1986, Bonet earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[18] After announcing her pregnancy during the run of A Different World, Bonet left the series.[19][20] She returned to The Cosby Show the following year, but was fired in April 1991 because of “creative differences”.[21]

In September 1992, Bonet hosted Why Bother Voting?, an election special focusing on young voters’ concerns and apathy.[22] She had supporting roles in the 1998 film Enemy of the State and the 2000 film High Fidelity. In 2003 she played Queenie in Biker Boyz, which reunited her with her A Different World co-star Kadeem Hardison.[23]

Bonet co-starred in the film Whitepaddy in 2005. She did not have another film role until 2014’s Road to Paloma, opposite her future husband Jason Momoa. She did, however, appear in a number of television series, including the American adaptation of the British television series Life on Mars.[24][25] She again played a romantic lead opposite Jason Momoa on the Sundance TV series The Red Road.[26] “I felt protected and I feel safe when I work with him,” Bonet said of working with Momoa.[26]

Since then, Bonet has made guest appearances on TV shows including Girls and Ray Donovan.[27][28]

Personal life

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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 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.[29][30]

Bonet gave birth to their daughter, actress Zoë Isabella Kravitz, on December 1, 1988.[31] She and Kravitz divorced in 1993. That same year, she legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet professionally.[1][32]

Since meeting on the set of A Different World in its first season in 1987, Bonet has been close friends with actress Marisa Tomei, who is a godmother to all three of Bonet’s children.[33]

In 2005, Bonet began a relationship with actor Jason Momoa. They married in October 2017.[34] Bonet and Momoa have two children: a daughter born in July 2007,[35] and a son born in December 2008.[36] In January 2022, Momoa and Bonet announced their separation.[37] On January 8, 2024, Bonet filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[38][39] In her divorce filing, Bonet revealed that she and Momoa had actually separated on October 7, 2020.[38] Court documents which were obtained by People confirmed that the divorce was granted one day later.[40] A Los Angeles county judge declared them divorced on July 9, 2024. Neither Bonet nor Momoa asked for financial support, and they agreed on how to split their assets.[41] The court granted them joint custody of their children, who, at the time, included: 16-year-old daughter Lola and 15-year-old son Nakoa-Wolf.[41]

Filmography

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Film

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YearsTitleRole
1987Angel HeartEpiphany Proudfoot
1993Bank RobberPriscilla
1994Final CombinationCatherine Briggs
1998Enemy of the StateRachel Banks
2000High FidelityMarie De Salle
2003Biker Boyz“Queenie”
2005WhitepaddyMae Evans
2013Road to PalomaMagdalena

Television

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1983St. ElsewhereCarlaEpisode: “Entrapment“
1984–1991The Cosby ShowDenise HuxtableMain cast
1985Tales from the DarksideJustineEpisode: “The Satanic Piano“
ABC Afterschool SpecialCarrie1 episode
1986Sesame StreetHerselfRecurring Guest
1987–1989A Different WorldDenise HuxtableMain cast: season 1; Guest: season 3, 1 episode
1990The Earth Day SpecialDenise Huxtable
1992Why Bother Voting?HerselfElections special with Bonet as host
1994New EdenLilyTelevision movie
2002Lathe of HeavenHeather LelacheTelevision movie
2008–2009Life on MarsMaya Daniels5 episodes
2013–2014Drunk HistoryMary Ellen Pleasant / Rosa Parks2 episodes
2014–2015The Red RoadSky Van Der Veen7 episodes
2014New GirlBrenda BrownEpisode: “Teachers”
2016GirlsTandice MoncriefEpisodes: “Homeward Bound”, “Love Stories”
Ray DonovanMarisolRecurring – Season 4

Music videos

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YearSongArtistRole
1990“It Never Rains (In Southern California)“Tony! Toni! Toné!Director
1991“Stand by My Woman“Lenny KravitzDirector
1999“Revelation Sunshine”Cree SummerDirector
2019“Freedom (TROY NōKA Remix)”Dorothy, Angel HazeDirector

Awards and nominations

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YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
1985Young Artist AwardsBest Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy SeriesThe Cosby ShowNominated
1986Young Artist AwardsBest Young Actress Starring in a Television SeriesThe Cosby ShowNominated
1988Young Artist AwardsBest Young Actress Starring in a Television SeriesThe Cosby ShowNominated
Best Young Female Superstar in Motion PictureAngel HeartWon
1988Saturn AwardsBest Supporting ActressAngel HeartNominated
1986Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe Cosby ShowNominated
1989Young Artist AwardsBest Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or SpecialThe Cosby Show (shared with cast)Nominated
2001Black Reel AwardsTheatrical – Best Supporting ActressHigh FidelityNominated
2006TV Land AwardFavorite Singing SiblingsThe Cosby Show (shared with cast)Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Jump up to:a b c Carbone, Nick (September 16, 2011). “Top 10 Most Ridiculous Celebrity Name Changes – TIME”. Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  2. ^ “Lisa Bonet Marries Musician Lenny ‘Romeo’ Kravitz, Son of ‘The Jeffersons’ TV Star”. Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 7, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  3. ^ “Bonet’s in ‘A Different World'”. Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  4. ^ “Lisa Bonet, Actress, and Model born”. African American Registry. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  5. ^ “Lisa Bonet News”. Us Weekly. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ^ “Lisa Bonet on family, husband Jason Momoa & working with Bill Cosby”. Porter Edit / NET-A-PORTER.COM. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original on May 11, 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.
  7. ^ D’Souza, Joy (May 16, 2017). “Zoe Kravitz Reveals How She Learned To Love Her Mixed Background”. HuffPost Canada. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ Barnes, Henry (August 20, 2015). “Zoë Kravitz: ‘Why do stories happen to white people and everyone else is a punchline?'”. The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ “Lisa Bonet | Biography and Filmography | 1967”. Hollywood.com, LLC. February 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Valle, Victor (February 26, 1987). “BONET’S ‘ANGEL’ HEARTACHE”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  12. ^ “Lisa Bonet Biography”. Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  13. ^ Valle, Victor (February 26, 1987). “Bonet’s ‘Angel’ Heartache”. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  14. ^ “Lisa Bonet”. Biography in Context. June 8, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  15. ^ coopa.net. “Angel Heart – Alan Parker – Director, Writer, Producer – Official Website”. alanparker.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  16. ^ “Appeals Board Upholds ‘Angel Heart’ X Rating”. The New York Times. February 21, 1987. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  17. ^ Norment, Lynn (December 1987). “Lisa Bonet: The Growing Pains of a Rising Star”. Ebony. Ebony Media Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  18. ^ Ramisetti, Kirthana (August 25, 2014). “Emmys 2014: From Anna Nicole Smith’s breasts to Lassie, the 10 oddest nominations of all time”. nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  19. ^ Hunt, Darnell. “A Different World“. museum.tv. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  20. ^ FoundationINTERVIEWS (July 30, 2015). Debbie Allen discusses why Lisa Bonet left “A Different World” – EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG. Retrieved August 1, 2024 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ Allis, Tim (May 4, 1992). “Leaving the Nest”. People. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  22. ^ Zurawik, David (September 23, 1992). “‘Vote’: power to young people”. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  23. ^ Westbrook, Caroline (September 14, 2003). “Lisa Bonet”. SomethingJewish. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
  24. ^ Ausiello, Michael (August 1, 2008). “Exclusive: Lisa Bonet Sentenced to ‘Life on Mars'”. Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  25. ^ “‘Life on Mars’ Star Lisa Bonet Pregnant”. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  26. ^ Jump up to:a b Khatchatourian, Maane (February 25, 2014). “Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet Celebrate SundanceTV’s ‘Red Road'”. Variety. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Young, Susan (August 29, 2016). “‘Ray Donovan’ Postmortem: Lisa Bonet Discusses How Marisol’s Story Washed Out”. IndieWire. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  28. ^ “The 30 Best ‘Girls’ Guest Stars”. EW.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  29. ^ Cooper, Carol (February 1990). “Let Love Rule”. Essence. Essence Ventures. p. 104. ProQuest 223114238.
  30. ^ Bloom, Nate (January 12, 2009). “Interfaith Celebrities: Young, Gifted, Black and Jewish”. InterfaithFamily. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  31. ^ “Zoe Kravitz. Alternate Name: Zoe Isabella Kravitz” at All Movie Guide via The New York Times
  32. ^ “GOODBYE LISA BONET, HELLO LILAKOI MOON”. Orlando Sentinel. December 16, 1993. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  33. ^ Cooper, Leah Faye (May 25, 2021). “‘A Different World’: Cast Members and Crew Tell the Oral History”. Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  34. ^ “Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet Officially Marry in Secret Wedding”. Us Weekly. New York City: American Media Inc. November 2, 2017. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  35. ^ “Update: A daughter for Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa”. People. August 20, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  36. ^ “Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa Welcome Son Nakoa-Wolf”. People. New York City: Meredith Corporation. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  37. ^ France, Lisa Respers (January 12, 2022). “Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet announce split”. CNN. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  38. ^ Jump up to:a b VanHoose, Benjamin (January 8, 2024). “Lisa Bonet Files for Divorce from Jason Momoa 2 Years After Announcing Breakup”. People. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  39. ^ “Lisa Bonet files for divorce from estranged husband Jason Momoa following separation: Reports”. USA TODAY. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  40. ^ Saunders, Angel (January 9, 2024). “Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet’s Divorce Granted Just One Day After Filing”. People. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  41. ^ Jump up to:a b “Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet finalize divorce anyone”. Associated Press. July 9, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.

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