Lisa Bonet Biography Quotes 28 Report mistakes
| 28 Quotes | |
| Born as | Lisa Michelle Bonet |
| Known as | Lilakoi Moon |
| Occup. | Actress |
| From | USA |
| Born | November 16, 1967 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Age | 58 years |
Lisa Bonet, born Lisa Michelle Bonet on November 16, 1967, in San Francisco, California, is an American actress whose distinctive presence and creative independence made her one of the defining screen personalities of the late 1980s and beyond. She is the daughter of Allen Bonet, an African American singer with classical training, and Arlene Joyce Litman, a Jewish schoolteacher of Eastern European descent. Raised primarily in the Los Angeles area, Bonet began performing as a child, appearing in commercials and minor television roles. She attended Birmingham High School in the San Fernando Valley and studied acting at the Celluloid Actor’s Studio in North Hollywood, honing the grounded, natural style that would become her hallmark.
Breakthrough: The Cosby Show and A Different World
Bonet’s breakthrough came in 1984 when she was cast as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, opposite Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, and Keshia Knight Pulliam. Her nuanced portrayal of the bohemian, independent Denise, witty, stylish, and emotionally authentic, resonated with audiences and helped make the series a cultural phenomenon.
In 1987 she headlined the spinoff A Different World, developed with producer-director Debbie Allen to follow Denise’s life at the fictional Hillman College. Alongside castmates including Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison, Bonet helped inaugurate a show that broadened television’s depiction of Black collegiate life. She departed after the first season, later returning to The Cosby Show before ultimately parting ways with the franchise in the early 1990s.
Film Work and Artistic Expansion
Bonet’s film debut in Angel Heart (1987), directed by Alan Parker and co-starring Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro, marked a bold pivot toward more mature, contemplative roles. The film’s controversy only underscored her willingness to take risks and avoid being typecast. She continued to work selectively in cinema, choosing projects that suited her sensibility: the techno-thriller Enemy of the State (1998), directed by Tony Scott and featuring Will Smith and Gene Hackman, and the acclaimed ensemble dramedy High Fidelity (2000), directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack, in which she played singer Marie DeSalle. She later appeared in the motorcycle-culture drama Biker Boyz (2003).
Television, Independent Projects, and Later Career
After stepping back from the relentless pace of network television, Bonet returned intermittently in roles that matched her evolving interests. She had a recurring role in the U.S. adaptation of Life on Mars (2008, 2009) and appeared opposite Jason Momoa in the SundanceTV drama The Red Road (2014, 2015), playing the enigmatic Sky Van Der Veen. She also recurred on Ray Donovan (2016), further showcasing her preference for layered, morally complex characters in cable dramas.
Throughout, Bonet cultivated a reputation for deliberateness: she worked when a project aligned with her values or creative curiosity rather than for visibility alone. In the early 1990s she legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon to reflect a personal and spiritual shift, though she has continued to use Lisa Bonet professionally.
Personal Life and Collaborations
In November 1987, Bonet married musician Lenny Kravitz. The couple’s creative partnership and shared bohemian ethos drew wide fascination; they welcomed daughter Zoë Kravitz in 1988. After their divorce in the early 1990s, Bonet and Kravitz maintained a notably supportive co-parenting relationship. Zoë Kravitz, now an acclaimed actress and musician, has cited both parents as central artistic influences, and her projects (from Big Little Lies to The Batman and beyond) reflect a throughline of taste and individuality that traces back to her upbringing.
Bonet later formed a long-term partnership with actor Jason Momoa. Together they had two children, Lola Iolani (born 2007) and Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha (born 2008). Bonet and Momoa married in 2017, announced their separation in 2022, and later finalized their divorce. Throughout, they emphasized respect and collaborative parenting, and Momoa long maintained a close, familial rapport with Zoë Kravitz, creating a blended family that often drew public admiration for its cohesion.
Style, Influence, and Cultural Impact
From her earliest days as Denise Huxtable, Bonet influenced fashion and representation on television. Her textured hair, layered vintage looks, and relaxed, artistic aura helped broaden mainstream ideas of beauty and self-expression for young women, particularly Black and biracial audiences who saw in Denise a multidimensional character rarely afforded to them on network TV at the time. Behind the camera, figures like Debbie Allen championed Bonet’s early spinoff, while on screen she shared space with actors whose careers span generations, Rourke, De Niro, Smith, Cusack, signaling her ability to hold her own in disparate genres and ensembles.
Bonet’s career is defined less by volume than by intent. She has maintained a low public profile, prioritizing family and personal growth, and stepping into roles that feel purposeful. In an industry that often prizes ubiquity, Bonet exemplifies a quieter kind of longevity rooted in discernment, creative autonomy, and an enduring sense of self.
Legacy
Lisa Bonet’s legacy rests on the lasting imprint of Denise Huxtable, her fearless early foray into provocative cinema, and a later body of work that, while selective, underscores her taste for atmospheric, character-driven storytelling. As a mother and creative peer to artists like Lenny Kravitz, Zoë Kravitz, and Jason Momoa, she stands at the center of a multigenerational circle of performers whose work crosses film, television, and music. More than four decades after her debut, Bonet remains a touchstone for authenticity on and off screen, an artist who helped expand the possibilities of how young women, and especially young Black women, could be seen in American popular culture.
Our collection contains 28 quotes who is written by Lisa, under the main topics: Motivational - Wisdom - Justice - Music - Friendship.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Lisa Bonet height: 5 ft 2 in (157 cm).
- What is Lisa Bonet net worth? About $10 million (estimated).
- Lisa Bonet husband: Ex-husbands: Lenny Kravitz (1987–1993) and Jason Momoa (2017–2024; separated 2022).
- Lisa Bonet children: Zoë Kravitz, Lola Iolani Momoa, and Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.
- Lisa Bonet young: Rose to fame as teen Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show in the 1980s.
- Lisa Bonet movies and TV shows: The Cosby Show, A Different World, Angel Heart, High Fidelity, Enemy of the State, Life on Mars, The Red Road, Ray Donovan.
- How old is Lisa Bonet? She is 58 years old
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