Lisa Bonet

Early life

Lisa Michelle Bonet was born on November 16, 1967, in California, to Arlene Joyce Litman, an Ashkenazi Jewish-American schoolteacher, and Allen Bonet, an opera singer of African-American heritage from Texas. 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. 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."

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.

Bonet graduated from Birmingham High School and later studied acting at the Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood.

Career

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 Cliff and Clair Huxtable (played by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, respectively). Later in the show, she becomes the stepmother 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. 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. For Angel Heart, Bonet earned a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was featured topless in Interview magazine.

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." 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," comparing it to films like Blue Velvet, which was rated R even though it contained frontal nudity.

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

In September 1992, Bonet hosted Why Bother Voting?, an election special focusing on young voters' concerns and apathy. 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.

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. She again played a romantic lead opposite Jason Momoa on the Sundance TV series The Red Road. “I felt protected and I feel safe when I work with him," Bonet said of working with Momoa.

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

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: {{cquote|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.

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.

In 2005, Bonet began a relationship with actor Jason Momoa. They married in October 2017. Bonet and Momoa have two children: a daughter born in July 2007, and a son born in December 2008. In January 2022, Momoa and Bonet announced their separation. On January 8, 2024, Bonet filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In her divorce filing, Bonet revealed that she and Momoa had actually separated on October 7, 2020. 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. The court granted them joint custody of their children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (December 7, 1987). "Lisa Bonet Marries Musician Lenny 'Romeo' Kravitz, Son of 'The Jeffersons' TV Star".
2. Hodges, Ann. (August 16, 1987). "Bonet's in 'A Different World'". [[Houston Chronicle]].
3. "Lisa Bonet, Actress, and Model born".
4. "Lisa Bonet News".
5. (March 9, 2018). "Lisa Bonet on family, husband Jason Momoa & working with Bill Cosby". Porter Edit / NET-A-PORTER.COM.
6. D'Souza, Joy. (May 16, 2017). "Zoe Kravitz Reveals How She Learned To Love Her Mixed Background". HuffPost Canada.
7. (August 20, 2015). "Zoë Kravitz: 'Why do stories happen to white people and everyone else is a punchline?'". [[The Guardian]].
8. McCann, Bob. (2007). "Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television". [[McFarland and Company]].
9. (February 8, 2015). "Lisa Bonet {{!}} Biography and Filmography {{!}} 1967".
10. Valle, Victor. (February 26, 1987). "BONET'S 'ANGEL' HEARTACHE".
11. "Lisa Bonet Biography". Yahoo! Movies.
12. (June 8, 2009). "Lisa Bonet".
13. coopa.net. "Angel Heart – Alan Parker – Director, Writer, Producer – Official Website".
14. (February 21, 1987). "Appeals Board Upholds 'Angel Heart' X Rating". [[The New York Times]].
15. Norment, Lynn. (December 1987). "Lisa Bonet: The Growing Pains of a Rising Star". [[Ebony (magazine).
16. Ramisetti, Kirthana. (August 25, 2014). "Emmys 2014: From Anna Nicole Smith's breasts to Lassie, the 10 oddest nominations of all time".
17. Hunt, Darnell. "''A Different World''". museum.tv.
18. FoundationINTERVIEWS. (2015-07-30). "Debbie Allen discusses why Lisa Bonet left "A Different World" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG".
19. Allis, Tim. (May 4, 1992). "Leaving the Nest".
20. Zurawik, David. (1992-09-23). "'Vote': power to young people".
21. Westbrook, Caroline. (September 14, 2003). "Lisa Bonet". SomethingJewish.
22. Ausiello, Michael. (August 1, 2008). "Exclusive: Lisa Bonet Sentenced to 'Life on Mars'".
23. (October 16, 2008). "'Life on Mars' Star Lisa Bonet Pregnant". [[Chicago Tribune]].
24. Khatchatourian, Maane. (February 25, 2014). "Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet Celebrate SundanceTV's 'Red Road'".
25. Young, Susan. (August 29, 2016). "'Ray Donovan' Postmortem: Lisa Bonet Discusses How Marisol's Story Washed Out".
26. Nolfi, Joey. (April 14, 2017). "The 30 Best 'Girls' Guest Stars".
27. Cooper, Carol. (February 1990). "Let Love Rule". [[Essence (magazine).
28. Bloom, Nate. (January 12, 2009). "Interfaith Celebrities: Young, Gifted, Black and Jewish". [[InterfaithFamily]].
29. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110709222751/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/1465139/Zoe-Kravitz/biography "Zoe Kravitz. Alternate Name: Zoe Isabella Kravitz"] at All Movie Guide via ''[[The New York Times]]''
30. Carbone, Nick. (2011-09-16). "Top 10 Most Ridiculous Celebrity Name Changes – TIME".
31. (December 16, 1993). "GOODBYE LISA BONET, HELLO LILAKOI MOON".
32. Cooper, Leah Faye. (2021-05-25). "'A Different World': Cast Members and Crew Tell the Oral History".
33. (November 2, 2017). "Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet Officially Marry in Secret Wedding".
34. (August 20, 2007). "Update: A daughter for Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa". [[People (magazine).
35. (January 7, 2009). "Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa Welcome Son Nakoa-Wolf".
36. (January 12, 2022). "Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet announce split".
37. VanHoose, Benjamin. (January 8, 2024). "Lisa Bonet Files for Divorce from Jason Momoa 2 Years After Announcing Breakup".
38. (January 8, 2024). "Lisa Bonet files for divorce from estranged husband Jason Momoa following separation: Reports".
39. Saunders, Angel. (January 9, 2024). "Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's Divorce Granted Just One Day After Filing".
40. (July 9, 2024). "Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet finalize their divorce".