Lisa Bonet, known for her statement layering and impressive hats worn while playing Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has been stealing hearts since she was a teenager. She was born in San Francisco, California on November 16, 1967. Her career in acting began young, and soon her talent, her fashion, and her relationships were trending topics for magazines and outlets all over the country. Her dynamic abilities allowed her to transfer seamlessly between roles and genres as she came into her own in the entertainment industry during and after “The Cosby Show.”
She continues to turn heads as an actor, a style icon, and a mother. Needless to say, she’s come a long way in her impressive and transformative career. Let’s take a look back at some of the moments that defined Lisa Bonet in both her personal and professional lives that brought the star to where she is today.
Lisa Bonet’s rise to fame
As a teenager, Lisa Bonet got her big break. She would play the rebellious daughter Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” The show followed the lovable Huxtable family. Based on the stand-up of the now-problematic Bill Cosby, it centered around his ideas of everyday family life. For many, it was one of the first shows they saw that showed a Black family simply living life and dealing with realistic, impactful, and often hilarious problems.
Episode 1 premiered on September 20, 1984, just two months shy of Bonet’s 17th birthday. Definitely her most memorable role, Denise Huxtable was remembered for years after the show’s end in 1992 for her over-the-top and enviable fashion choices. Even articles published today credit her as a fashion icon and recall “Denise Huxtable’s 15 Most Stylish Moments” or pit Denise’s looks against mom Clair’s in a “Huxtable Fashion-Off.” Clearly, Bonet became a star.
This role also proved Bonet’s loveable and charming persona worked well in a heartwarming family comedy and established her as a sweetheart of the entertainment world.
She educated teens in ABC Afterschool Special
Before Lisa Bonet was a household name, she was “Carrie” on one episode of “ABC Afterschool Special.” As Mental Floss noted, the series aired dramatic yet realistic scenarios every other Wednesday at 4 p.m. from 1972 to 1996. Its hour-long episodes tackled topics facing young people in an interesting way. What originally began as purely educational content teaching topics about science and social studies flipped in Season 3 to cover scenarios that pre-teens may find themselves in. Teens could tune in with their parents (or be forced to watch the informative television show) to learn about the dangers of underage drinking, how to deal with divorce, or how to handle a move.
Bonet’s episode tackled a particularly intense topic. The episode “Don’t Touch” follows a teenage babysitter who learns the girl she watches is being molested by a friend of the family. This jogs the teen’s memory, as she remembers that she faced similar abuse herself when she was younger. Bonet was just 18 years old when the episode aired, perhaps not launching her to immediate fame, but nonetheless making a start in an important and talked-about show that averaged millions of viewers.
Lisa Bonet starred in her first film
After playing Denise for three years, opportunity knocked for Lisa Bonet. She was offered a role in a feature film — her first feature film. Premiering in March 1987, “Angel Heart” followed a private investigator attempting to locate singer Johnny Favorite. Starring Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke, the R-rated Alan Parker-directed thriller was a big step away from her wholesome, family-friendly persona on “The Cosby Show,” and it established her career as a serious actress.
The film also served to distance herself from an “America’s sweetheart” image, as Bonet appeared in a nude scene alongside Rourke. Bill Cosby was reportedly against this decision, as noted by Deadline, as he seemingly wanted to preserve the lovingly wholesome image he painted of her on his show. Bonet’s “Angel Heart” role may have hinted at her desire to break away from the Huxtable household and achieve something greater in her career. Nonetheless, Bonet would continue to play Denise in “The Cosby Show” and the spin-off, “A Different World,” before leaving that momentous and significant part of her career behind.
Lisa Bonet, cover girl
Lisa Bonet continued to prove that she had bigger plans than playing someone’s daughter in April 1987, when she posed for the cover of the Andy Warhol-founded Interview magazine. Seeing America’s favorite daughter splashed across a magazine that contained a topless photo of her would alter her perception in the public’s eye. She seemingly matured with that photoshoot while still only being 19 years old.
