Biography
Lisa Bonet — actress with roots in the Russian Empire
Lisa Bonet is an American actress best known for playing Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show (1984-1992) and its spinoff A Different World, and more recently for a new generation of fans through her marriage to Jason Momoa. Her daughter Zoë Kravitz became an actress of equal fame.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Russia (Jewish)
Her mother Arlene Litman has Russian-Jewish ancestry — part of the Eastern European Jewish diaspora in America. Bonet grew up with an awareness of this heritage alongside her father's African-American background, giving her one of American entertainment's more complex multicultural ancestries.
Family Tree
Subject
Lisa Bonet🇺🇸 USA
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Mother
Arlene Litman
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Origin
Russia (Jewish)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Russia (Jewish). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
The Cosby Show (NBC, 1984-1992) — Denise Huxtable
02
A Different World (NBC, 1987-1988) — spinoff lead
03
Angel Heart (1987) — controversial film role
04
Mother of actress Zoë Kravitz
05
Married to Jason Momoa (Aquaman) 2017-2022
Sources