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Denise George Robert Child Biography & Facts

Denise Huxtable Kendall is a fictional character who appears on the American sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992), portrayed by actress Lisa Bonet. Denise also stars in the first season of its spin-off sitcom, A Different World (1987). The second-born child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, Denise is known for her eccentric clothing and free-spirited, rebellious nature, earning her a reputation as the Huxtable family's wild child. Alternating between regular and recurring character, Denise appears on the sitcom on-and-off throughout its eight-year run, from its pilot "Theo's Economic Lesson" to the seventh season episode "Cliff and Jake", for a total of 98 episodes, after which Bonet departed for the remainder of the series. Created by comedian Bill Cosby, Denise was conceived as the Huxtable's eldest child until older sister Sondra was introduced in the show's second episode to establish that her parents had already successfully raised a college-educated daughter. Struggling academically, Denise drops out of school shortly after enrolling at the historically black Hillman College and briefly returns home to explore various career opportunities before traveling to Africa. While there, she meets and marries Lt. Martin Kendall, becoming stepmother to his daughter Olivia. Bonet was quickly cast as Denise because the producers found that she naturally embodied some of the character's unique traits. Based on Cosby's daughter Erinn, the show's creator incorporated real-life experiences from his relationship with his own daughter into Denise's storyline about self-discovery and independence. Bonet had a difficult professional relationship with Cosby while working on The Cosby Show, particularly regarding her decisions to appear in the controversial film Angel Heart (1987) and subsequently pose nude for various magazines. Although Cosby denies having been opposed to Bonet's career trajectory, he developed A Different World amidst their dispute to provide the actress with a more mature platform. However, Bonet was soon fired from the spin-off shortly after its first season and temporarily rejoined the cast of The Cosby Show when she became pregnant because Cosby was unwilling to entertain the prospect of the sitcom's main character being a pregnant teenager. After leaving The Cosby Show for one year to give birth to her child, Bonet returned as a series regular at the beginning of its sixth season until Cosby ultimately fired her during season seven due to creative differences. Within months of her debut, Denise became The Cosby Show's most popular character, well-received by young adult viewers who identified with her unique sense of fashion and free-spirited attitude, while establishing Bonet as one of the decade's most popular actresses. Bonet's performance earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1986. Some fans criticized Bonet's role in Angel Heart for dishonoring the wholesome reputation of her best-known character. Denise did not fare as well on A Different World; critics found Bonet uninteresting and often blamed her performance for the show's unimpressive early reviews. Revered as a fashion icon, the character's eclectic style has had a profound impact on modern fashion trends; media publications frequently rank Denise among television's best-dressed characters. Role The Cosby Show follows the daily goings-on of the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class African American family who reside in Brooklyn, New York. The family is run by Dr. Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), an obstetrician, and his wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad), a lawyer. The second eldest of their five children, Denise is a younger sister of Sondra (Sabrina Lebeauf) and an elder sister to Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam). After graduating from high school, Denise leaves home to pursue post-secondary education at the fictional, historically black Hillman College, the college both her parents and grandparents had attended. A Different World focuses on the character during her freshman and sophomore years at Hillman, revolving around her as she meets new friends and adjusts to college life. However, Denise constantly struggles with her finances and academics to the point of which she ultimately drops out, becoming the first member of her family to drop out of college. After leaving Hillman, Denise returns to her childhood home in the hopes of forging her own "alternative path" towards success. Initially interested in becoming either a fashion designer or record producer, Denise pursues several short-lived part-time jobs, from which she is either fired or quits after a brief period of time, before traveling to Africa to work as a wildlife photographer's assistant. Denise returns to the Huxtable household one year later, this time as the second wife of a divorced Naval officer, Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips) – who she marries without her family's knowledge – and stepmother to his three-year-old daughter Olivia (Raven-Symoné). After developing an interest in teaching children with learning disabilities, Denise eventually decides to enroll at Medgar Evers College. Finally, Denise relocates to Asia to live with Martin, where he is stationed for the remainder of the series, while Olivia remains in Brooklyn with her parents. In the series finale, Denise phone calls her family from Asia to announce that she is pregnant with her and Martin's first child. Development Creation and writing Comedian Bill Cosby became interested in developing The Cosby Show partially because he was unimpressed with popular family sitcoms airing at the time, some of which often depicted children talking back to and disrespecting their parents without suffering serious consequences. Cosby intended for The Cosby Show's children to remain intelligent while emphasizing that "their parents were always smarter and—most importantly—in charge." Denise was intended to be the eldest of the Huxtable family's four children. However, Cosby also wanted the show to feature a character who was an example of parents Cliff and Clair having already successfully raised a college-educated child, hence the writers introduced eldest sibling Sondra, a Princeton University graduate, in the second episode, while Denise was relegated to the role of the Huxtable's second eldest child instead. Cosby himself is the father of five children, four daughters and one son, much like his character Cliff. All five Huxtable children are based on Cosby's own; Denise in particular was based on the creator's daughter Erinn, who was approximately Denise's same age when the series began in 1984. According to Cosby: His Life and Times author Mark Whitaker, Cosby conceived Denise as a "hip, fashion-conscious, and a bit flaky" character. Early storylines included Denise fighting with younger sister Vanessa over the latter borrowing her sweater without permission, ge.... Discover the Denise George Robert Child popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Denise George Robert Child books.