Lisa Michelle Bonet was born in San Francisco in 1967 to a Jewish mother and an African-American father, who separated while she was still young. She was then raised in Los Angeles, where her early interest in acting led to commercial work by the age of 11 and to the defining role of Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" at 16.

In 1987, she married Lenny Kravitz, then an aspiring musician, whose mom was Black and father Jewish, ironically. Also that year, Bonet's career started to nosedive after she was dumped by "The Cosby Show" for doing some ill-advised steamy scenes in the movie, "Angel Heart."

Meanwhile, her husband's music was just about to enjoy a meteoric rise in popularity. Though, the couple had their own half- and-half daughter, Zoe in 1988, their stormy celebrity union did not survive long past Lenny's emergence as a bona fide rock star, given the groupie scene. Post-"Cosby," Bonet did a short stint on TV's "A Different World" and made mostly unmemorable appearances in a bunch of B-flicks.

With her spotty career sputtering, she changed her name to Lilakoi Moon and disappeared to have another child, this one with Bryan Krest, her yoga guru boyfriend. After a few years of relative obscurity, she has enjoyed a bit of a comeback since 1998, when she made "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith.

Since then, she even received some critical acclaim for her work opposite John Cusack in "High Fidelity." And now we find her being fought over by Laurence Fishburne and Tyson Beckford in "Biker Boyz." Although she might now be considered a tad flaky by much of show biz, I found Lisa's, or should I say Lilakoi's, socially conscious ideas disarmingly refreshing, as the grown-up Cosby kid reflected on her life and career.

AFRO: How do you feel today about the time you spent on "The Cosby Show?"

Lisa Bonet: "I look back on those years fondly, and I'm very grateful for the doors that it opened. And for how it has provided for me and for how my life has been shaped by it."

AFRO: Are you still in touch with anybody from the show?

LB: "I got a beautiful message from Malcolm wishing me a happy birthday."

AFRO: He was into jazz, the last time I spoke to him. Is he still playing?

LB: "Yeah."

AFRO: What made you decide to do "Biker Boyz?"

LB: "There was the wonderful cast assembling and an invitation to be a part of it, which was flattering. I had a wonderful conversation with Reggie [director Reggie Rock Bythewood], so I felt like I was in good hands. I liked the character, had an opportunity to learn something new, riding. Plus, I got to kiss Tyson."

AFRO: How did Reggie put together such an all-star cast?

LB: "I think he was connected to a lot of them. I know Orlando [Jones], I know Larenz [Tate], and all of them are good friends of his, which shows how well-respected he is. The film has an authentic feel with quality performances, plus a flair, a sort of Cirque de Soleil on bikes. That's a rare combination that Reggie pulled together quite well."

AFRO: You got high marks for "High Fidelity." How did you enjoy making that picture?

LB: "I had a good time working on it because I loved Chicago. It was my first time there. And the film offered me an opportunity to stretch myself with the singing. I really appreciated Johnny [Cusack] as an actor and as a producer. And Jack Black was so funny."

AFRO: I remember the first time I saw Jack Black was in that very memorable cameo in "The Jackal" after which Bruce Willis kills him. I remember wondering, `Who is that guy?'

LB: "I know. He was in `Enemy of the State' with me, too. His moments were great, even the first time I met him at a table reading. But then seeing his performance, with that little grin and his mischievous eyes was something else! There's a scene in `High Fidelity' when we were talking at the bar. Even though I was acting, I found it really hard to turn away from him and talk to Johnny when I was supposed to, because I was really enjoying the energy that was flowing between me and Jack. He's just incredibly talented and he makes me smile."

AFRO: I know he's the leader of the rock group Tenacious D. Do you like his music, too?

LB: [Enthusiastically] "Yeah, yeah, he's hysterical, and genuinely talented. He's just attractive, period."

AFRO: What have you been up to lately?

LB: "I just spent two months in Mexico learning Spanish. I'd love to become fluent in that language so I can travel to the jungles in South America, in Ecuador and in Peru to work with the indigenous peoples and the shamans down there. I want to do a film about that. I want to integrate the ancient intelligence that the hidden peoples carry into our modern society that is about to destroy the planet. So, I'm looking forward to the crossing over of my passion with what I get paid to do."

AFRO: Sounds like you're ready to produce your own independent film, like "Eve's Bayou" or "The Visit."

LB: "Yeah, I have a lot of respect for Casey [Casey Lemons, director of "Eve's Bayou"]. And I was very moved by `The Visit,' because it was clear that the integrity of every character was important to the director."

AFRO: What makes you so passionate about native peoples?

LB: "I call it the death of the rainbow, when we see the death of culture and color, and things becoming more black and white. I think that they hold an integral piece of the balance and the heartbeat of this planet. And when they go, we'll just become a more sick culture. It's irreplaceable and irretrievable, once it dies we will never get it back, which is why I've dedicated my life to being a part of preserving it."

AFRO: So, I guess you're not a big fan of American culture, then. LB: "I don't even know if we have a culture. That's the thing that's so wonderful about traveling, visiting places that are so connected to their roots and to something so much older than a few hundred years of what we call the most powerful culture." AFRO: How are we ruining other cultures?

LB: "For instance, I just returned from Oaxaca, Mexico, where there's this big fight brewing between the people and McDonald's, which is trying to open up a restaurant in the middle of this historic district. And there's already a McDonald's in Oaxaca, so it's not like the need one anyway. Another restaurant would serve no one's interest, except whoever would be profiting while destroying something so rare, so still intact. It's an embarrassing example of our culture which is based on greed and bullying tactics."

AFRO: How do you feel about gangsta' rap?

LB: "What saddens me about it is the corruption of youth and beauty, and the loss of soul, which is only replaced with money. And the watering down of something original, something cultural and something talented in the service of boastful womanizing. It makes my stomach sick, actually, though there are rappers I have a lot of respect for, like Mos Def and some others. But because I also work with youth offenders in LA, I've heard them speak and see how they get manipulated by the music. It's heartbreaking because it really leads to a hollow life. And the three-strikes law adds a sense of hopelessness to the situation in the ghettos and barrios."

AFRO: How do you balance being a mother with your career?

LB: "Actually, my 14 year-old daughter is living with her father right now. So, I've had a little more freedom for the last couple of years which has allowed me to do my own soul searching and travel. But, of course, I'm never far away from her."