Denise Huxtable–Kendall

Denise Huxtable
The Cosby Show/A Different World character
Lisa Bonet appearing as Denise Huxtable in promotional material for the Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World.
First appearance	"Pilot" (September 20, 1984)
Last appearance	"Cliff and Jake" (April 11, 1991)
Created by	Bill Cosby
Portrayed by	Lisa Bonet
Information
Full name	Denise Huxtable Kendall
Gender	Female
Occupation	Student Assistant at Blue Wave Records Wildlife photographer
Family	Cliff Huxtable (father) Clair Huxtable (mother) Sondra Huxtable (sister) Theo Huxtable (brother) Vanessa Huxtable (sister) Rudy Huxtable (sister)
Spouse(s)	Martin Kendall
Children	Olivia Kendall (stepdaughter)
Relatives	Russel Huxtable (paternal grandfather) Anna Huxtable (paternal grandmother) Al Hanks (maternal grandfather) Carrie Hanks (maternal grandmother) Pam Tucker (cousin)
Nationality	American

Denise Huxtable Kendall is a fictional character who appears on the American sitcom The Cosby Show (1984 – 1991), 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 Dr. 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-and-off throughout the sitcom's 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 originally conceived as the Huxtable's eldest child until older sister Sondra was introduced in the second episode to show that her parents had already successfully raised a college-educated child. Struggling academically, Denise drops out of college shortly after enrolling at the historically black Hillman College and briefly returns home to explore various career opportunities before traveling to Africa. There she meets and marries Lt. Martin Kendall, becoming stepmother to his daughter Olivia. Based on Cosby's daughter Erinn, the creator incorporated real-life experiences from his relationship with his own daughter into Denise's storyline about self-discovery.

Bonet had a difficult professional relationship with Cosby, her co-star and boss, while working on The Cosby Show, particularly in regards to 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 decisions, he developed A Different World amidst their dispute to provide the actress with a more mature platform to express herself. 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 uncomfortable with the sitcom's main character being a pregnant teenager. After leaving The Cosby Show for one year to give birth to her child, Bonet briefly returned during its seventh season until Cosby ultimately fired her due to "creative differences".