Denise quickly established herself as an audience favorite during the show 's earliest seasons , which '' Mental Floss '' contributor Kara Kovalchik attributes to her " typical teenage carefree attitude and her cutting-edge fashion sense " . Denise ultimately became the show 's most popular character , and her unique fashion sense became a trademark of the series . '' Essence '' wrote that the character 's clothes " captured the hearts of wholesome teeny-boppers all over America " , while Abby White of the '' Nashville Scene '' agreed that the character " won our hearts with her sense of style from day one " , describing Denise as " drop-dead gorgeous " in addition to being fashionable . White also joked that being any one of Denise 's three less popular sisters " must have really sucked " . Popular and beloved by fans until her departure , Bonet became a " media darling " , by whom she was crowned " America 's Sweetheart " . Idolized by teenage boys , she received the most fan mail out of the show 's cast . Bonet was adored by millions of fans , and her popularity grew almost overnight , soon establishing herself as the show 's breakout star and a household name . Fans swarmed the actress in public , often approaching her for fashion advice . Karen Heller of '' The Philadelphia Inquirer '' dubbed Bonet their " sartorial role model . " Girls were drawn towards her bohemian sense of fashion , while boys found her very attractive and " a major heartthrob " , admitting to having crushes on the actress during her tenure on the show . According to Hollywood.com , Bonet " stuck a chord " among '' Cosby Show '' fans with " her ethereal beauty and quiet strength " . '' Vibe '' 's Greg Tate believes Bonet 's performance " won the heart of just about every young black woman who did n't fit the mold of debutante , fly girl or hoochie mama " . Hillary Crosley Coker of Jezebel described Bonet as " the coolest of '' The Cosby Show '' cast " , while '' Refinery29 '' 's Kara Kia believes that Bonet and Denise were equally " admired for their rebellious , elusive approach to celebrity . " In " An Ode To Lisa Bonet As Denise Huxtable " , Uproxx contributor Greg Whitt praised the actress : " I loved how you were never willing to mute your personality in a house full of squares . Your hair was short and untamed . Your outfits never matched but always worked ... You were sexy before I knew what sexy was . Vanessa was too annoying , and Rudy was too young , but , Denise ahem Lisa , you were the one . " Julee Wilson of '' HuffPost '' described the character as " head-strong yet lovable " . Rebekah Williams , writing for '' Her Campus '' , called Denise 's personality " charming " . In a retrospective review of the series , Funny or Die dubbed Denise " your Tumblr crush " , writing , " She was wild . Sexy . Artistic . A free spirit . But mostly , she was just fierce . Girls wanted to be her . Boys wanted to be with her . Boys also probably wanted to be her . " '' Who What Wear '' called Denise the main reason they continue to watch reruns of '' The Cosby Show '' , citing her clothes as the main factor of their " dedicated viewership " while dubbing her " a total 80 's urban dreamgirl . " Writing for '' The Atlantic '' , Joe Reid ranked Denise the best Huxtable child , praising both Bonet 's performance and the character 's " flakiness " . Reid concluded , " Denise managed to be equal parts cool and disaster , without ever selling out either part . " Writing for the same publication , Kevin O'Keefe ranked Denise lower at number five because he often struggled to " understand her motivations " , finding it implausible that a free-spirited woman like Denise would be interested in " a straight-edge man like Martin " . However , O'Keefe admitted that he enjoyed her role in the episode " A Shirt Story " . The episode is often positively reviewed as one of the character 's best ; Zeba Blay , senior culture writer for '' HuffPost '' , called the moment Theo screams " Denise ! " upon trying on the shirt Denise sewed for her brother as her favorite scene . Bonet was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1986
38th Primetime Emmy Awards
38th Primetime Emmy Awards
Denise Huxtable