Who is Raven Symone

Who is Raven-Symone?
Raven-Symone is an actress and singer, well-known to the younger set who grew up with her, first on The Cosby Show, then on other sitcoms and movies. Though she usually plays a character who is outrageous, loud, and funny, Raven also is capable of playing dramatic roles, such as the one in the made-for-tv drama, For One Night. I'm sure we'll see more range for this actress once she emerges from the Disney realm and becomes less type-cast.

Born Raven-Symone Christina Pearman on December 10, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia, Raven's family soon moved to New York City, where Raven mainly grew up. Raven began her career when she was just a little girl. Her parents took her to the Ford Modeling Agency, and she soon went out on her first audition, for Ghost Dad, a film starring Bill Cosby. Raven was too young for the role though and was not cast. But luckily for Raven and us, Bill Cosby remembered her audition, and Raven soon became sweet, little Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show. Raven hasn't stopped since.

Raven-Symone's Film and TV History

* 1989-1992 The Cosby Show___Olivia Kendall (TV series)

* 1993-1997 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper___Nicole Lee (TV series)

* 1994 The Little Rascals___Stymie's Girlfriend (movie)

* 1998 Doctor Dolittle___Charisse Dolittle (movie)

* 1999 Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century___Nebula Wade (movie)

* 2001 Dr. Dolittle 2___Charisse Dolittle (movie)

* 2003 The Cheetah Girls___Galleria Garibaldi (movie)

* 2003-2007 That's So Raven___Raven Baxter (TV series)

* 2004 The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement___Asana (movie)

* 2004 Fat Albert___Danielle (movie)

* 2006 For One Night___Brianna McCallister (movie)

* 2006 The Cheetah Girls 2___Galleria Garibaldi (movie)

* 2006 Everyone's Hero___voice of Marti Brewster (animated movie)

* 2002-2007 Kim Possible___voice of Monique (animated TV series) 27 episodes

* 2008 College Road Trip___Melanie Porter (movie)

* 2008 Tinker Bell___voice of Iridessa (animated movie)

* 2009 Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure___voice of Iridessa (animated movie)

*2010 Tinker Bell: A Midsummer Storm___voice of Iridessa (animated movie)

* 2011 Tinker Bell: A Winter Story___voice of Iridessa (animated movie)

Raven has also had numerous small roles and guest roles on other TV shows that I did not include here. For a full list of her screen credits go to IMDb Raven-Symoné page

Raven on The Cosby Show
If you regularly watched The Cosby Show you may remember Raven, though it may take a some thinking. That's because in 1989, Raven was only 3 years-old when she started her career by playing Olivia Kendall, Bill Cosby's precocious little granddaughter. For three years she was the most adorable character on the show.

Raven on Hanging with Mr. Cooper
In 1993 and after The Cosby Show, Raven moved on to Hangin with Mr. Cooper, another popular sitcom. In Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Raven again plays the daughter of the principal character, Mr. Cooper's daughter, Nicole Lee, known as Nicky. She was on the show for four years.

Raven in Dr Dolittle and Dr Dolittle 2
In 1998 and again in 2001, Raven played Eddie Murphy's daughter, Charisse Dolittle, in the Dr. Dolittle movies, the remade classic of a veterinarian who can talk to animals.

Raven on Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century
In 1999, Raven played the role of best friend on the made-for-TV movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, a cute movie about a teenager living in space who has to move to Earth as a punishment.

Raven on That's So Raven
After Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Raven's next sitcom was a television show of her very own, called That's So Raven. It premiered in 2002 and in it, Raven plays an outgoing teen girl named Raven Baxter who lives with her family in San Francisco and has the normal, high school problems. What makes That's So Raven different is that Raven can occasionally see the future in quick visions. Though this should make her life easier, instead it creates chaos, as Raven tries to avoid whatever the peril is, while often causing it to come true in the first place. Sprinkled with her devotion to fashion and numerous odd getups that Raven must put on for some reason or another, That's So Raven was outrageously silly and fun.

Raven in The Princess Diaries 2
In the 2004 The Princess Diaries 2, a Royal Engagement, Raven played Asana, an African princess. The Princess Diaries 2 is about Princess Mia, who finds out that in order to get the crown from her grandmother, Julie Andrews, she must first marry. As expected, an arranged marriage was not in her planning for the future. Raven primarily shows up during the princess slumber party. Though it wasn't a big role, it featured Raven singing a duet with Julie Andrews, which was certainly interesting. Raven also had a song on the soundtrack.

Raven on The Cheetah Girls
Raven starred in and produced the popular movie, The Cheetah Girls, as well as its sequel, The Cheetah Girls 2. She played the character Galleria Garibaldi. The Cheetah Girls is a Disney movie series adapted from the popular book series and is very similar to a pre-teen version of Josie and the Pussycats. Raven, or Galleria in the film, and her friends are a singing group, hoping to make it big. Of course when they do, the star of the group, Galleria, lets it go to her head.

Raven in Raven-Symone Presents
Raven came out with a series of helpful how-to videos for young teenage girls. She starred in and directed the videos on making small crafts, fixing problems, and doing beauty treatments.

Raven on College Road Trip
In 2008, Raven Symone starred as Melanie Porter, the daughter of Chicago police chief James Porter (Martin Lawrence) in College Road Trip, which she also an executive producer of. The popular movie is about Melanie trying to decide on a college and her father, who wants her to go to a close college so she won't be far away. Father and daughter take a road trip to check out the college that Melanie/Raven really wants to go to, and everything goes wrong. Of course by the end father and daughter both finally start seeing things the other person's way.

Raven in TinkerBell
Raven-Symone does the voice of Iridessa, a light fairy in the new TinkerBell movies, Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, and the upcoming Tinker Bell: A Midsummer Storm and Tinker Bell: A Winter Story.

What is Raven's Future?
Where is Raven going? Is she going to continue her streak of fame? What is she next going to star in? It could be a hit movie or a popular TV series. Or perhaps Raven is going to do more guest starring and avoid having her own stuff for a while. Or even stick to her producing, she has already gotten a good start at it.

Maybe Raven is she going to concentrate more on her music? Her singing is wonderful. Her song-writing great.

What else may be up Raven's alley? We don't know. Maybe instead of singing or acting she'll do more fashion-designing? She designs most of her own clothing and certainly has a very distinct style. Perhaps they'll soon be coming to a store near you. Cooking? She does love to cook and there have been rumors that she'd love to have her own restaurant. Or maybe some as-yet undiscovered talent?

Whatever she does next, I'm sure it will be great. Raven-Symone is a shinning star in Hollywood, not one of those that flame and burn out, such as Britney Spears and the Olsen twins, but one that lingers in the sky and flickers gently on and off, but is always there, producing light. Hopefully, there will always be a space for a strong, independent (now) woman, who can stand up and show the young girls that it's okay to be who you are and not give in to peer-pressure, that it's okay to not be Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton. That they too can be who they really are, and not feel ashamed of it.