Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (born December 10, 1985), known professionally as Raven-Symoné or Raven, is an American actress and R&B/pop singer-songwriter. She is best known for her television roles as Olivia Kendall in The Cosby Show, Nicole Lee in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Galleria Garibaldi in The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2 and as Raven Baxter in her own show, That's So Raven. Raven-Symoné is a television producer, producing the final season of That's So Raven as well as her movies College Road Trip and The Cheetah Girls 2. Raven-Symoné owns a "how-to" video website, Raven-Symoné Presents, which is used as her official website. She has also lent her voice to the animated series, Kim Possible, for the character Monique.
Early life
Raven-Symoné, an African American, was born in Duluth, Georgia (near Atlanta), the daughter of Lydia (née Gaulden) and Christopher B. Pearman. Raven-Symoné lived in Ossining, New York where she attended park school. As an infant, she worked for Atlanta's Young Faces Inc. Modelling Agency and was featured in local print advertisements. At age two, she worked with Ford Models in New York City and appeared in ads for Ritz crackers, Jell-O, Fisher-Price, and Cool Whip. At age three, she auditioned for the film Ghost Dad. She was considered too young for the role, but was recommended for a part in The Cosby Show and was eventually cast as Olivia in February 1989. The character was the three-year-old stepdaughter of Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet), the main character's daughter. Raven-Symoné played the part until the series ended in 1992. In 1993, Raven-Symoné joined the cast of ABC's sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper as Nicole, the cousin of Mark Curry's character Mark Cooper. Raven-Symoné went on to have roles in films such as 1998's Dr. Dolittle, 1999's Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, and 2001's Dr. Dolittle 2.Raven currently owns homes in California and Georgia. Raven keeps her personal life private and does not discuss it. Her parents reside in Atlanta, GA. And she has a younger brother named Blaze.
Career
Acting
In 2002, Raven-Symoné auditioned for a role on an up-and-coming series for the Disney Channel titled Absolutely Psychic, about a teenager with psychic abilities. Initially, Raven-Symoné was cast as the role of the best friend. But after being reviewed, Disney executives decided to cast her as the lead character Raven Baxter and change the series name to That's So Raven, which debuted on January 17, 2003. It is Disney Channel's highest-rated and longest-running series. It spawned Disney's most successful franchise, including soundtracks, dolls, episode DVDs, and video games. In 2005 and 2007, the show was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. The show also was the first show in Disney history to have a spin-off, Cory in the House. In 2003, Raven-Symoné starred as lead singer Galleria Garibaldi in The Cheetah Girls, which is a Disney Channel Original Movie that is about four city girls who have dreams of becoming superstars. The movie was Disney Channel's first musical and spawned a massive franchise, much like That's So Raven, including dolls, video games, platinum-selling soundtracks and more. In 2006, Raven-Symoné reprised her role as Galleria Garibaldi and starred in The Cheetah Girls 2. The film and its soundtrack were huge commercial hits and brought in over 8 million viewers opening night, making it (at its time) Disney Channel's most-watched movie. Its soundtrack also debuted at number eight, on the Billboard Top 200 and went on to become certified for platinum-level sales by the RIAA. Raven-Symoné also served as executive producer of the film.In 2007 Raven-Symoné guest-starred on an episode of Cory in the House. That episode bought in 5 million viewers, making it the highest rated one of the series. During the summer of 2007, Raven-Symoné filmed her first lead film role in College Road Trip, which co-starred Martin Lawrence.
In 2008, The Cheetah Girls: One World began production, but Raven-Symoné did not return to reprise her role as Galleria, due to problems with her former Cheetah Girls on the set of Cheetah Girls 2. According to National Ledger, Symone stated that there were "territorial issues" and "catfights" that led to a strained relationship between her and the other three girls.
Music
Raven-Symoné's debut album, Here's to New Dreams, was released on June 22, 1993. It spawned two commercially released singles: "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" and "Raven Is the Flavor". "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" was Raven-Symoné's most successful single, reaching number sixty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, forty-seven on the Undeniable album was bought up by TMG Records, who re-issued the album on November 14, 2006 under the title From Then Until. Although her first album was full of kid-rap, she used this album to display her vocal ability while still holding true to her rap roots.Raven-Symoné sang some songs on the That's So Raven soundtrack album to the Disney Channel original series of the same name. The album debuted and peaked at #44 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies. She also sang some tracks on the That's So Raven Too!, which is the second soundtrack album from the hit Disney Channel original series, That's So Raven. The soundtrack debuted and peaked at #44, on the Billboard 200, selling 22,600 copies in its first week. Since then, the soundtrack has sold 200,000 copies (as of 2007). Raven-Symoné then participated in two Cheetah Girls soundtracks for Disney, in which both went double platinum and platinum. In early 2003, Raven-Symoné signed a deal with Hollywood Records (A Disney owned label). On September 21, 2004, she released her third album This Is My Time. The album spawned one commercially released single, "Backflip", which received heavy rotation on both Disney Channel, as well on BET. The album debuted and peaked at number fifty-one on the Billboard 200 selling 19,000 copies in its first week of release and becoming her most successful album yet. This Is My Time has sold 235,000 copies in the U.S. and 512,000 copies worldwide.
In 2005 Raven-Symoné embarked on a mini-concert tour to promote the album. Raven-Symoné made guest spots during the Summer of 2005 , but didn't tour to promote the album until 2006. Later that year Raven-Symoné began work on her fourth studio album.
Raven-Symoné's fourth studio album Raven-Symoné was released on April 29, 2008. The album features production by Sean Garrett (Beyoncé), The J.A.M. (Leona Lewis),Knightwritaz (singer Mario's production team), and The Clutch (Timbaland, Ciara). The first single released was Double Dutch Bus a remake of Frankie Smith's 1981 funk track. The single was released to radio on February 9, while the video was released on February 18, 2008. The single has been Raven-Symoné's most downloaded song on iTunes. It peaked at #9 on the iTunes Top R&B/Soul Downloads chart. The album debuted at #159 on Billboard's Top 200. Raven-Symoné also planned on starting her first all arena headlining tour The Pajama Party Tour this Spring, to promote her album but due to what promoters call "unforeseen difficulties" the tour was postponed until further notice. But during a recent interview it was confirmed that Raven-Symoné is currently rescheduling her tour and that it will kick off later this summer, but instead of being an all-arena tour, it will include both arena and amphitheatre venues. The new tour name is Raven-Symoné: Live in Concert Tour. Also, in the Summer of 2008, Raven-Symoné will be the special host of Disney's Block Party Tour.
During the middle of Raven-Symoné's 2008 Summer tour, It was officially announced that Raven-Symoné and Hollywood Records had parted ways; after Raven-Symoné had completed her 2 CD deal with the company, she decided not to renew her contract. In a recent interview with Teenmag.com Raven-Symoné announced that in late 2009, she would return to the studio to record her next album. She also stated that this would be her most mature album yet. This will be Raven-Symoné's first studio album that she's released since shes left Disney's Hollywood Records. This will also be Raven-Symoné's second independent album.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Little Rascals | Stymie's Girlfriend | appearance |
| 1998 | Dr. Dolittle | Charisse Dolittle | Main Role |
| 1999 | Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century | Nebula Wade | made for television (Disney Channel) |
| 2001 | Dr. Dolittle 2 | Charisse Dolittle | Main Role |
| 2003 | Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time | Monique | Voice |
| The Cheetah Girls | Galleria "Bubbles" Garibaldi | made for television (Disney Channel) | |
| 2004 | Zenon: Z3 | Nebula Wade | made for television (Disney Channel) |
| The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement | Princess Asana | Starring as Raven. | |
| Fat Albert | Danielle | Voice / Starring as Raven-Symone. | |
| 2005 | Kim Possible: So the Drama | Monique | Voice |
| 2006 | For One Night | Brianna McCallister | made for television (Lifetime Movie) |
| Everyone's Hero | Marty Brewster | Voice | |
| The Cheetah Girls 2 | Galleria "Bubbles" Garibaldi | made for television (Disney Channel) | |
| 2008 | College Road Trip | Melanie Porter | Main Role / Starring as "Raven-Symoné" |
| Tinker Bell | Iridessa | Voice | |
| 2009 | Little Focker | Tamrya | Main Role / Starring as "Raven-Symoné" |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989—1992 | The Cosby Show | Olivia Kendall | Seasons 6–8 / Starring as Raven-Symoné |
| 1993—1997 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Nicole Lee | Seasons 2–5 / Starring as Raven-Symone. |
| 2002—2007 | Kim Possible | Monique | Voice / Recurring role |
| 2003—2007 | That's So Raven | Raven Baxter | Lead Role / Season 1-4 / Starring as Raven. |
Guest appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | A Different World | Olivia Kendall | "Forever Hold Your Peace" (episode 5, season 3) |
| 1990 | The Muppets at Walt Disney World | Young girl | Television special |
| 1992 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Claudia | "Vying for Attention" (episode 21, season 2) |
| 1993 | Blindsided | Singer | |
| Queen: The Story of an American Family | 5-year-old Queen | uncredited | |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Olivia/Zoe (voice) | "The Princess and the Pauper" |
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Goldilocks (voice) | "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" | |
| 1996 | Bill Nye the Science Guy | Herself | "Human Transportation" (episode 56, season 3) |
| 2001 | My Wife and Kids | Charmaine |
|
| The Proud Family | Stephanie (voice) | "Seven Days of Kwanzaa" (episode 11, season 1) | |
| 2004 | Fillmore! | Maryanne Greene (voice) Alexandria Quarry (voice) |
|
| 2005 | Higglytown Heroes | Playground Monitor Hero (voice) |
|
| 2006 | The Suite Life of Zack and Cody | Raven Baxter | "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" (episode 20, season 2) |
| 2007 | Cory in the House | Raven Baxter | Guest star in "That's So in the House" episode |
| 2008 | WrestleMania XXIV | Herself | Guest announcer |
| American Dad! | Katie Wife | * "Office Spaceman" (Episode 14, Season 3) *"Stanny Slickers II" (Episode 15, Season 3) | |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Was the team captain of Team Symoné and competed alongside her mother, brother and her on-screen mother and father from That's So Raven. | |
| The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Herself |
Discography
Albums- 1993: Here's to New Dreams
- 1999: Undeniable
- 2004: This Is My Time
- 2008: Raven-Symoné
- 2010: TBATour
- 2006: This Is My Time Tour
- 2008: Disney Music Block Party Tour
- 2008: Raven-Symoné Live Tour
Awards and nominations
| Year | Status | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990- | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age 9 | The Cosby Show |
| 1991 | Won | Young Artist Award | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress | The Cosby Show |
| 1993 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Actress Under Ten in a Television Series | The Cosby Show |
| 1994 | Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Youth Comedienne | Hangin' With Mr. Cooper |
| 1996 | Nominated | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress | Hangin' With Mr. Cooper |
| 1999 | Nominated | Young Star Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Film | Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century |
| 2004 | Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | That's So Raven |
| Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | That's So Raven | |
| Won | Black Reel | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Cheetah Girls | |
| Nominated | BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress — Comedy | That's So Raven | |
| 2005 | Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | That's So Raven |
| Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | That's So Raven | |
| Won | Radio Disney Music Awards | Best Actor/Actress-Turned-Singer | ||
| Nominated | BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress — Comedy | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | BET Comedy Awards | Best Performance in an Animated Theatrical Film | Kim Possible: So the Drama | |
| 2006 | Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | That's So Raven |
| Won | NAACP Image Awards | Junior Achievement Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | That's So Raven | |
| Won | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress — Comedy | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | That's So Raven | |
| 2007 | Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | That's So Raven |
| Won | NAMIC Vision Awards | 2007 North Star Award (top award) | ||
| Nominated | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Radio Disney Music Awards | Favorite TV Star Who Sings | ||
| Nominated | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | That's So Raven | |
| 2008 | Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program — Series or Special | That's So Raven |
| Won | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance Program | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | That's So Raven | |
| Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer Comedy Movie/Performance | ''College Road Trip | |
| Won | Summer Fort Myers Beach Film Festival | "Fav Summer Teen Flick Comedy" | College Road Trip |
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday October 10, 2008 at 18:27:20 PDT (GMT -0700)
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