Raven-Symoné

Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday (; born December 10, 1985), also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and director. She has received several accolades, including five NAACP Image Awards, two Kids' Choice Awards, three Young Artist Awards, and five Emmy Award nominations. In 2012, she was included on VH1's list of "100 Greatest Child Stars of All Time".

Raven-Symoné began her career as a child actress, rising to fame as Olivia Kendall on ''The Cosby Show'' (1989–1992) and Nicole Lee on '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' (1993–1997). When she was 15 years old, she landed the titular leading role of Raven Baxter on the Disney Channel television series ''That's So Raven'' (2003–2007), for which she earned numerous awards; she reprised her role on the spin-off series '' Raven's Home'' (2017–2023), which she also executive produced. Her film credits include '' Dr. Dolittle'' (1998), its sequel '' Dr. Dolittle 2'' (2001), '' The Princess Diaries 2'' (2004), ''College Road Trip'' (2008), and '' Mighty Oak'' (2020) while her television film credits include '' Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century'' (1999), its second sequel '' Zenon: Z3'' (2004), '' The Cheetah Girls'' (2003), its sequel '' The Cheetah Girls 2'' (2006), '' For One Night'' (2006), and '' Revenge of the Bridesmaids'' (2010). She also voiced Monique in the animated series ''Kim Possible'' (2002–2007), and Iridessa in the fantasy film franchise ''Tinker Bell''. Raven-Symoné has also directed episodes for several series, including ''Raven's Home'', '' Bunk'd'', '' Sydney to the Max'', '' Pretty Freekin Scary'', and '' The Ms. Pat Show''.

Raven-Symoné released her debut studio album at the age of seven, '' Here's to New Dreams'' (1993), which saw the moderate commercial success of the single " That's What Little Girls Are Made Of". She subsequently released the studio albums '' Undeniable'' (1999), '' This Is My Time'' (2004), and ''Raven-Symoné'' (2008). She also contributed vocals to several soundtracks from her Disney projects, including '' The Cheetah Girls'' (2003), ''That's So Raven'' (2004), '' That's So Raven Too!'' (2006), and '' The Cheetah Girls 2'' (2006), several of which were certified platinum and gold. She made her Broadway debut in the musical ''Sister Act'' in 2012 and was a co-host of the ABC daytime talk show '' The View'' from 2015 to 2016, for which she earned two Emmy nominations. She hosted and executive produced the pilot of the 2021 reality show ''What Not to Design'' and hosts the 2024 revival of the game show ''Scrabble'' on The CW.

Early life

Raven-Symoné was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Lydia (née Gaulden) and Christopher Pearman. She had a younger brother, Blaize, who died in November 2023. As an infant, she worked for Atlanta's Young Faces Inc. modelling agency and was featured in local print advertisements. At the age of 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 moved with her family to Ossining, New York, where she attended Park School.

Career

1989–2002: Child acting and early music releases

In 1989, Raven-Symoné auditioned for a role in the Bill Cosby film, ''Ghost Dad''. At the age of three, she was considered too young for the role, but Cosby liked her so much that he found a role for her on his show, ''The Cosby Show'', as his step-granddaughter Olivia. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's sixth season and remained until the series finale in 1992. She then appeared as the younger version of Halle Berry's starring character, a headstrong biracial enslaved woman, in the TV movie ''Alex Haley's Queen''.

In 1992, Raven-Symoné began her singing career at the age of seven, when she signed with MCA Records. She spent that year and the next taking vocal lessons from Missy Elliott. Her debut album, '' Here's to New Dreams'', was released on June 22, 1993, which spawned two singles: " That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" and " Raven Is the Flavor". "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" reached No. 68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album, however, was not successful, and, due to low sales, she was dropped from MCA Records in 1995. The album sold over 73,000 copies in the US.

In 1993, one year after ''The Cosby Show'' ended, Raven-Symoné landed the role of Nicole Lee, Mark's preteen cousin on the sitcom '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper''. She made her debut in the first episode of the show's second season and remained until the series finale in 1997. In 1994, during her time on the show ''Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'', she had her first film role in ''The Little Rascals'', playing Stymie's girlfriend.

In 1996, Raven-Symoné and her father founded RayBlaze Records, in which she signed a distribution deal with Crash Records for her second album '' Undeniable'', which was released in May 1999. The album sold over 2,000 units in the US. The album yielded one single: a cover of Stevie Wonder's " With a Child's Heart". To support ''Undeniable'', she went on tour as the opening act for Jive artist 'N Sync's "The 'N Sync Tour" in 1998/1999.

In 1998, she was cast in the Eddie Murphy comedy '' Dr. Dolittle'', as Charisse Dolittle, the oldest daughter of Murphy's character. In 1999, she appeared in '' Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century'' as Nebula, her first production under Disney. In 2001, she reprised the role of Charisse Dolittle in '' Dr. Dolittle 2''. In the same year, she participated in two episodes of the comedy series, '' My Wife and Kids'' as Charmaine, Claire's pregnant friend under ABC.

2003–2007: ''That's So Raven'', ''The Cheetah Girls'', and ''This Is My Time''

In 2001, Raven-Symoné auditioned for a role on an upcoming series for the Disney Channel titled ''Absolutely Psychic'', about a teenager with psychic abilities. She auditioned for the recurring role of Chelsea Daniels, but her role was changed to the lead character Raven Baxter and the series name changed to ''That's So Raven''. The series debuted on January 17, 2003 and ended on November 10, 2007, becoming the channel's highest-rated and longest-running series at 100 episodes (until it was surpassed by ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' in October 2011). It spawned a franchise including soundtracks, dolls, episode DVDs, and video games. ''That's So Raven'' was nominated for Outstanding Children's Program during the 2005 and 2007 Emmy Awards. Merchandise for the show earned over $400 million. The show also launched the channel's first live action spin-off series, ''Cory in the House''.

In 2002, Raven-Symoné was given the recurring voice role of Monique on ''Kim Possible''. She also participated in the two films for the series, '' Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time'' (2003) and '' Kim Possible: So the Drama'' (2005). In 2003, she starred as lead singer Galleria Garibaldi in '' The Cheetah Girls'', a Disney Channel Original Movie. The film was directed by Oz Scott and produced by Whitney Houston. It attracted more than 6.5 million viewers opening night, making it (at the time) Disney Channel's most-watched movie and highest-rated Disney Channel broadcast of 2003. The film soundtrack, '' The Cheetah Girls'', debuted at No. 33 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 and was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 2 million copies. Following the success of the film, Disney began developing The Cheetah Girls as a real-life recording group, but Symoné opted to focus on solo projects. A TV show based on ''The Cheetah Girls'' was pitched to the ABC network, but it was never picked up as a series due to Raven-Symoné having prior commitments with ''That's So Raven''.

In 2003, she recorded the Stevie Wonder song "Superstition" as the main theme for the film ''The Haunted Mansion''. She signed a deal with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned label. In 2004'','' she provided the voice of Danielle in the movie '' Fat Albert''. She made an appearance in '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' as Princess Asana, during which she sang a duet with Julie Andrews. In the Disney Channel Original Movie, '' Zenon: Z3'', Raven-Symoné reprised her role as Nebula Wade.

On September 21, 2004, she released her third studio album, '' This Is My Time'', which included the single " Backflip". ''This Is My Time'' debuted at number 50 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number fifty-one on the official ''Billboard'' 200. It had first week sales of 19,000 copies and was Raven-Symoné's first album to enter the charts in the United States. It has sold 235,000 copies up to February 2, 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Four songs from the album were incorporated into soundtracks from Disney films: '' The Lion King 1½'' (" Grazing in the Grass"); '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' ("This Is My Time"); '' Ice Princess'' ("Bump"); and '' Go Figure'' ("Life Is Beautiful"). In the same year, she also recorded music for ''That's So Raven''s first original television soundtrack. The soundtrack debuted and peaked at No. 44 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is now certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies. On October 31, 2006, Raven-Symoné's 1999 album '' Undeniable'' was reissued as '' From Then Until''. The album sold over 8,000 in the US. In support of her third studio album and the '' That's So Raven Too!'' soundtrack, which was the second soundtrack album from the series, Raven-Symoné embarked on her first headlining tour. The "This Is My Time Tour" kicked off on May 19, 2006, in Richmond, VA and concluded on October 21, 2006, in Columbia, SC.

In 2006, she starred in the drama '' For One Night''. In the same year, she continued her previous role as Galleria in '' The Cheetah Girls 2''. She served as executive producer of the film. The film brought in more than 8 million viewers opening night, making it (at the time) Disney Channel's most-watched movie and highest-rated Disney Channel program of the year 2006. She starred in the Disney Channel Crossover Episode '' That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana'' alongside Miley Cyrus, Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse. Later that year, she provided her voice for Marti Brewster in '' Everyone's Hero'', which was released theatrically on September 15, 2006.

Symoné recorded music for '' That's So Raven Too!''s second original television soundtrack. The soundtrack debuted and peaked at No. 44 on the ''Billboard'' ''200'', selling about 200,000 copies up to April 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan. '' The Cheetah Girls 2'' soundtrack debuted at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 and is certified for Platinum sales by the RIAA for sales of 1.3 million copies.

2008–2011: ''Raven-Symoné'' and ''State of Georgia''

In 2008, '' The Cheetah Girls: One World'' began production. Raven-Symoné did not return for the final film in ''The Cheetah Girls'' series; While it was said that catfights and territorial issues were the reason (along with her filming ''College Road Trip'' at the time), Symoné revealed that she did not appear in the film due to feeling "excluded" and "ostracized" on the set of the second film. Her fourth studio album, ''Raven-Symoné,'' was released on April 29, 2008. The only single released from this album was "Double Dutch Bus", a cover of Frankie Smith's 1981 funk track, which was also used to promote her film ''College Road Trip''. The single was released to radio on February 9, while the video was released on February 18, 2008. The album debuted at No. 159 on ''Billboard''s Top 200. The album was Raven-Symoné's final album release under Hollywood Records as she did not renew her contract with the label. To promote the album, she announced her intentions to headline her first all-arena tour, "The Pajama Party Tour," in Spring 2008, however, the tour was postponed to the summer under a new name.

In 2008, she starred as Melanie Porter in the comedy ''College Road Trip'' alongside Martin Lawrence. Her character, a 17 year old girl, is eager to go to college and plans an all girls road trip with her friends until her overbearing police chief father, James Porter (Martin Lawrence) insists on taking her turning her dream trip into a nightmare with crazy adventures along the way. In its opening weekend, the film grossed approximately $14 million in 2,706 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking as the No. 2 film at box office. It went on to gross more than $60 million worldwide. From 2008 to 2015, she provided the voice of the character Iridessa, the light-fairy, as a part of the Disney Fairies franchise and direct-to-DVD ''Tinker Bell'' film series. She appeared in Chris Rock's 2009 documentary '' Good Hair''. In late 2008, Raven-Symoné announced that she would return to the studio to record her next album.Audrey Fin
Teen Talks To: Raven-Symoné – Page 2
. Teenmag.com

In 2010, Raven-Symoné starred alongside Joanna Garcia in an ABC Family film titled '' Revenge of the Bridesmaids''. Raven plays Abigail Scanlan while Garcia portrayed Parker, two childhood best friends who thwart to sabotage their ex friend’s wedding so that true love can prevail. She also made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel Original Series ''Sonny with a Chance'' alongside Demi Lovato. She portrayed the character Amber Algoode, the president of Chad Dylan Cooper's fan club. She was a guest performer for the December 9th performance of Debbie Allen's dance-theater piece, ''The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker'', at UCLA's Royce Hall. They would later televise the play in 2014 on BET and she would continue to perform in the play until 2019.

In 2011, Raven-Symoné starred as the main character of ABC Family's comedy ''State of Georgia''. The series premiered in June 2011, marking this her first series in four years. The 12-episode season concluded on August 17, 2011 and ABC Family cancelled the show on September 16, 2011. Throughout 2011, Raven-Symoné had been working on her fifth studio album, but in March 2012, she confirmed that the album was canceled, saying that she "couldn't quite get it together" and that the music she had been working on "wasn't going to be something sellable."

2012–present: Broadway and television focus

On January 31, 2012, it was confirmed that she would appear in the Broadway musical ''Sister Act'' as Deloris van Cartier, marking her Broadway debut in a lead role. Her run started on March 27, 2012. Her contracted final performance coincided with the closure of the show on Broadway on August 26, 2012. In 2013, she filmed a cameo in '' See Dad Run'' alongside former '' Hangin' With Mr. Cooper'' co-star Mark Curry. In early 2014, she began filming ''Loose'', an independent film co-starring Meagan Good, in Mississippi.

In February 2015, she made a guest appearance on the Fox series ''Empire''. In May 2015, she began a recurring role as Rhonda Johnson on the ABC comedy series ''Black-ish''; she would continue to appear in the role in the series until April 2020. In June 2015, she starred in the independent film ''A Girl Like Grace''. Also in June 2015, Raven-Symoné joined the ABC daytime talk show '' The View'' on a permanent basis after she guest hosted the show multiple times earlier in the year. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award during her run on the show from 2016 to 2017. In September 2015, she guest starred in an two part episode of the Disney Channel Original Series '' K.C. Undercover'', portraying the character Simone Devereaux, who is the inventor of the family robot, Judy. This marked her first appearance on the channel since her guest appearance on ''Sonny With a Chance'' in 2010.

On October 27, 2016, she announced she would leave ''The View'' before the end of 2016 to focus on executive producing and starring in a ''That's So Raven'' spin-off, '' Raven's Home''. The series premiered on July 21, 2017. For her performance, she earned a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award. The series ran for six seasons, ending in September 2023.

In May 2016, she released two new tracks via online streaming, "Sarafina" and "Cruise Control". It was the first time in eight years she released new music since her self-titled project in 2008. On November 6, 2019, Raven competed in season two of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Black Widow". In December 2019, Raven-Symoné released the EP ''33000'' and in March 2020, released the single "Spacetruck" from the extended play ''InfraSounds'' under her mononym, Raven, in April 2020. In July 2020, she released the song "Serah". In May 2024, she signed an overall deal with Disney Branded Television and will produce the spinoff of ''Raven's Home'' titled ''Alice in the Palace'', set to premiere in 2025. In October 2024, she became a host of the game show ''Scrabble'' on The CW.

Personal life

In August 2013, Raven-Symoné commented on the legalization of same-sex marriage, stating that she was "excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage" and that it was "great to know hecan now, should hewish to." In an October 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey, she explained her rejection of labeling herself and of identifying as either African-American or gay, specifying that she was an "American" and a "human who loves humans." She was named Grand Marshal of the 2016 Montreal Pride Parade.

Raven-Symoné was in a relationship with model and actress AzMarie Livingston from 2012 to 2015. In June 2020, she married longtime girlfriend and social media manager Miranda Maday.

In 2013, she briefly retired from acting and enrolled at Academy of Art University to pursue an associate degree in fine arts, which she completed in 2016. She came out of retirement in 2015 to be a co-host of '' The View''. In the 2016 presidential election, she endorsed Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Discography

*'' Here's to New Dreams'' (1993)
* '' Undeniable'' (1999)
* '' This Is My Time'' (2004)
* ''Raven-Symoné'' (2008)

Tours

* This Is My Time Tour (2006)
* Live in Concert Tour (20082009)

Opening act

* NSYNC in Concert (NSYNC) (1999)

Awards and nominations

Symoné's accolades include five NAACP Image Awards, two Kids' Choice Awards, and three Young Artist Awards, as well as two Children's and Family Emmy Award nominations and three Daytime Emmy Award nominations.

See also

* LGBT culture in New York City

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raven-Symone

1985 births
Living people
20th-century African-American actresses
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century African-American actresses
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Academy of Art University alumni
Actresses from Atlanta
Actresses from New York City
African-American child actresses
American child actresses
American child singers
American contemporary R&B singers
American dance musicians
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip-hop singers
American soul singers
American television actresses
American voice actresses
American women television producers
The Cheetah Girls members
Hollywood Records artists
LGBTQ people from Georgia (U.S. state)
LGBTQ people from New York (state)
American LGBTQ singers
MCA Records artists
Musicians from Atlanta
Singers from New York City
Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
Television producers from New York City
Walt Disney Records artists
American television talk show hosts
American LGBTQ actresses
American women hip-hop singers
American LGBTQ musicians
20th-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American LGBTQ people
LGBTQ women singers