Post by Galleria on Sept 9, 2006 14:08:35 GMT -5
Disney teen pop star Raven is not a teen anymore.
Raven (full stage name Raven-Symone) is 20, has an album of grown-up songs, ``This Is My Time,'' and has finished the last season of the Disney Channel's ``That's So Raven,'' where she starred as a psychic teen. Raven is also now an executive producer with her own production company. (It backed the Disney Channel film ``Cheetah Girls 2,'' which aired in August.) The talented young woman will perform at the Allegan County Fair on Sunday.
Born Raven-Symone Christina Pearman in Atlanta on Dec. 10, 1985, the singer/actress leapt into showbiz as an infant, posing for print advertisements. At 3, she auditioned for Bill Cosby's ``Ghost Dad.''
She didn't get the part, but Cosby remembered her for ``The Cosby Show,'' and she was cast as Olivia in 1989. After Cosby, she was ``Hangin' with Mr. Cooper,'' had roles in ``Dr. Dolittle'' and its sequel, and released two albums, before ``That's So Raven'' debuted in 2003.
Now Raven-Symone is a media empire, the Detroit News reported Aug. 28, with ``That's So Raven'' merchandise expected to bring in nearly $400 million by the end of the year.
There are Raven clothes, jewelry, novels, dolls, an MP3 player -- and ``I have party favors with my face on them,'' Raven-Symone told the Detroit News.
``But I know this is not the real world,'' she said. Stardom for her means finding a break when ``I take my eyebrows and my weave off, play virtual poker, watch `Law & Order' and sleep.''
Raven-Symone keeps it real, taking pride in not having the usual ultra-thin body type of female stars. ``I am the size of many girls, and many girls look like me,'' she said.
Now the head of her own production company, Raven-Symone wants to stick with themes that will build the self-confidence and respect of her young female audience.
``Learning that life is more important than anything -- meaning you can have the hair color of the season, the purse of the season, or find out somebody else's business,'' she told the Detroit News, ``but if you don't know how to take care of yourself as a person, as a young adult, none of that matters.''