Anneliese van der Pol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anneliese van der Pol
van der Pol in March 2019
Born	Anneliese Louise van der Pol (1984-09-23) September 23, 1984 (age 40) Naaldwijk, Netherlands
Citizenship	Netherlands United States
Education	Orange County High School of the Arts
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Johnno Wilson ​ (m. 2024)​

Anneliese Louise van der Pol (born September 23, 1984) is an actress and singer from the Netherlands and the United States. She is famous for playing Chelsea Daniels on the Disney Channel show That's So Raven (2003–2007). She also starred in its spin-off show, Raven's Home (2017–2022). Anneliese has recorded many songs with Disney Channel. One popular song was "Over It," from the Stuck in the Suburbs movie soundtrack.

Besides her work with Disney, Anneliese has had a big career in theater. She is well-known for playing Belle in the Broadway show Beauty and the Beast.

Anneliese van der Pol's Life and Career

Early Life and Acting Start

Anneliese van der Pol was born in Naaldwijk, Netherlands. Her father, Willem van der Pol, is Dutch. Her mother, Dyan Ross, is American and from Brooklyn, New York. Anneliese's mother named her after Anne Frank. This was after she visited the house where Anne Frank hid. Anneliese has two older sisters, Rachel and Sarah.

When Anneliese was three years old, her family moved to the United States. She is a citizen of both America and the Netherlands. She started acting in third grade at Washington Elementary School in Bellflower, California. She later went to the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, California. She graduated from there in 2002.

In 1999, Anneliese played Sandy in the musical Grease. She won an award for "Best Actress in a Musical" for this role. She also played Eva Perón in Evita in 1999. She was only fifteen years old. This made her the youngest actress to play that role in a professional show. From 2000 to 2001, she starred as Laurey in Oklahoma! in Austin, Texas. Her performance earned her two award nominations.

Becoming a Disney Channel Star

In 2001, Anneliese was chosen to play Chelsea Daniels. This was the best friend of the main character on That's So Raven. Raven-Symoné played the main character. Anneliese was on the show for its whole run. In 2006, she was part of the first Disney Channel Games. She was on the Red Team with other Disney stars. She also voiced Heather in an episode of Kim Possible.

As That's So Raven became very popular, Disney wanted to show Anneliese's singing talent. She signed up for several music projects. She even sang a solo song in one episode of the show. In 2004, she recorded "Over It" for the movie Stuck in the Suburbs. This song was the main single from the movie's soundtrack. Her second solo song was "A Day in the Sun." It was on the That's So Raven Too! album. Anneliese also sang "Circle of Life" for The Lion King DVD. She sang "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" for the Cinderella DVD. She also sang "Candle on the Water" for DisneyMania 4.

Anneliese also had a role in Bratz: The Movie (2007). She played Avery, a popular girl who was friends with the main villain.

Van der Pol as Belle in Beauty and the Beast

Broadway and Other Roles

In February 2007, Anneliese announced her Broadway debut. She would play Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She was the 17th and last actress to play Belle in that show. She performed from April 3, 2007, until the show's final performance on July 29, 2007. During her time as Belle, she also performed songs from the show at Bryant Park. She appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly to talk about her Broadway role. She also sang "A Change in Me" from Beauty and the Beast.

In 2008, Anneliese played Kathy in a new musical called Vanities, A New Musical. She performed this role in California. The show later moved Off-Broadway in New York City in 2009. She also recorded the cast album for the musical. In 2009, she starred as Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis. She also made a guest appearance on The Battery's Down web series.

Recent Work

Anneliese appeared in the thriller movie Cats Dancing on Jupiter in 2011. She also guest-starred on the TV show Friends with Benefits. She returned to Disney Channel in 2011. She played Ronnie, a former dancer, on an episode of Shake It Up.

From 2011 to 2012, Anneliese was part of the 'For the Record' concert series. These shows featured songs and scenes from famous movies. She recorded the cast album for For the Record: Tarantino. In 2012, she played Marian Almond in The Heiress. She also played Emma Woodhouse in the musical Emma from 2012 to 2013. In 2013, she played Gwendolyn Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest.

In 2014, she played Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie. On November 14, 2016, it was announced that Anneliese would play Chelsea Daniels again. This was for the That's So Raven spin-off series, Raven's Home. The show started on July 21, 2017. She was a main cast member for the first four seasons.

Personal Life

On December 23, 2023, Anneliese van der Pol announced her engagement to Johnno Wilson. He was also a co-star on Raven's Home. They got married in Santa Barbara, California on December 11, 2024.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

Stage Performances

Discography

Cast Recordings

Selected Soundtracks and Other Songs

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Anneliese van der Pol para niños