Raven-Symoné facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné in 2019
Born	Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (1985-12-10) December 10, 1985 (age 39) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Other names	Raven
Education	Academy of Art University (AA)
Occupation	Actress singer songwriter director producer television personality
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Miranda Maday ​ (m. 2020)​
Musical career
Origin	Ossining, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	MCA Walt Disney Crash RayBlaze Hollywood

Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday (born December 10, 1985), known simply as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and director. She started her career as a child and has won many awards. These include five NAACP Image Awards, two Kids' Choice Awards, and three Young Artist Awards. She has also been nominated for five Emmy Awards. In 2012, she was named one of the "100 Greatest Child Stars of All Time" by VH1.

Raven-Symoné became famous as a child actress. She played Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show (1989–1992) and Nicole Lee on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993–1997). When she was 15, she got the main role of Raven Baxter on the Disney Channel show That's So Raven (2003–2007). She won many awards for this role. She later returned as Raven Baxter in the spin-off series Raven's Home (2017–2023), where she was also an executive producer.

Her movies include Dr. Dolittle (1998), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), The Princess Diaries 2 (2004), and College Road Trip (2008). She also starred in TV movies like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999) and The Cheetah Girls (2003). She also lent her voice to Monique in the cartoon series Kim Possible (2002–2007). Raven-Symoné has also directed episodes for several TV shows.

Raven-Symoné released her first music album, Here's to New Dreams, when she was seven. She has released four studio albums in total. She also sang on soundtracks for her Disney projects, like The Cheetah Girls (2003). Many of these soundtracks sold millions of copies. In 2012, she performed on Broadway in the musical Sister Act. From 2015 to 2016, she was a co-host on the talk show The View.

Early Life and First Steps in Show Business

Raven-Symoné was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents are Lydia and Christopher Pearman. She has a younger brother named Blaize.

When she was a baby, she worked as a model for an agency in Atlanta. She appeared in ads for local products. At age two, she worked with Ford Models in New York City. She was in ads for Ritz crackers, Jell-O, and Fisher-Price. When she was three, her family moved to Ossining, New York.

Her Acting Career Begins

Child Acting and Early Roles

In 1989, Raven-Symoné tried out for a movie with Bill Cosby. She was only three years old and too young for that role. But Cosby liked her so much that he gave her a part on his TV show, The Cosby Show. She played his step-granddaughter, Olivia. She joined the show in its sixth season and stayed until it ended in 1992.

After The Cosby Show, Raven-Symoné got a role on the sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper in 1993. She played Nicole Lee, a preteen cousin. She stayed on the show until it ended in 1997. In 1994, she had her first movie role in The Little Rascals. She played Stymie's girlfriend.

In 1998, she was in the movie Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. She played Charisse Dolittle, his oldest daughter. In 1999, she appeared in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. This was her first project with Disney. She played Charisse Dolittle again in Dr. Dolittle 2 in 2001.

Becoming a Disney Star: That's So Raven

In 2001, Raven-Symoné tried out for a new Disney Channel show. It was about a teenager with psychic abilities. She first tried out for a different role, but then she got the main part of Raven Baxter. The show's name was changed to That's So Raven.

The show started on January 17, 2003. It became one of Disney Channel's most popular and longest-running series. It had 100 episodes. That's So Raven was nominated for an Emmy Award twice. The show also led to many products like dolls and video games. It even created Disney Channel's first live-action spin-off show, Cory in the House.

Symoné performing at a show in 2008

In 2002, Raven-Symoné started a voice role as Monique on the cartoon Kim Possible. She also voiced Monique in two Kim Possible movies. In 2003, she starred as Galleria Garibaldi in The Cheetah Girls. This was a Disney Channel Original Movie. It was watched by over 6.5 million people on its first night. The movie's soundtrack was very successful, selling 2 million copies.

Raven-Symoné signed a deal with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned music label. In 2004, she voiced Danielle in the movie Fat Albert. She also appeared in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and sang a song with Julie Andrews. She played Nebula Wade again in the Disney Channel movie Zenon: Z3.

Later TV and Film Roles

In 2006, she starred in the drama For One Night. She also returned as Galleria in The Cheetah Girls 2. This movie was watched by over 8 million people. She was also an executive producer for the film. She appeared in a special Disney Channel crossover episode called That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana. Later that year, she voiced Marti Brewster in the movie Everyone's Hero.

Symoné at a fashion show in 2010

In 2008, Raven-Symoné starred in the comedy College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence. She played Melanie Porter, a 17-year-old girl planning a college road trip. The movie made over $60 million worldwide. From 2008 to 2015, she voiced Iridessa, a light-fairy, in the Tinker Bell film series.

In 2010, Raven-Symoné starred in the ABC Family movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids. She also made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel show Sonny with a Chance. In 2011, she starred in the ABC Family comedy State of Georgia.

Broadway and Recent Work

In 2012, Raven-Symoné made her Broadway debut in the musical Sister Act. She played the main role of Deloris van Cartier. Her performances ended when the show closed on Broadway in August 2012.

From 2015 to 2016, Raven-Symoné was a co-host on the ABC daytime talk show The View. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on the show. In 2015, she also had a recurring role on the ABC comedy series Black-ish. She also guest starred on the Disney Channel show K.C. Undercover.

In 2016, she announced she would leave The View. She wanted to focus on producing and starring in a That's So Raven spin-off, Raven's Home. The show started in July 2017. She was also an executive producer and directed many episodes. The series ran for six seasons, ending in September 2023. In 2024, she became a host of the game show Scrabble on The CW.

Her Music Journey

In 1992, Raven-Symoné began her singing career at age seven. She signed with MCA Records. Her first album, Here's to New Dreams, was released in 1993. It had a popular song called "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of". This song reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1996, Raven-Symoné and her father started RayBlaze Records. She released her second album, Undeniable, in 1999. To support this album, she opened for the group [N Sync]] on their tour.

On September 21, 2004, she released her third album, This Is My Time. It was her first album to appear on the Billboard charts in the United States. She also recorded music for the That's So Raven soundtrack. This soundtrack sold 500,000 copies and was certified Gold.

Symoné performing on her Live in Concert Tour in 2008

In 2006, she went on her first tour, the "This Is My Time Tour." She also recorded music for the That's So Raven Too! soundtrack. The soundtrack for The Cheetah Girls 2 was also very popular. It sold 1.3 million copies.

Her fourth album, Raven-Symoné, was released in 2008. The album's only single was "Double Dutch Bus". This was her last album with Hollywood Records. In 2019, Raven-Symoné released an EP called 33000. She released more new music in 2020.

Personal Life

In August 2013, Raven-Symoné shared her happiness about more states allowing marriage for all people. In an interview in 2014, she said she prefers to be called an "American" and a "human who loves humans."

In June 2020, she married Miranda Maday.

In 2013, she took a break from acting to study fine arts at Academy of Art University. She earned an associate degree in 2016. She returned to acting in 2015 to co-host The View.

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 (2008–2009)

Opening act

• NSYNC in Concert (NSYNC) (1999)

Awards and Nominations

Raven-Symoné has won many awards. These include five NAACP Image Awards, two Kids' Choice Awards, and three Young Artist Awards. She has also been nominated for two Children's and Family Emmy Awards and three Daytime Emmy Awards.

Images for kids

• Raven-Symoné 2019.jpg

  Raven-Symoné in 2019

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  Symoné performing at a show in 2008

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  Symoné performing on her Live in Concert Tour in 2008

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  Symoné at a fashion show in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Raven-Symon%C3%A9 para niños