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She leaves 'em Raven
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: New York Daily News
Date: August 11, 2003
Kids love new film, show
By RICHARD HUFF, TV EDITOR
Raven Symone, the cute "Cosby" child who has grown into a full-fledged star on the Disney Channel's "That's So Raven," was nearly brought to tears last week.
After a screening of her new Disney Channel film, "The Cheetah Girls," the youngster-packed audience cheered wildly.
"It was amazing," said Raven, who has dropped the use of Symone (which is really part of her first name and not her family name, which is Pearman). "You have to be in the midst of everyone saying, 'Yeah!' to really feel people are watching you. I was about to cry. It was just so touching."
She grew up in the business - viewers first saw her as a 3-year-old on the classic "Cosby" show and she's now 17 - but she'd never before been to a screening of a film where she was the star.
"The Cheetah Girls," which airs Friday at 8 p.m., is based on the book series by Deborah Gregory. It's about a diverse quartet of teenagers with dream of making it big in the music business. Besides Raven, the "Girls" are played by Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams and Sabrina Bryan.
"It's definitely, definitely, been an experience, one of mass proportions," she said of her recent rise to leading lady.
"She is a unique persona," said Gary Marsh, executive vice president of programming and production at the Disney Channel. "She has the comedic chops of Lucille Ball, the stage presence of Janet Jackson and she still has the warmth of Mary Tyler Moore. She's a comic genius."
"That's So Raven" launched last season and became a hit. It targets an audience too young to have known her previous sitcom work, which also includes "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper." It also boasts a multi-cultural cast led by Raven, who is the first to admit she doesn't have a model-like shape.
"I have a little tummy-tummy," she said. "I do my crunches. I'm muscular. My girls know I like to eat."
Accepting her shape wasn't easy. Early on, she thought if she could just get skinny, she might land those other parts. Then came "That's So Raven," and "The Cheetah Girls" - both built around her.
Raven says she's proud to be able to show off her difference.
"The other teenage stars out there today, are, like, puny," she said. "Don't get me wrong, they look great. But I can't get that small. I'm telling my girls it's okay."
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