Anneliese stopped by the Vulnerable Podcast — run by fellow Disney vet Christy Carlson Romano — and revealed some behind-the-scenes details about That’s So Raven and the way their preliminary imaginative and prescient for the present did not embrace Raven-Symoné within the titular function.
“When I went in to audition, the show was called Absolutely Psychic,” Anneliese instructed Christy within the newest episode. “It wasn’t called That’s So Raven at all.”
“At the time, Raven wasn’t the lead. She was the sidekick. They were looking for a lead and I came in to audition for the lead.”
The lead function finally went to another person and shortly after, manufacturing started on the sequence. Despite casting a unique lead character — who was initially going to be known as Molly — Raven stood out to the producers.
“When they filmed, they realized Raven was the funniest one and had a following, and so they bumped her up to first position.”
Once Raven was moved as much as the lead function, auditions started once more for supporting characters. Anneliese went in for a giant “cattle casting,” and he or she was finally chosen to play Raven’s finest good friend Chelsea on the present.
But Anneliese revealed Disney by no means envisioned a Black lady because the star of the present once they first created and forged for the present.
“I think that was kind of, like, racism at a low level — I guess if that’s even a possibility. They couldn’t really see a Black girl leading a show. They only saw her as a sidekick.”
Christy chimed in, including that Disney was specializing in monetary positive aspects and making strategic enterprise selections with out enthusiastic about the “impacts of not just who you’re casting, but the stories, the representation, and the visibility” of the kids concerned.
That’s So Raven finally turned a success, lasting 4 seasons and incomes two spinoffs: Cory within the House (Disney’s first official spinoff sequence) and Raven’s Home, which Anneliese starred in for the primary 4 seasons.
To be taught extra about Anneliese, try her full interview on the Vulnerable Podcast under:
View this video on YouTube
Vulnerable Podcast
Discussion about this post