Raven Symone is an American actress, singer, model, and occasional talk show host. Symone began her career as a child model, appearing for some of the most recognizable brands in the United States before she was ten years old; as a result, it was only a matter of time before she was cast in films. She starred alongside legendary comedian Bill Cosby in one of his films and hasn’t looked back since. On the other hand, she is a rare talent who has self-released four albums that have become bestsellers; in fact, she self-released her first album at the age of ten. She appeared in both ‘Dr. Doolittle’ films, which are considered genre classics, but it was her role as Raven Baxter in the Disney show ‘That’s So Raven’ that catapulted her to stardom, and for a time, the show was one of the most popular shows ever produced by Disney. Symone is rightfully regarded as one of the most celebrated child artists, having also established a successful career as an actress, singer, and model.
Childhood & Adolescence
Symone Raven Christine Pearman was born in Atlanta, Georgia on 10 December 1985 to Christopher Pearman and Lydia Pearman. Symone’s parents assisted her in her quest to become a model by registering her with an agency that specialized in child models while she was still a child.
The family did not stay long in Atlanta and relocated to Ossining, New York, in 1988. By the time she arrived in New York as a toddler, she had already worked for brands such as Jell-O, Cool Whip, and others with the New York City-based Ford Models.
Raven Symone attended the Park School in New York, but she was already a sought-after child artist when she was a child. Symone made her television debut in 1989 on the massively popular ‘The Cosby Show,’ hosted by Bill Cosby, and remained with the show until its 1992 conclusion.
Raven Symone began her career as a singer when she was only seven years old, taking lessons from Missy Elliott. Symone released her debut album, ‘Here’ To New Dreams,’ in 1993, and two of the songs quickly gained popularity. Her ascension to the status of a child star is complete.
Career of Raven
Raven Symone was cast in the show ‘Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper’ in 1993 and remained until 1997. Simultaneously, she starred in the film ‘The Little Rascals’.
Raven Symone was cast in her first major Hollywood film, ‘Dr. Dolittle,’ in 1998, alongside Eddie Murphy in the role of Charisse Doolittle; the film was a box office success. In the same year, he released another film, ‘Zenon: Girl of the Twenty-First Century.’ In 2001, she reprised her role as Dr. Doolittle in the sequel ‘Dr. Doolittle 2,’ which was also a commercial success.
Symone released her debut album ‘Undeniable’ in 1999. The album was a moderate success, and in 1998–99, she toured as the opening act for fellow Jive artist ‘N Sync’s ‘The ‘N Sync Tour.
In 2003, she received her biggest break, when she was cast as Raven Baxter in the Disney show ‘That’s So Raven’.
The show quickly gained enormous popularity, and during its four-and-a-half-year run, it achieved the highest ratings for a Disney show at the time. In the same year, she starred in the Disney film ‘The Cheetah Girls,’ and the following year, Symone released her debut album, ‘This is My Life.’
Raven Symone made her film debut in 2006 with the film ‘For One Night,’ which dealt with racial segregation during prom nights. That same year, she was cast in the sequel ‘The Cheetah Girls 2,’ which was a box office smash.
In 2008, she released her debut studio album ‘Raven-Symone,’ and the following year, she starred in the film ‘College Road Trip,’ which she starred in as the lead.
Raven Symone was cast as Joanna Garcia in ABC’s 2010 television film ‘Revenge of the Bridesmaids,’ which received widespread acclaim from critics and viewers alike.
The following year, she was cast as the lead character in ABC’s ‘State of Georgia,’ but the show was canceled after only one season. She appeared in a few cameo roles over the next few years and also announced her intention to release another album.
Significant Works of Raven
Raven Symone has had a successful career since she was a child, and her most notable work was for the classic Disney show ‘That’s So Raven,’ which became one of the most popular Disney shows of all time.
Raven Symone won the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Youth Program five consecutive years beginning in 2004 for her portrayal of Raven Baxter in ‘That’s So Raven’.
Personal History and Legacies
Raven Symone maintained a private life for the majority of her life, and it wasn’t until 2014 that she revealed she was in a same-sex relationship with another woman on a talk show. The following year, she revealed her partner’s name to be AzMarie Livingston; however, the couple divorced the following year.
Estimated Net Worth
Raven Symone’s net worth is $55 million.