E-mail a friendRaven-Symone
airdate February 28, 2008
Since starring on The Cosby Show at age 3, Raven-Symoné has established herself as a brand. As an actress, she's starred in several films and landed her own TV show, That's So Raven, which became the Disney Channel's highest-rated and longest-running series and spawned successful product spinoffs. As a singer, she was the youngest person ever to sign a recording contract with MCA Records, has toured with 'N Sync and impressed critics and audiences alike. She's next up in the film, College Road Trip.
Raven-Symone
Tavis: Raven-Symoné is a talented actress and singer who can now add movie producer to her already-crowded resume. She both stars in and produces the new comedy "College Road Trip." In April, she's out with her fourth CD and of course her successful Disney Channel shows, including "That's So Raven," continue to run. In theaters March 7th, here's a sneak preview first for "College Road Trip."
[Film clip]
Tavis: I think that clip gives you some sense what this is all about. Hey, Raven, how are you?
Raven-Symoné: I'm doing well, and yourself?
Tavis: Wonderful, nice to see you.
Raven-Symoné: Nice to see you as well.
Tavis: So the storyline is you and your girls, on a road trip.
Raven-Symoné: (Laughs) Right, me and my girls. No, me and my father. I want to go on the road with my friends but he's like well, this is our time to bond, you're about to go to college, and he wants me to pick the college that he wants me to go to, so. And that doesn't end up that way.
Tavis: So the girls get pushed aside.
Raven-Symoné: The girls get pushed aside.
Tavis: It's you and Daddy.
Raven-Symoné: It's me and Dad in his cop car going across the country, and a lot of things happen. He takes me to Northwestern. I want to go to Georgetown, he takes me to Northwestern. We kind of play a couple of tricks on each other, and then along the road trip we find out that my brother stows away and we lose the car, and the pig is on caffeine, and we ruin a - we have to sky dive. It's a lot of stuff.
Tavis: The audience for this is who? Because Martin has one audience, you have an audience. Who's the audience for the project, you think?
Raven-Symoné: I think it's definitely both of our audiences together, the family. You can go with your mom, dad, and younger sister, I think even older sister and a brother, depending on what the deal is. (Laughter) But it's definitely something you should definitely go see with your kids no matter what age they are, because one, everyone has to go on that road trip eventually, and if you don't, you can see or live it through us.
Tavis: So Martin's been on this program before. Working with Martin on this project was like what?
Raven-Symoné: Working with Martin on this project was definitely fun. I've been very fortunate to work with a lot of the African American top comedians and being able to work right beside him and have stories about other comedians that he's worked with and being able to chat with him on that aspect was fabulous. And seeing the professionalism that he brings to the table and learning, subconsciously, everything that he was doing, I definitely stole a couple of faces from him. Sorry. (Laughter)
But he had his family on set every day, and it was great because this is a G-rated movie. And a lot of people were like, Martin's in a G-rated movie? Yes, yes. We got it done, so it was good.
Tavis: How did you decide, how did you know that the comedy thing could work for you long-term? We all recall you being, what, three years of age on the "Cosby Show." And the "Cosby Show" was funny, as we all know, but it dealt with some of these serious issues, as well. When I saw you back in the day on the "Cosby Show," I didn't know exactly what direction you were going to take, although it was clear you had some comedic chops then. When did you decide that you wanted to stick with the comedy genre?
Raven-Symoné: I think it just came naturally.
Tavis: Just kind of happened?
Raven-Symoné: It just happened. I think the reverse of that question is when did I choose to do "For One Night," the one drama piece that I did do, or "Queen?" And then when I did that I said, "You know what? I really love comedy." Not that I dislike drama, it's just a lot of work and to me, comedy is a lot more - it comes more natural.
Tavis: What do you make of the success that you've had on the Disney Channel? I was reading about this the other day and I don't want to embarrass you and just start throwing numbers out, but that show has - the ratings on the show, the amount of money that Disney has made in product from the show. I suspect what's in your bank account is nice, too. So you ain't done bad on this "That's So Raven" project.
Raven-Symoné: I've been very fortunate to be a part of a project that has one, cultivated amazing talent, because on a side note, Kyle Massey has his own show called "Corey in the House," it's great to be a part of the spin-off. But starting on it, I played the best friend of the psychic. That was the pilot. And then when they screened it for everyone, they said, "Okay, well, it's going to be called "That's So Raven" and this is the deal."
I'm very fortunate. It was, like, quick at the draw. Like, I was so excited. And I'm very proud with the merchandise and very happy about the ratings, but everything has its season. Right now it's been slowing down and it's all good because you're a part of something that kind of, in our own little Disney world, made history - the first four-camera show.
And now it spawned so many other ones, and "Hannah Montana" and "Sweet Life" have taken over, so it's fun.
Tavis: I felt completely stupid in preparing for our conversation. I did not realize, if my facts are right, you haven't shot that show in, like, two years?
Raven-Symoné: Yes, two years.
Tavis: And it's on every day.
Raven-Symoné: It's on every day.
Tavis: Like it's in first run.
Raven-Symoné: No, no, no, they don't play around (laughter) with the rerun situation, but you can't be mad at it. Yeah, but that's what Disney does. They do 65 episodes. We were fortunate enough to go to 100, but they always hold a couple back so there's always something fresh for the years to come. But it does play, and it continues to play, and I'm happy that people aren't not still looking at it. (Unintelligible)
Tavis: I want to ask two questions about your growing up. One, how it is that you think that you have been able to navigate the journey from being a child star to where you are now, because there's so many people who have had a much bumpier road to travel and didn't quite make it, number one.
Number two, the flip side of that is whether or not you had - I shouldn't say the flip side. The other part of that is whether or not you've had difficulty with people letting you grow up.
Raven-Symoné: Hm. First part of your question, I definitely have to say that people around me, my family is very involved in my business. I have wonderful people from assistants to glam squads and publicists to managers and lawyers. We all sit down -
Tavis: I like that, glam squad.
Raven-Symoné: Yeah, (unintelligible) my people. (Laughter) You got to look fabulous when you go out.
Tavis: I got to get me a glam squad.
Raven-Symoné: You got to look fabulous when you go out. You do, you look crispy.
Tavis: Yeah, going to get me a glam squad.
Raven-Symoné: You look crispy, it's all good, you look crispy.
Tavis: All right.
Raven-Symoné: (Laughter) Everyone in my team, we all want to reach a certain goal, and we all sit down and collaborate with the next move in anything that we do. And how do I prevent the bumpy road? I guess, like I said, my family's involved, and there's some stuff that a mother and father from Atlanta, Georgia and Louisiana ain't going to have. It's not going to go down. So.
Tavis: Have you found it difficult with regard to people letting you grow up?
Raven-Symoné: The other question.
Tavis: Yeah.
Raven-Symoné: I think that you have to treat it just like Melanie treats it in "College Road Trip." You have to be right there with that person and gradually help them. They don't want to because everyone wants you to stay the little girl, but as long as you show that I do have respect for myself, I'm very tactful and classy in what I do and you can trust me to grow up in a way that's not going to disrespect how you raise me or how you've watched me all these years.
And I think that's something that everyone, not just people in the industry but every child as they grow up - because kids are like, I'm grown up now. I can do it. But you need to help your dad and mom reach that level with you, and sometimes, you're not. So you just have to work it.
Tavis: So between the two of us, you never had one of those moments?
Raven-Symoné: What?
Tavis: Where you said to your mom and dad, "I can do it, I'm grown?'
Raven-Symoné: No, no, no.
Tavis: You never had any of that?
Raven-Symoné: Like I said, people from Atlanta and Louisiana, you don't really speak until you're 18. (Laughter) That's what (unintelligible). Like, you don't speak.
Tavis: You don't speak until you're 18.
Raven-Symoné: You don't speak. I used to say that a lot. People used to ask me questions on the set. I said, "I'm underage, I'm not allowed to speak yet." (Laughter) As soon as I turned 18, I was popping off, I was popping off. No, actually, I really love my parents, and I trust their opinion in all they do because they brought me to a certain point.
And when they sat me down and said I could speak, they were, like, "You know what? You can handle your business, we trust you." And I went out and found the people that I wanted to move on to that next step in my career with. So it works that kind of way.
Tavis: So every night, including last night, so you're on Disney every night, and you flip a couple channels over, at least on my cable system, and you got "Cosby" on Nickelodeon. So do you ever watch these old episodes of "Cosby" every now and then?'
Raven-Symoné: And you have "Hanging with Mr. Cooper" on TV1.
Tavis: Yes, we do. Yes, we do.
Raven-Symoné: Every age group.
Tavis: She was in "Hanging with Mr. Cooper" too. So she got three shows - it's true. On any given night, you can see Raven on three channels simultaneously: Nickelodeon, Disney, and TV1 in any one of those shows at the same time. So you ever watch any of the old "Cosby" stuff?
Raven-Symoné: I do watch some of the old "Cosby" stuff.
Tavis: And you think what when you see yourself running around the house?
Raven-Symoné: I really don't connect myself to that person, because I don't remember it. So I'm like, "That was me? That's crazy." And then also, not that I looked like a boy when I was younger or that my brother looked like a girl, but I looked just like my brother as a baby. I'm like oh my god, he looks so cute. But I don't really connect the two, like I said.
Tavis: Yeah. Finally, you were exec producer of this project.
Raven-Symoné: I did executive produce it.
Tavis: So how important is that for you going forward, to start producing projects as well as starring in them?
Raven-Symoné: One of the most important things in my life right now, actually. I have a production company that has done many things, like "Raven-Symoné Presents." We created and we have other movies that we've sold to Disney and other projects that we have in production.
But I think as I grew up, I remember when I was younger and I was looking at older interviews, I always said, "I'm never going to go behind the cameras, this is never going to happen." I learned at that point never to say never, because as I grow up I see so many talented people and I don't want to out-stay my welcome in this industry, although I have to be in it because I love it so much and this is what I live to do.
I would love to produce things for other people. Eventually maybe direct, but directing is a lot of power, and I don't know if I can handle all that power right now.
Tavis: Oh, yeah.
Raven-Symoné: Telling people what to do - too much, too much.
Tavis: Yeah, you just started talking. (Laughter) Take it one step at a time.
Raven-Symoné: One step at a time, one step at a time.
Tavis: Now that you can talk, you can say, "Action." (Laughter) Yeah, all right. Nice to see you.
Raven-Symoné: Nice to see you as well.
Tavis: "College Road Trip," starring Raven-Symoné and her friend Martin Lawrence at a theater near you. Of course, you Raven-Symoné fans already know that.
Back to February 28, 2008