LOS ANGELES — Raven-Symone, the adorable moppet of
“The Cosby Show” who years later became a squeaky-clean fixture on the
Disney Channel, is so not that Raven anymore.
In one scene on her new ABC Family show, “State of
Georgia,” Raven-Symone’s character, aspiring actress Georgia
Chamberlain, tries to seduce an obnoxious casting director into letting
her audition for the devil/vamp role of Lola in “Damn Yankees.” At one
point, she presents him with a fried chicken dinner, even making
suggestive jokes about breasts. When the director resists, Raven-Symone,
dressed in a sexy red blouse, black mini and high heels, unveils more
cleavage.
The moment from the show, which premiered June 29, is
a long way from “That’s So Raven,” one of the longest-running series on
the Disney Channel, which wrapped production in 2006. The new, more
mature, but still comedic, role marks her most visible return to
television in recent years and follows a string of stumbles, including a
low-selling album, the lukewarmly received 2008 film “College Road
Trip” and an aborted stadium concert tour where everyone was supposed to
attend in their pajamas.
At age 25, Raven-Symone looks strikingly different —
the young adult whose weight and voluptuous body were a constant talking
point recently lost 40 pounds.
“This represents a new chapter in a new life,” the
actress said matter-of-factly in the booth of a downtown Los Angeles
cafeteria. “Hopefully, people will see how I’ve grown over the years.”
Raven-Symone said she feels more in control of her
career and her life after an almost nonstop show business treadmill that
took off when she was 5 with her featured role on “The Cosby Show.”
“Everybody takes breaks, and I decided to take mine,”
she said. “I wanted a chance to wake up at 2 in the afternoon and not
be a subject of entertainment. I wanted to be a human being. At certain
times and certain years, I felt like the Energizer bunny. That gets old
very quickly.”
But while she is more content and at peace, the
actress remains an elusive and guarded personality whose politeness
during an interview is sometimes punctuated by terse responses. The
actress said she had been up since 3 a.m. doing interviews for a
satellite press tour.
One obvious point of irritation was her physical transformation.
“I lost the weight by accident,” she said bluntly,
declining to elaborate. “When I’m asked about it, I just say I lost
weight, and then I say I want to focus on the show. I feel and look the
same. I was fine with being asked about it in the beginning, but after
the first month, it got old. It’s about being myself and being healthy.
People are too focused on it. I gave one interview about how I lost it,
and once that’s out, I won’t address it anymore.”
She also bristled when questioned about “College Road
Trip.” It performed better at the box office, she said, than the 2009
concert movie starring her Disney Channel mates the Jonas Brothers. As
for her pajama party concert tour, she noted that it transitioned from
large venues to county fairs and that it was very successful.
“I was very satisfied with myself,” she added. “I touched the people I was supposed to touch.”
Raven-Symone, who is virtually invisible on websites
such as TMZ that follow the exploits of young Hollywood-ites, won’t
reflect on her peers: “I don’t keep up with that kind of thing.” As for
her life during those low-key years, Raven-Symone said that’s her
business.
“I’ll talk about it when I’m ready,” she said. “If it
comes out at all, it may be in my music. Or I’ll write a book when I’m
40. I’m not someone who wants to have their personal life overwhelm
their work.”
Later, she added: “I don’t think I was wired for Hollywood. I’m not a goody-two-shoes, but I’m respectful of my family name.”
But it’s her image and on-screen charisma that has
ABC Family executives excited about “State of Georgia.” In the comedy,
she plays an actress who leaves the South to become a big star in New
York City. The show is being paired with “Melissa & Joey,” another
comedy with former tween stars Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence.
“There are so few actors these days who have grown up
doing comedy,” said Kate Juergens, executive vice president of original
series programming and development for ABC Family.
“Raven’s growing up in comedy is almost an anomaly.
She is really inventive with her comedy, and we feel lucky to have
someone who knows how to find the funny.”
The actress is also confronting the challenges faced
by other young stars who have trouble transitioning to more mature
roles, such as Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes. But one child star expert
said Raven-Symone may be able to overcome such obstacles.
“Stars on ABC Family like Melissa Joan Hart and Molly
Ringwald have had success on this network, which has a demo of young
women who grew up with them,” said Joal Ryan, author of “Former Child
Stars: The Story of America’s Least Wanted.”
“All these actresses have a lot of good will with the
audience,” Ryan said. “They want to see them do well. If the vehicle is
right, it makes the challenge much easier.”
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