ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
March 6, 2008
10 Questions for Raven-Symoné
The actress shifts into high gear in College Road Trip
That's So Raven star Raven-Symoné is revved up and hitting the highway in Disney's College Road Trip. In the movie, which rolls into theaters today, Raven plays ambitious high school senior Melanie Porter. Graduation is just around the corner, and Melanie can't wait to be more independent. But her girls-only trip hits a speed bump when her overprotective police-chief father (played by Martin Lawrence) insists on going too. Soon, the cross-country excursion veers off into an adventure filled with wild mishaps, including losing their car down a hill! And that's only the beginning.
 |  DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. Left to right: Eshaya Draper, Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné get ready to roll in College Road Trip. |
TFK chatted with Raven, who was also the executive producer of College Road Trip, about the film, her culinary aspirations, and what it's like to be slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
TFK:What kind of fun adventures do Melanie and her father get into on the road?
RAVEN:They get into a lot of different situations. They lose their car! They (accidentally get on a plane and) have to go skydiving! They get on a bus and have to sing karaoke! But (as they work through these situations together), they realize that they're helping each other grow as people.
TFK:Do Melanie and her father actually jump in the skydiving scene?
RAVEN:They jump out of the plane, fly through the air, and land on a golf cart. It's hilarious! The skydiving scene was my favorite.
TFK:What's your character, Melanie, like?
RAVEN:Melanie is a very smart, "on her way to big things" type of character. She wants to go to college far away because she wants to (be more independent). But she grows to realize that you don't have to move across the country to do that. You just have to be comfortable with yourself.
TFK:You worked with animals in Dr. Doolittle. In College Road Trip, you worked with a pig. What was it like this time around?
RAVEN:It's funny. I always tell people that before Martin and I even signed our contracts, they had already cast the pig (who was actually played by several different pigs)! He has his own publicity set up. He has his own trailer. The pig is a diva! (Laughs) No, he was good. It was fun.
TFK:Your next album, Raven-Symone, comes out on April 22. What can we expect?
RAVEN:Fun, upbeat tracks. You can expect the same things from this as my last album, but on a more R&B level.
TFK:Your Web site, "Raven-Symoné Presents,"
Some of the ideas I come up with by myself, but I definitely don't want to take all of the credit. I have a great team of crafty people that I collaborate with. And some of the things I take from people who send in ideas. If you have a great tip or craft, send it to me. I want the Web site to be a collection of things that can be enlightening to anyone, no matter the age.
TFK:It's well known that you love to cook. What's the dish you're most famous for among friends and family?
RAVEN:It would definitely be my ziti. Oh, and my gumbo! Everyone who comes to my house always says, "We're coming over! Can you cook the ziti or the gumbo?" And I'm like, "Guys! (Sigh) OK."
TFK:Would you like to have your own restaurant some day?
RAVEN:I want to have a chain of them. My restaurant is going to be very interesting because I like to mix certain foods that most people wouldn't think to mix. But I can't tell you what would be on the menu. If I tell you now, people are going wonder, "What is she thinking?" So I'm just going to do it, and when they taste it, they'll say, "OK, I understand now."
TFK:Congratulations on your Kids Choice Award nomination this year. Who are you hoping will get slimed at the ceremony?
RAVEN:I would like to see myself get slimed. I was slimed a long time ago, but I want to be slimed again. It's like having thinned-out pudding all over you. Wait, no. It's more like pudding and Jell-O mixed together. It's gross, but it's so much fun!
TFK:The final season of That's So Raven wrapped last year. What do you miss most about it?
RAVEN:I miss the camaraderie between everybody. Even though we still talk, I miss seeing my (TV) family's faces everyday. We've all gone our own ways. But at the same time, we're all growing, and I think that's good.
