Anneliese van der Pol, who starred in Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven”, is speaking out on the “racism” she witnessed amongst the show’s production team during its initial casting.
The Dutch-American actress, who portrayed Chelsea Daniels on the beloved show, claims that the series lead, Raven-Symoné, was originally cast in a supporting role before she became the lead character.
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“When I went in to audition, the show was called ‘Absolutely Psychic,’” van der Pol, 38, revealed during Tuesday’s episode of the “Vulnerable” podcast. “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. I think the character’s name was Molly,” she continued.
The actress, also known for her theatre work, went on to tell host, fellow child star Christy Carlson Romano, that Symoné landed the “sidekick” role, however, after the production team noticed her unforeseen talent, they decided to make a major change.
“When they filmed, they realized Raven was the funniest one and had a following, and so they bumped her up to first position, and then they started auditioning people again,” van der Pol explained.
“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.”
“That’s so Raven” centered on Symoné’s character’s psychic abilities as she navigated high school with her best friends, played by van der Pol and Orlando Brown.
The Emmy-nominated series ran for four seasons from 2003 to 2007. In 2017, the series spinoff “Raven’s Home” premiered with Symoné and van der Pol reprising their respective roles as they navigate motherhood.