Anneliese van der Pol says she sometimes gets into “an emotional state” when asked about her lifelong friendship with Raven-Symone, her co-star on “That’s So Raven” and “Raven’s Home.”
“Raven and I have always really respected each other's talent, and that goes a long way. And if somebody can make you better in your job, and you can make them better, I mean, you better stick together. Am I right?” the actress told TODAY.
Van der Pol, who played Chelsea Daniels on “That’s So Raven,” shared some of her favorite moments from the show.
“I really liked 'Country Cousins,' only because I just enjoyed Raven doing all of those characters,” she said.
She added, “She really is a genius. Especially when it comes to character development and physical comedy. She can really delve into those roles.”
The actress also loves theater and was honored to get to work with Debbie Allen to film “Alone in the Hallways,” a Liza Minnelli-inspired musical number.
“I love that episode. I love going down those hallways. I love that song. I love what it meant, being alone in the hallways, but also knowing you're not alone at the same time.”
She had a lot of fun with the costumes on the show, too.
“I remember I got to be Queen Elizabeth and wear this big, grandiose outfit and speak with a British accent, which is my favorite thing to do,” she said.
She thinks “That’s So Raven” taught kids to learn from their mistakes and to make the most out of whatever life throws at them.
“Raven said this before: To be empathetic. And to not judge. And to understand where somebody's coming from. We're multifaceted as people. And we can do a lot of good, but we also do a lot of bad, and it's how we grow from that,” she said.
She says she’s honored to be a part of people’s childhoods.
“Somebody gives me a hug every day. Somebody every single day tells me that they love me: Somebody I don't know! I get to feel good about myself every day, even when I haven't actively done something. I could be sitting in my room and still kind of be making a difference. I'm just the luckiest. I am!” she said.
She thinks “That’s So Raven” is so relatable because it centers on “real friends who told each other the truth” — and it’s hilarious.
“We were a family show. And it was funny. The writing was funny. It still is. But just the normal things that, when it's all pieced together appropriately, comes together to make magic.”
She is currently starring on season three of “Raven’s Home,” in which she and Raven reprise their roles as Chelsea and Raven, now divorced single moms. She often thinks about what she learned from Rondell Sheridan and T’Keyah Crystal Keymah, who played Raven’s parents on “That’s So Raven,” as she now plays an adult herself.
“We related to each other well when we were filming ‘That's So Raven,’ and I think these children are relating to each other well on ‘Raven's Home.’ It's cool, too, because I got to be really funny back then. And I thought, ‘There's no way they're gonna let me be a funny parent.’ But Disney Channel lets Raven and I be really funny and get into just the same mischief we did.”
New episodes of "Raven's Home" air Friday evenings at 8 p.m. EST on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW.