Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Raven-Symoné Dishes on the Brown Side of Disney

Article By Khadija Allen Courtesy of madamenoir.com - Follow on Twitter @MadameNoir

The fun-loving Raven-Symoné (“That’s So Raven!”) is back delivering her best studio work to date through Disney’s animated centerpiece – Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, playing the ultra-friendly “Iridessa.” As one of Tinker Bell’s best friends, she finds herself in the midst of a whirlwind journey that will bring all fairies closer together in the community of Pixie Hollow. As a result, it will forever change the scope of their friendship as they know it in one of the most exciting adventures on feature film. Having captured the hearts of pre-teens with her hit shows, “That’s So Raven” and “Cheetah Girls,” Raven-Symoné now gives Madame Noire a preview of her latest work and then some. Check it out!

*The full-length animated feature film will be released on DVD and movie downloads – September 21, 2010.

Madame Noire: Can you tell us about the character you play in the new Tinkerbell film?
Raven-Symoné: I play Iridessa, a light fairy. She’s one of Tinkerbell’s best friends and she’s so sweet, grounded, and always trying to get Tinkerbell not to do these things. But in the end, she’s right with her to make sure she’s safe!

MN: What qualities do you share with your character?

RS: We are both loyal to our friends and both energetic and fun! But the difference is that I’m mostly the one saying hey, lets go see what’s behind that hill and I’ll wait over here instead of saying don’t go over there.

MN: Do you believe that Disney’s creations of Princess Tiana (“Princess and the Frog”) and your character Iridessa is the start of a new shift in animation as it relates to black characters?

RS: That is definitely a question for Disney. They’ve been waiting for the right story to tell to bring this nationality into effect. And let’s just see where this goes!

MN: What are some of your future aspirations as an actress?

RS: I’m going to be producing a lot more and finding roles that capture my age bracket truthfully as I grow up. But as I get older, I don’t want to scare my young fans to death. (laughs) But I do need to grow up in a way my mom will be proud of me.

MN: Bill Cosby has definitely been one of your greatest inspirations. What source of advice from him have you implemented in your career?

RS: Being professional and staying on time which means being 15 minutes early. And when I’m late, there’s no excuse – I wasn’t on-time! And treat people in production as if their paying your bills from the caterers to the lighting people to the makeup artists, directors, and producers. Everyone is there for a reason! If they weren’t there, they wouldn’t be hired so it takes a lot of people to complete these projects. And just because you’re the face of it doesn’t mean you’re the inner workings of it!

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