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Johannesburg – Raven-Symoné had many of us glued to our TV screens in the 2000s when she was the star of hit the Disney show That’s So Raven. Now, over a decade later, fans can catch a glimpse of their favourite psychic once again as she stars in the spin-off series Raven’s Home.
While in SA to promote the second season of Raven’s Home, Raven-Symoné spent some time with local media, telling us all about her trip and sharing some inside info of the new season.
After arriving in Johannesburg on Monday, the star did not waste any time, immediately taking to the streets of Mzansi to experience life with the locals.
Aside from visiting Mandela’s house on Vilakazi Street and popping in at Maropeng, and the Sterkfontein Caves, she also had the opportunity to test the local cuisine, counting malva pudding as one of her favourites.
“Let’s just say this, I had to share it with someone and they only got two bites. I like that when you cut it there’s juice that comes out of there,” she detailed her experience with the dessert.
But it’s not only our food that Raven is a fan of, some of our SA artists have also caught the attention of the actress. “I really love this song by Lady Zamar,” she told us, having listened to some local music while at an interview at a radio station earlier in the day. “I also heard Prince Kaybee. I like house music a lot,” she added.
Chatting about her Disney comeback, Raven says making the transition from her teenage character on That’s So Raven to a divorced mother of two on Raven’s Home was not as difficult as many would think.
“Raven Baxter got married, had twins, got divorced, moved in with her best friend. Me, I chilled on the couch, went to school, didn’t have any kids and didn’t get married. So, learning what it’s like to go through that much of a change wasn’t as difficult as it may sound because, while I am not a thespian actor, [I] did research for it.
"I definitely have friends and family who have been through journey’s like that, so I’ve seen it from afar and I’ve always admired the way my parents raised me and my brother. So, what I did pretty much to prepare for that 10-year comeback into adult shoes with kids, I just kind of said to myself, 'if I was a mother how would I want to be?'”
Whether you’re a That’s So Raven fan tuning into the new show for the nostalgia, or a new viewer who’s only just now getting to know Raven Baxter, the star says, for her, the show is all about bringing people together.
“You have people within our age bracket who have kids, and hopefully you sit down with those kids and say I watched her, this is for you, and you can bond together. That’s something that I love about certain television shows – the family aspect. So, we have new kids that have never seen That’s So Raven, [and] have no idea why I am as crazy as I am. And then you have some people who are like, 'she’s always been crazy'. Hopefully we bring in all kinds.”
And if that is not enough to get you to tune in, Raven, who studied Fine Art, let us in on a little secret - some of her personal artwork is scattered around the set. For those curious to know where, she gave us a few hints. "Last episode of first season there is a piece of clothing I painted. When you walk into the door on the left-hand side there's a piece and then in first season there's a whole outfit. I actually paint uggs. So I painted my uggs for me, somebody from Disney Channel. I painted a sick pair of Doc Martens for Navia. She still hasn't worn them but she kept them, I know she did. Hopefully more to come."
The new season of Raven's Home premieres on Monday, 8 October on Disney Channel (DStv 303) at 16:50.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR SEASON 2 HERE:
(Photos: E Image/Disney)
