The Dutch-born actress and singer Anneliese van der Pol has been active in the industry for 20 years, having made her professional breakthrough in 1999 in the award-winning Huntington Beach Playhouse revival of Grease. Since those early days, she’s built a hugely successful dual career in musical theatre and TV. For the past couple of years, she’s been a regular fixture on our screens as Chelsea Grayson, Raven Baxter’s dippy best friend on the hit Disney sitcom, Raven’s Home. With the news just in to announce the show has been picked up for a fourth season, it looks like she’ll be around for some time yet — learn more about the talented actress with these ten little facts.
1. She’s an award winner
Van der Pol picked up her first award in her professional debut as Sandy Dumbrowsky in the Huntington Beach Playhouse revival of Grease. While the reviews of the production were good, the reviews of van der Pol where even better, and she managed to scoop a Bobbi Award for “Best Actress in a Musical” for her efforts. In 2015, she continued her award-winning ways when she claimed the Young Artist Award alongside the rest of the cast of That’s So Raven in the category of Outstanding Young Performers in a TV Series.
2. She’s appeared on multiple soundtracks
Although she’s best known among certain audiences as an actress, van der Poi is also a talented singer and has even lent her vocal talents to several soundtracks. In 1999, she featured on “Winter Wonderland” (with Desi Arnaz Jr) on the album The Children of Christmas. In 2003, she featured alongside the rest of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars on Elton John’s “Circle of Life” from the album Disneymania 2. Other credits include “That’s So Raven” (with Raven-Symoné, Orlando Brown) from the album That’s So Raven, “A Day in the Sun”, “Friends” (with Raven-Symoné) and “Let’s Stick Together” (with Raven-Symoné and Kyle Massey) from the album That’s So Raven Too!, and “Stand Tall” from the 2012 Pride the Movie soundtrack.
3. She’s had trouble with the law
Despite her clean-cut image, van der Pol hasn’t always been quite so squeaky clean as the Disney Channel may like. In 2006, the actress was arrested for DUI after causing a road traffic accident by colliding with a parked car, which then hit two further vehicles. After testing, she was found to have twice the legal blood-alcohol limit in her system. After pleading no contest to the offense, the actress was issued with several fines, ordered to attend an alcohol education program, and placed on probation until 2010.
4. That’s So Raven was her TV breakthrough
After working for several years in musical theatre and picking up bit parts in minor movies, van der Pol landed her breakthrough role in 2001 when she was cast as Raven Baxter’s best friend Chelsea Daniels on Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. The actress continued in the role until the show ended in 2007. In 2017, she reprised the character for the spin-off series Raven’s Home and has continued to appear as one of the show’s main stars for the past three seasons.
5. She made her Broadway debut in Beauty and the Beast
In 2007, van der Pol made her Broadway debut as Belle in the final ever production of Beauty and the Beast. She starred in the role from April 3, 2007, to July 29, 2007, while simultaneously performing songs from the show alongside her co-stars Chris Hoch and Jeanne Lehmann at Bryant Park’s “Broadway in Bryant Park”.
6. The best advice she’s ever been given
In an interview with Naluda magazine, van der Pol revealed a couple of interesting nuggets of personal information. Along with leaning her favorite things in life are long walks on the beach and, somewhat oddly, milk, we also discovered the best piece of advice she’s ever been given. “Do something each day toward getting your goal,” she shared. “Even if it is an actor going to a movie, or getting a haircut. Even if it is small. Constantly be in class. NO MATTER WHAT!!! Oh and be nice people. Just be nice.”
7. Nicole Kidman is her inspiration
Van der Pol has revealed she’s been influenced and inspired by several different actresses, including Laurie Metcalfe (who’s work in A Doll’s House van der Pol has described as “magical”), and Viola Davis (who, according to the gushing van der Pol, is an “absolute work of art on-screen”). Her most consistent and long-term girl crush, however, is Big Little Lies actress, Nicole Kidman.
8. She’s a millionaire
Given that she’s enjoyed a wildly successful career for the best part of 20 years, you’d have thought van der Pol would be in a pretty comfortable financial situation by now…. and you’d be right. Thanks to the numerous TV and musical theatre credits she has to her name, the actress now has a very cool one million dollars to her name — at least if our source at All-Star Bio is to be believed.
9. She’s a fitness freak
Considering all the running around she’s expected to do on stage and screen, you’d have thought van der Pol’s job was enough to keep her fit and healthy. Apparently not. In an interview with The Global Town Hall, the actress revealed she’s seriously into fitness and is a regular visitor to her local circuit training gym where she completes intensive weight training and cardiovascular workouts. She’s also strict about her diet, keeping to a rigid routine of salmon, whole wheat toast, hard-boiled eggs,chicken, artichokes, and cottage cheese…. apart from on those days when she can’t resist Mexican food washed down with a Cadillac margarita.
10. She once dated her That’s So Raven co-star
In 2001, van der Pol struck up a relationship with her co-star Orlando Brown, who starred alongside her as Edward “Eddie” Thomas on That’s So Raven. The couple dated for three years before going their separate ways in 2004.
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