Anneliese van der Pol

[Gigglie_Smurf]

Anneliese van der Pol is used to having people mispronounce her name. It’s pronounced AH-nuh-LEE-zuh, but people often say ANN-a-LISA or ANN-a-LEECE.

"It’s Anne Frank’s real name" she said. "I was born in Europe, in the Netherlands, and when I was still in my mother’s tummy she went to visit Anne Frank’s attic, where she hid during the war. And she saw the name Anneliese – Anne Frank’s name -- on a statute that was near the house and decided that that would be my name. So that’s how I got my name, and I love it!

Anneliese also loves acting. Though she may have gotten her big break in front of the camera playing Chelsea on the Disney Channel comedy "That’s So Raven," she was acting on the stage long before that.
She has a number of theater roles on her resume, including performing "Oklahoma" in Texas and playing the title role in "Evita." At 15, she was the youngest actress ever to play that role in a professional production.

Now theater has fallen by the wayside for Anneliese, though, primarily because of the demanding shooting schedule for "That’s So Raven." The show shoots five days a week, with rehearsals Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tapings Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

"It’s difficult because of the whole rehearsal process and shows and then with the show ("Raven") we work on Thursdays and Fridays from 8 to 10, and that would completely interfere with any theater work I wanted to do."

For those who haven’t seen it, "Raven" is about a psychic teen, whose visions never turn out quite the way she sees them. Anneliese and Orlando Brown play her two best friends who are always willing to go along with whatever wacky scheme she imagines.

Anneliese said Chelsea’s loyalty to her friends is one of the traits she shares with her character. "I’m like Chelsea in the way that she’s very caring for her friends," she said.

"And she’s an environmentalist. She tries to help out her community in ways she sees possible, which I try to do too, maybe not in an environmental way. Plus, she’s kind of kooky and likes puns and I like puns, so I guess that’s how I’m like her."

However, Anneliese’s real-life kookiness doesn’t extend quite as far as Chelsea’s. "I’m probably different because in the way that she’s kooky, she’s kind of off and doesn’t get everything. I hope I’m a bit quicker than her when it comes to getting it right away in jokes and all that."

To catch the jokes for yourself, tune in to "That’s So Raven" weekends at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Disney Channel, as well as 10:30 a.m. on ABC.

From: http://www.enterteenmentnews.com/extended.html

[michelleLa]

SHE IS A VERY TALENTED ACTRESS AND VERY PROFESSIONAL AS WELL!! SHE SEEM S TO B VERY SWEET AS WELL NO WONDER SHE AND RAE GET SO ALONG!!! ANYWAY SHE'S VEY TALENTED I HOPE SHE MAKES IT BIG TOO!!!

BEST WISHES TO ANNELISE!!! IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN VOTE FOR TO BRING HER UP WE WILL!!

[Gigglie_Smurf]

I read that Raven and Anneliese as good friends in real life along with on screen!

[ravensnumbaoneboo]

She is reaaalllllllly pretty in person.......I love you anneliese

[Gigglie_Smurf]

thats so cool......

[moeee]

anneliese is cool.............

[PunkdShorty]

she's cooler in person. and has a great sense of style. my friends cousin dated her once

[Gigglie_Smurf]

interesting.......

[michelleLa]

[Gigglie_Smurf]

anyway!