Pronounced AH-nah-LEE-zah

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Movie career foreseen for Long Beach teen who plays a key role in Disney Channel's 'That's So Raven'

By Phillip Zonkel
Staff Writer


DON'T CRY for her, Argentina.
Three years ago, Anneliese van der Pol (pronounced AH-nah-LEE-zah) took center stage as Eva Peron in Buena Park Civic Theatre's "Evita" and made U.S. theatrical history as the youngest actress to play the role in a professional production.

Van der Pol was 15 years old.

"It was extremely exciting for me. It was my dream role," ' says the 18-year-old Long Beach resident, who lives near El Dorado Park with her mom, Dyan Ross, an administrative assistant at Bellflower High School. "She wasn" t that same ingenue character you may get in other shows. She carries the entire show, which was appealing. I had 18 costume changes. It was hard work, but it was so much fun.''

Van der Pol's latest role on the Disney Channel sitcom "That" s So Raven'' (7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with season 2 premiering Oct. 3) doesn't have her carrying the weight of a country on her shoulders.

Raven Baxter (Raven-Symone, who played Olivia Kendall on "The Cosby Show" ') is an outspoken teen who can glimpse into the future. She sees just enough of what's about to happen and tries to change it.

Van der Pol plays Chelsa Daniels, a vegetarian and environmentalist who's one of Raven's best friends along with Eddie Thomas (Orlando Brown). They let their loyalty pull them into Raven's madcap misadventures, which often involve grandiose schemes, elaborate disguises or feats of derring-do.

"Chelsea" s often confused,'' van der Pol says. "She" s a bit slow at times, but she's also into her studies and her schoolwork.''

Her work on "That" s So Raven'' is van der Pol's first TV role. She says it took four auditions and three screen tests to get the job. Van der Pol has a contract for three seasons.

"That's So Raven'' executive producer Sean McNamara helped cast van der Pol.

Raven is like an adult actress; she's fully crafted. It was hard to put somebody up against her. Everybody we put up against her fell flat,'' he says. "Finally, Anneliese was the one who could stand up to Raven.

"She could stand up to her comedy and give it right back," ' McNamara says. "We needed to see that again, again and again to make sure it wasn" t a fluke.''

Van der Pol made her stage debut at 8 years of age in the Long Beach Playhouse production of "The Good Times Are Killing Me." ' She went on to play a variety of roles ("The Sound of Music" ' at Downey Civic Light Opera, the "Will Rogers Follies" ' at Musical Theatre West and "Catch a Falling Star" ' at International City Theatre) before landing the role of "Evita" ' and eventually hiring an agent.

After graduating, in 2001, from Santa Ana's Orange County High School of the Arts, van der Pol completed 12 units of general education at Cypress College.

She maintains a full load of classes at area acting and dance studios, but says she has no immediate plans to put her show-business studies on hold to finish college.

"When ('That" s So Raven') is done, I'm extremely focused on my career, (I'm hoping to make) acting a career for me,'' van der Pol says.

"If I ever felt secure enough in my career that I could take time off to go to school, I definitely would take that opportunity." '

McNamara, however, already has some post-"That" s So Raven'' plans for van der Pol.

"I can" t wait to put her in some of the movies I'm about to do,'' he says. "The first season (of 'That" s So Raven') got her talent honed. Now when I look at the show, Anneliese's comic chops are incredible.''

And, "She has an incredible ability to transmit emotion through her eyes," ' McNamara says. "Some people do fine on the small screen and that" s where they live, but she's somebody who will make the transfer to the big screen very soon. Anneliese's going to be a strong screen presence.''

[.:Illusion:.]

Kewlness.