Who is Raven-Symoné and why does she deserve a ‘Disney Legends’ award before Miley Cyrus?

Despite Miley Cyrus’ undisputable talent that needs no extra proof, some Disney fans are unhappy that the actress and pop singer will become a Disney Legend before Raven-Symoné.

It was recently announced that Cyrus would become the youngest person ever to receive the honor of becoming a Disney Legend. The awards work as Disney’s own Hall of Fame, highlighting producers, actors, and animators who worked for the company through decades, helping the House of Mouse to expand its empire.

We can’t argue that the singer-actor deserves to be recognized as a Disney Legend. After all, the show Hanna Montana is still one of Disney’s most worshipped original productions. Furthermore, Hanna Montana helped kickstart the “Flowers” singer’s career as a pop star and composer with millions of fans worldwide. Cyrus alone is moving billions of dollars around the globe, and her success is excellent advertising for Disney, as the company holds the credit for discovering the singer’s talent. However, there is no denying that long before Cyrus, Raven was Disney’s queen, and without her, there would be no Hanna Montana.

Why Does Raven-Symoné deserve to be a Disney Legend before Miley Cyrus?

Raven-Symoné landed the leading role in Disney’s That’s So Raven when she was 15. The show became an international success and began a profitable partnership between the actress and the House of Mouse. After That’s So Raven, she starred in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, the first Disney Channel Original Movie to have a sequel. She also led the cast of The Cheetah Girls, the first musical of the Disney Channel Original Movie label. Apart from being a talented actress and singer, Raven also used her vocal talents to voice characters in the Kim Possible TV show and the Tinker Bell animated movie.

Raven is a multi-hyphenated artist who helped Disney establish its empire as a television power to be feared. However, one of her most significant contributions was testing the Hanna Montana formula before Cyrus ever came into play. 

In season 3, episode 3 of That’s So Raven, “Goin’ Hollywood,” Cory (Kyle Massey) wins a contest that takes him to Hollywood, where he meets a young actress (Alyson Stoner) who wants to live a regular life at school. The episode was supposed to become a pilot for a spinoff series called Better Days. While the series never saw the light of day, the idea of a star living a double life as a student would be refurbished by Disney for Hanna Montana. The episode is also known to have inspired High School Musical, another multimillion-dollar Disney franchise.

If we focus on money alone, Cyrus did bring Disney more profit than Raven. However, the Disney Legends Hall of Fame is supposed to award people who profoundly influenced the company and contributed to its everlasting legacy. So, for those who stress that Cyrus deserves to become a Disney Legend, we agree with you — but it is high time Raven gets her due.