People who are able to go about their regular lives without obsessing over where their favorite Disney stars are now are stronger people than I, because I frequently wake up in a cold sweat going, "Where is Chelsea from That's So Raven now?" You know, the actress, not the character. I was just going about my normal life, and, all of a sudden, I had to know what Anneliese van der Pol is up to now. (Which is her name, by the way. That's your first lesson for today.) Van der Pol is a Dutch-American actress who's 31 now, and played the Chelsea Daniels to Raven-Symoné's Raven Baxter from 2003 to 2007. She's the best friend we all wanted for ourselves, and, if van der Pol hasn't had the prolific career since the show that she deserves, I may scream.
So what's Anneliese van der Pol up to now? Not only has van der Pol really cornered the family-friendly market, with a lot of appearances on TV series and movies pitched to kids, like Shalom Sesame (the Jewish version of Sesame Street) and Shake It Up, but she's also distanced herself slightly from her good-girl reputation with a 2015 film called Cats Dancing on Jupiter, a revenge film about women scarred by abduction.
So it seems like van der Pol is taking the time now to figure out where she wants to take her career next, and she has no shortage of options. Because lest we forget, she also has experience on the stage! Shortly after That's So Raven ended, van der Pol made her Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and has made appearances Off-Broadway and on regional stages as well.
So no matter if van der Pol elects to fling herself completely into stage, make her way back to television, or even stays under the radar, it's clear that her talent isn't diminished. Let's all cross our fingers that we see her again soon.
Image: Disney Channel
