Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were on That's So Raven

When a thunderstorm threatened to ruin the Bayside Sunshine Girls’ camping trip, Raven let them stay at her house in an effort to help Sydney develop new friendships. Sammi Hanratty played Taylor, a member of the group who was initially extremely quirky and shy. As the girls all began mocking Raven, Hanratty’s character really opened up and leaned into the chaos that ensued. But she was also the first one who cut Sydney and Raven some slack in the end, which prompted the other girls to follow her lead. Over the years, Hanratty has racked up some other pretty impressive credits, such as “Salem,” “Chosen,” “Shameless,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Timeline,” just to name a few.

In “The Big Buzz,” Raven was intent on winning the title of “Best Dressed” at the Bayside’s Best Awards. She was, to put it mildly, sick of being the runner-up year after year due to last-minute foils. Just when she seemed like a shoo-in, Jordache Hilltopper, played by none other than Jessica Szohr, strutted in. As the daughter of a designer, she knew fashion. Ultimately, it’s the counselor - portrayed by the inimitable Susan Lucci - who snagged the top prize. Granted, Szohr’s part was minor. But despite her lack of dialogue, she brought Jordache to life. The star, widely known as Vanessa Abrams from “Gossip Girl,” boasts an impressive resume with roles on “The Orville,” “Shameless,” and “Twin Peaks: The Return,” amongst others.

Yvette Nicole Brown is known for her priceless character portrayals. For instance, she flawlessly brought Shirley Bennett on “Community” and Helen on "Drake & Josh" to life. And she brought the humor to "That's So Raven" as Monica, a no-nonsense dance studio receptionist. Her days got hectic as superstar Pressure held auditions for his music video. After she told Raven and Chelsea that they couldn’t just lurk there, the girls convinced Cory to take a dance class that ended up being far from what he expected. It goes without saying that things didn’t go as planned. As for Monica? She just wanted to get through her shift in peace, which would have been easier without everyone crowding her desk and obsessing over Pressure!

Bure, widely recognized for her work as D.J. on “Full House” and “Fuller House,” Summer in “Make It or Break It,” and Aurora in “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries,” stepped into history teacher Courtney Dearborn’s shoes in this episode. Her modern teaching style acted as a breath of fresh air for the students, much to the principal’s dismay. But when she encouraged the class to have a “study party” in preparation for their upcoming test, Raven took her advice a bit too literally. What followed was the tale of a postponed test, a fake exterminator, a job on the line, and a spider who saved the day. In other words, a pretty standard day for Raven and the gang!

It’s no secret that Brenda Song has flawlessly brought a number of characters to life, including London Tipton on “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” Madison Maxwell in “Dollface,” JJ in “Station 19,” and Anne Boonchuy in “Amphibia.” Well, you can add Amber on “That’s So Raven” to that list. Her character appeared briefly in “A Dog By Any Other Name,” and was largely responsible for the episode’s events. After she invited Raven and Chelsea to her party- and made a snarky comment about their lack of dates - the girls embarked on a mission to find boyfriends. Ultimately, they realized that there were more important things in life, and decided to go to Amber’s together. We just wish we could have seen the party!

During the fourth season of “That’s So Raven,” we were introduced to Sydney, a little girl from difficult circumstances. Despite her tough and sarcastic exterior, she formed a special bond with Raven, who became a role model for her. There’s not a fan of the show who didn’t develop a soft spot for Sydney throughout her 3-episode arc on the show. But what most of us didn’t realize is that the actress behind the role was none other than Sydney Park. She grew up to impress us with parts on shows like “Santa Clarita Diet,” “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists,” “The Walking Dead,” and the 2021 film “Moxie.” Now if only she’d make an appearance on “Raven’s Home!”

Most of us remember this episode, where our favorite psychic grew jealous of Chelsea’s best friend from camp Jennifer. The two girls realized that they didn’t need to compete for Chels’ friendship, but not before they got trapped inside the science museum’s biodome exhibit! What many of us missed however is that Tiffany Haddish appeared as the biodome’s tour guide. She delivered a great speech, and couldn’t leave fast enough when her shift ended! The character actually provided some pretty crucial information about the exhibit’s carnivorous plants. It’s just too bad Raven missed it all! Of course, Haddish has showcased her comedic chops time and again with stellar performances in “Girls Trip,” “Tuca & Bertie,” and “Bad Trip,” among many others.

Nash is a seasoned actress who has appeared in numerous film and television projects throughout her career. Namely, she’s graced our screens on "Scream Queens," "When They See Us," "Claws," and "Never Have I Ever." While the star is best known for her work on “Reno 911!,” she also delivered a great performance on “That’s So Raven.” Nash brought television psychic Madame Cassandra, real name Shirley, to life. She quit the show after being denied a raise, thus paving the way for Raven to take over. After a crisis of conscience and an on-air scuffle, both ladies realized that the job wasn’t worth the trouble. After watching this episode, we feel comfortable saying that nobody could have embodied Madam Cassandra quite like Niecy Nash!

This episode cleverly played into Paula Abdul's iconic career as a dancer and singer, as well as into her job as an “American Idol” judge at the time. In this episode, the star portrayed the host of a similar fictional competition, “Undercover Superstar.” Eager to be on the show, everyone at Raven’s school mistakenly tried to amaze a janitor they believed was a secret talent scout. True to form however, Raven’s vision only told part of the story. While he was actually a member of the Health Department, the real undercover scout was - you guessed it - Paula Abdul’s character! This episode was full of entertaining musical numbers, but sadly she didn’t get to witness any of them!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Skyler Samuels, “Goin’ Hollywood”
She Played a Young Mean Girl Named Chrissy Collins

Jackée Harry, “Goin’ Hollywood”
She Played Dava, The Director of “Better Days”

Kathie Lee Gifford, “Dog Day Aftergroom”
She Played Chelsea’s Boss, Claire

Brandon Mychal Smith, “Extreme Cory”
He Played Razor, A Member of the X Squad

Haylie Duff, “He's Got the Power”
She Played Katina, A Girl Who Befriends Eddie After He Develops Psychic Powers

The icon Cyndi Lauper herself gave us all a gift when she played quirky art teacher Ms. Petuto in a season three episode of “That’s So Raven.” Her character was a free spirit who encouraged Chelsea to create an art piece to submit in the upcoming student art show. Shenanigans ensued after Raven mistakenly destroyed Chelsea’s sculpture of her as a bird and had to step in as the piece herself, but all’s well that ends well. We would have loved to see more of Ms. Petuto on the show because we have a feeling her backstory would have been nothing short of epic. Girls just want to see Cyndi Lauper bring it with everything she does, and she has yet to disappoint!