- Notes provided by Disney Enterprises -

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
"Why, why is Dad doing this?"
-Melanie
Deciding which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time of a young woman's life...unless your formidable, overprotective father isn't quite ready to let you go. In the Disney family comedy COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, Melanie (RAVEN-SYMONÉ) is eagerly looking forward to taking her first big step towards independence when she plans a "girls only" road trip to check out
prospective universities. However, when her imposing police-chief dad (MARTIN LAWRENCE) insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip turning into a hilarious, nightmare adventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil.
Dad wants to assure total security and safety for his precious daughter, while Melanie has a 17-year-old's need to become a grown woman and have her own sense of independence. Now, even as dad and daughter bicker, banter and careen from one funny disaster to the next on their journey, they are about to discover that, sometimes, going that extra mile to be together can forge a family bond so strong it can withstand anything-even wild curves ahead.
Multigenerational comedy veterans Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné each bring their fun-loving comic personalities to Walt Disney Pictures' COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, directed by Roger Kumble ("Cruel Intentions," "The Sweetest Thing"). The original screenplay is by Emi Mochizuki & Carrie Evans and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio. Andrew Gunn is the producer, with Ann Marie Sanderlin, Anthony Katagas, Raven-Symoné and Michael Green serving as executive producers.
The film also stars Donny Osmond, Brenda Song, Eshaya Draper, Kym E. Whitley, Arnetia Walker, Margo Harshman and Molly Ephraim.



Behind the scenes, bringing a trip that traverses through the woods, over the hills and through a wedding from Northwestern to Georgetown University to life is a team that includes director of photography Theo Van de Sande ("Beauty Shop," "Yours, Mine and Ours"), production designer Ben Barraud ("The Nanny Diaries"), costume designer Francine Jamison-Tanchuck ("Get Rich or Die Tryin'," "Fat Albert"), editor Roger Bondelli, A.C.E. ("Must Love Dogs," "Snow Dogs") and composer Edward Shearmur ("Bad News Bears").
THE ROAD TRIP BEGINS...
It is a family tradition underlying the roots of the American Dream-the "college road trip"-when high school seniors tour the nation trying to figure out where they are going to spend the most formative years of their lives. For 17-year-old Melanie Porter, it's an exhilarating moment of rocking her independence...except for one thing: her dear old dad- who also happens to be the no-nonsense local police chief, the man who says he puts "the S in safety"-wants to be her chaperone in his police cruiser.
Now, her COLLEGE ROAD TRIP is about to veer off into uproarious comedy, as her father's accident-prone plans to protect and serve his daughter go awry at every turn, causing them to careen down ravines, literally crash a wedding, and even jump out of a plane, not to mention carpool with an impossibly cheerful father-anddaughter team (featuring one-time teen heartthrob Donny Osmond in his first film role in decades). Yet, somewhere between Dad trying to hold on for dear life and Melanie hoping to break away from his embarrassing maneuvers, they start to trust each other and realize they're speeding headlong into a new family future.
At the heart of the film's mix of slapstick hijinks and downright real family relations are its two talented co-stars: popular comedy veteran and real-life father Martin Lawrence and vivacious young comic star Raven-Symoné, who's been honing her comedy skills since early childhood and knows what it's like to break out on your own at 18. It is Martin and Raven's hilarious rapport-whether they're driving each other crazy, driving right off the road, or revealing their love for one another
between the mayhem-that makes the film a true Disney comedy, as filled with hilarity as with an underlying sense of heart. With this kind of talent at his disposal, director Roger Kumble's unique approach was to



meld the softer tones of your typical family comedy with the more daring spirit of today's outrageous physical comedies. He explains: "I've made some broad comedies but never with a G rating. So when it came to COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, I was thinking: `There has to be a way to put really hard belly laughs into a family film.' That's what I wanted to do. When I take my kids to the movies, I don't want to be bored, so I set out to make a movie that kids and adults can enjoy just as much."
Producer Andrew Gunn notes that COLLEGE ROAD TRIP also put him in mind of a popular comedy genre. "I always saw COLLEGE ROAD TRIP as a kind of buddy picture," he says. "It's about two people who think they have little in common, but in the course of this very funny and wild journey, they figure out that they are deeply connected. In this case, the two buddies happen to be a father who does not want to let go and a daughter who is ready to go off on her own to college."
Gunn was drawn to the project because it had all the hallmarks of classic family comedy- relatable characters nearly everyone can recognize from their own families, yet who find themselves in surprising, side-splitting situations. The producer already knew how hungry audiences can be for comedies drawn from the real situations families face, having found huge popular and critical success with the runaway hit remake of "Freaky Friday."
Similarly, with COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, Gunn saw a story that was full of potential laughs-pairing a control-freak cop dad who cannot relax and cannot stop meddling with a feisty, savvy daughter ready to break out and start her own life-but one that also pondered the universal question: Why do parents start to act like nervous kids when their children start to grow up?
"As with `Freaky Friday,' I think at the end of the day, it's a very funny story in which kids get a chance to understand their parents better and parents get a chance to see their kids better," sums up Gunn.
The story of COLLEGE ROAD TRIP began where it ended: at Disney, emerging from the Disney Writers Program, the studio's unique mentoring system that helps to bring talented young screenwriters to the fore. The program is managed by COLLEGE ROAD TRIP's Gunn and executive producer Ann Marie Sanderlin, who first brought two of the film's screenwriters, Carrie Evans and Emi Mochizuki, into the Writers' Program.
From the first time Sanderlin heard their idea to pen a comedy about a family's careening-out-of-control college trip, she loved its freshness and knew it had the potential to go the distance.
"Leaving the nest, struggling to find your own voice and grow up-that's a universal rite of passage. And road-trip films are their own genre for a reason. But when I ran the idea by my dad, it all really started to jell. He's still a little stressed out from a similar trip we took in '89. For a long time, we thought this movie was ultimately about letting go-it definitely is, but it's also `getting to know you' and the contrast is bittersweet but funny, too."
Mochizuki and Evans along with Paul and Daurio came up with the idea when they started talking about some of the most humorous yet important moments in their lives-and began spilling the secret details of their individual college road trips.

They had a blast imagining how James, played by Martin Lawrence, handles watching his


daughter inch ever closer to total independence and must resist his haywire paternal urge to keep her on lifelong lockdown. From the minute James pops in an ancient disco-era CD, Melanie knows she's in trouble. But things just keep going downhill from there-quite literally as Dad's police SUV rolls into a deep ditch, sparking one madcap adventure after another. Throughout, James just can't
help but try to meddle in Melanie's college decision, hoping to keep her close to home-and it's in those moments that you start to see what's really pushing him over the edge: his heartbreak over seeing his precious daughter growing up.
As a father, executive producer Anthony Katagas sums up the appeal. "James Porter is neurotic, crazy and overprotective-but we all are a little like that," he laughs. "When you get to that point where your kids are growing up fast, you definitely start to panic. This is a story families all over America have experienced time and time again, although maybe without quite as many complications as James and Melanie!"
Director Roger Kumble, whose films include the youthful thriller "Cruel Intentions" and the romantic comedy "The Sweetest Thing," kicked the road trip's hijinks into high gear. "Roger's a very smart, funny guy who was able to really understand both the comedy and the family connection of this story," says Anthony Katagas. "He was a great match with this material because he's the kind of guy who, every day, puts a smile on your face and, at least once a day, is talking with you about family."
Kumble called his agent the second he finished the script. "I loved the idea of this film, especially the theme," he says. "I'm the father of two little girls, and though I have years before they start looking into colleges, the idea of letting them go is very powerful. When my oldest daughter went into preschool, that was a dramatic thing for me, so I could really see where James is coming from."
Kumble was especially excited about working with Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné. "I love the broad comedy genre, and there is no one better than these two," he says.

LOADING UP THE CAR:
RAVEN-SYMONÉ AND MARTIN LAWRENCE COME ON BOARD

From the start, the filmmakers knew that a father-daughter road comedy was going to require a great comic pairing between a vibrant, playfully funny young star and a skilled veteran who could be at once a lovable and utterly irascible dad. Even while the screenplay was in development, there had arisen a "perfect world" vision: that of putting the runaway Disney Channel phenom Raven-Symoné together with hugely popular funny-man Martin Lawrence-but by the time the script was finished, that wild dream began to look like an exciting reality.
"Kristin Burr at Disney had a genius casting lightbulb moment," recalls Ann Marie Sanderlin. "Whenever you would mention the idea of Martin and Raven together as father and daughter on a road trip, people would just break into a huge grin. Their dynamic became really exciting to watch unfold when they filmed the car scenes because they were actually stuck in a car together for days on end, cracking each other up."
"There was instant chemistry between them," continues Andrew Gunn. "They're both geniuses at comic timing and they slipped right into these roles. Martin, being the father of three, was really able to bring his own thing to the role of James, and Raven is at the age when she herself is ready to go off into her own new world, much like Melanie."
It also turned out that Raven had long been a huge fan of Martin Lawrence's comedy routines-to the point that she had studied his long-running, hit television show scene-byscene-and that Martin Lawrence's kids were massive "That's So Raven" fans. It seemed that
destiny was at work.
Raven might be youthful, but she's already a wily veteran who has been working in entertainment since the age of 5. The only thing she hasn't done- until COLLEGE ROAD TRIP-is take the lead in a feature film. She began her career as Olivia Kendall on "The Cosby Show" and went on to star on the Disney Channel in such movies as "The Cheetah Girls" and as the lead
character of the hugely successful series "That's So Raven." Along the way, she has drawn a huge international fan base as an actress, singer and songwriter, known for her high-energy personality and unusual maturity for someone who found fame so young. Having just hit young adulthood herself, she was in the perfect position to relate to Melanie's itch to fly from her parents' nest without breaking their hearts.





After all, COLLEGE ROAD TRIP itself presents a major breakout for Raven as she takes her first leading role in a comedy feature and even takes on a behind-the-scenes role as one of the film's producers.
Raven says that the screenplay had her in stitches-but even more than that, she found herself really relating to Melanie's savvy, slyly funny personality. "I liked that Melanie's a really smart character and that she has this free spirit she can turn on when her friends are around, but she also knows when to turn it off," she says. "It's a lot of fun to watch her trying to
step outside her dad's boundaries while still respecting who he is." She continues: "For me, Melanie was a real departure as an actress-and a great chance to kind of let people know I've come of age now."
As a kid who grew up in the often perilous entertainment spotlight, Raven admits that she knows a thing or two about protective parents. "My parents definitely gave me a protected childhood because they wanted to make sure I wouldn't grow up to be scatterbrained," she laughs. "Now I respect them even more as parents because if they hadn't done that, I don't know what I would have done or who I would be."
When it came to working with Martin Lawrence, Raven could not have been more excited to go toe-to-toe, not to mention parachute-to-parachute, with one of her absolute comedy favorites. "When I first heard it was going to be Martin, I was like `Yes! Woohoo!' He's such a funny comedian, and I knew it was going to be amazing," she says. "On the set, even simple scenes would morph into something unexpected because there would be all these facial reactions and pauses and stuff between us that was completely unpredictable. It was so much fun."
If Raven is one of the most promising new faces on the scene, Martin Lawrence has a long-standing reputation as one of today's most beloved and versatile comic leading men, sliding in and out of myriad characters, each one funnier than the next. His film work has ranged from his debut role in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" to starring roles in such mega-hits as "Bad Boys" and "Bad Boys II," "Big Momma's House" and "Big Momma's House II," "Blue Streak" and "National Security." His innovative television show, "Martin," in which he played hundreds of wide-ranging characters, became a huge success and won both major accolades and audiences in its five seasons.
While Lawrence has been seen in all kinds of incarnations on screen, producer Andrew Gunn notes that this time audiences will see something completely different still-a slapstick portrait of a tightly wound cop that turns laugh-out-loud mayhem into an emotionally poignant climax.

"Martin is as hilarious as ever in COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, but what's really going to shock people is that he also brings a lump to your throat at the end of this movie," says Gunn. "You go through this whole uproarious experience with James and you watch him struggling with this dilemma of his daughter, and then when he finally says goodbye, it really breaks your heart, and it's something we haven't seen before from Martin."
As a dad himself, Lawrence has an insider's view of the kind of angst and horror that James faces as his daughter prepares to go to college. He had a blast trying to reveal both the good intentions behind, and the folly within, James' desire to maintain complete control over his teenage daughter. As it so happens, control is the last thing James seems to have, whether it's over Melanie, his SUV or a runaway golf cart.
"James is a good dad, but he's having a very, very hard time letting go," explains Lawrence. "Most people do. I mean, you worry about your kids. I have three daughters, and when it comes time for them to go off to college, I'm sure it'll be really hard. You want them to be comfortable, you want everything to be all right. So, I hope they'll see this movie and maybe they'll understand that, no matter how crazy things get, dad just wants the best!"
Lawrence found himself in comedy heaven working with Raven, who he notes has the slapstick skills of people he's worked with who are more than twice her age. He also liked that Raven's character almost always has the upper hand on his befuddled father. "Melanie, as played by Raven, is a very smart young lady," he notes. "It's just that she's inquisitive and has thoughts and ideas that make her
father extremely nervous."
Adds Lawrence: "I also got `cool points' from my daughters for doing a movie with Raven, so that was great. Most of all, we had a lot of fun together. I already knew she was funny, but getting to see all her gestures up close showed how talented she is."
FUELING UP:
THE SUPPORTING CAST

Joining the fun of the COLLEGE ROAD TRIP is a supporting cast that ranges from some of today's hottest young teen stars-including Brenda Song ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") and Margo Harshman ("Even Stevens") as well as newcomer Eshaya Draper (making his debut)-to former teen star Donny Osmond (Broadway's "Beauty and the Beast") and such veterans as Kym E. Whitley ("Martin") and Arnetia Walker ("For the Love of the Game"), as well as a particularly cute and round star of the porcine kind: Albert the Potbelly pig.

Perhaps the film's most inspired bit of casting arose when director Roger Kumble began to envision Donny Osmond-once America's biggest teen idol, known for his sweet, boyish voice and blinding smile, and today a recording artist and Broadway star- in the role of Doug Greenhut, who heads the maniacally cheerful father-and-daughter team who follow on the heels of James and Melanie
throughout their trip, breaking out into glee and song wherever they go.
"The idea of hiring Donny Osmond as Doug Greenhut is perhaps my favorite casting decision of my career," recalls Kumble. "He hadn't made a movie in thirty years, but he was awesome as Gaston in `Beauty and the Beast' on Broadway. We took a chance and hired him. From day one, he was amazing. When people see him in this movie, they're going to see what a great comic actor he is."
For Osmond, the chance to do a Disney family comedy was very special because, in a sense, it brought him full circle. "I was thrilled to do a Disney movie because it was really due to the Disney organization that I'm in show business," he explains. "It was Walt Disney himself who discovered my brothers, and then a couple of years after that, I joined them. Disney recommended my brothers to the producer of "The Andy Williams Show" and that was how they got their first national television exposure. So, thanks to Walt, I'm in show business, and now here I am doing a Disney family comedy."
Osmond started his first day of filming only about twelve hours after the curtain came down on his final performance on Broadway in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," but he was able to nimbly switch gears into the hilariously happy Doug Greenhut. "Doug is just very over the top," laughs Osmond. "He loves life, but he's just a bit too much! He sees a silver lining in every cloud-to the point that it gets on your nerves." As the real-life father of five boys, Osmond also had a lot of fun playing dad to a daughter, Wendy, played by young Broadway star Molly Ephraim. "This is the first time in my life I've had a daughter, so that was pretty interesting," he says. "We didn't have a lot of time to rehearse, but we clicked right away. We were laughing our heads off with each other."
Martin Lawrence was taken aback to meet the man whose adolescent voice he remembers from his own boyhood. "I couldn't believe I was working with this guy all these years later, but it turns out he's really cool, and I think people are really going to enjoy his role in this movie."


Melanie's two best friends, Nancy and Katie-the duo she thinks she's going to make a super-fun college road trip with, only to find out her partner is her obsessively protective father-are played by Disney Channel stars Brenda Song and Margo Harshman.
Brenda and Margo are already pros, but another youngster makes an auspicious feature-film debut in COLLEGE ROAD TRIP: eight-year-old Eshaya Draper (aka E.J.) in the role of Melanie's ingenious kid brother, Trey, who, while his parents are busy worrying about Melanie, is engaging in his own top-secret mission to train pigs for the government.
"We looked at hundreds of kids from all over the country, and at first, we just couldn't find the right boy to really blend with Martin and Raven," recalls Kumble. "Then E.J.'s audition tape popped up, and he reminded me of Rodney Allen Rippy from the Jack in the Box commercials of the 1970s. We flew him out to L.A. to read, and he was great. He has a natural ability and completely sold his relationship with Albert the Pig."
Martin Lawrence was also impressed. "Eshaya's a real cool little guy just starting to get his feet wet, and there's no limit to what he can do," he says.
Rounding out the main cast are Kym E. Whitley, who previously starred with both Martin Lawrence on "Martin" and Raven-Symoné on "That's So Raven" and in this film plays James' wife Michelle, who acts as family diplomat and referee in the battles between husband and daughter; and Arnetia Walker, longtime star of stage and screen, as James' no-nonsense mother, who helps him to see the errors of his controlling ways.
Whitley loved the chemistry that developed on the set. "It was just a great dynamic, because Raven's a ball of energy, Martin has that genius comic timing and I got to be the straight man. It was a really fun combination," she muses. "Michelle is the one who is always saying, `Let's work it out; let's love each other,' so I also enjoyed being the peacemaker in this crazy family."
Arnetia Walker was drawn to the role of playing Grandma Porter because she isn't anywhere near as frail as she might pretend to be-and has a thing or two to say to her son about letting go as a parent. Walker also loved having the chance to work with Raven-Symoné. "When all the little kids in my neighborhood heard I was going to be in a movie with Raven, they were so excited. They didn't even want to hear about what it was like for me-they just wanted to know about Raven! She just has so much appeal to children, and adults love her, too," she observes.
TRAVELING COMPANIONS:
A PIG ON A COLLEGE ROAD TRIP?

James may try to keep a tight grip on his whole family, but the one Porter family member he definitely can't control is his son's pet-a little piglet named Albert who becomes a surprise squealing liability on the road trip. To play Albert, the filmmakers recruited a whole pack of Vietnamese potbelly piglets from Birds and Animals Unlimited, each readied for the comedic role under the tutelage of leading animal trainer Jim Warren, whose work with pigs includes one of the greatest pig roles of all time: Wilbur in "Charlotte's Web."



Warren ultimately trained eleven pigs-3 different teams of 3 to 4 individual pigs who each played Albert at various times during COLLEGE ROAD TRIP. "We had to have eleven pigs because baby pigs grow at a such a fast rate-about 2 pounds a week-we needed a lot of pigs to make sure Albert was always the same size throughout the 3-month shooting period," explains the trainer.
Warren notes that pigs have a naturally high intelligence level and adore working, so long as there are treats involved! His pack of piglets worked for months, learning their moves to perfection, while packing on the pounds. In the end, even the film's most seasoned stars were amazed at their ability to perform. "Those pigs were so smart, they blew me away. They knew their lines before I knew mine," laughs Kym E. Whitley.
Throughout the filming, home for the piggies was a local farm. "People always ask us where they go at night," says Warren. "We made sure before we came to the location that there would be a facility for them where they could come home from work and actually run around and be piggies. Because after the filming was over, we knew we wanted to find good homes for each of them."
Some of the pigs were bitten by the show biz bug and are now doing a live animal show at Universal Studios Florida. The rest were all sent off to blissful new lives as beloved family pets. "One example is a couple who took 3 of our pigs and built a custom indoor enclosure, complete with a pond and palm trees for them," notes Warren. "They even have a `piggy door' so the pigs can go inside the house and hang out with their family and other pets. All of the homes have a similar story and commitment from their new owners, and there are lots of happy pigs."
It was in the big wedding-tent scene that Warren's trained piglets really got their chance to shine, or snort as the case may be. Skittering over tables, chairs, and laps, while wreaking absolute havoc, they clearly had a ball. "Every one of these pigs is a real character, and this was their big moment," sums up Warren.
Another larger-than-life character who comes to the fore in the pig-ravaged wedding tent (and later in the middle of a putting green) sequence is Joseph Gannascoli-familiar to many as Vito from "The Sopranos"-as Mr. Arcara, who suffers a series of slapstick indignities throughout the film with unimaginable grace and forbearance. For the wedding scene, Gannascoli spent five straight days with most of his face and body drenched in a concoction of food starch and paint, blended to resemble melted chocolate. "It's all part of the job," Gannascoli laughs." That chocolate stuff really didn't feel as bad on me as I thought it would. In fact, it kind of cooled me off a bit. But if I ever have to be covered in chocolate again, I should take a shower at night instead of in the morning. Because when I woke up, there was chocolate all over my bedding."
HITTING THE ASPHALT:
THE ROAD TRIP KICKS OFF IN STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

When Melanie Porter heads out with her father on their COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, she has her heart set on Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., far from the family's Illinois home, but just the perfect place for a young woman with dreams of one day becoming a powerful lawyer. But first, she makes stops at Georgetown rivals such as Northwestern University outside of Chicago-the closer-to-home college James hopes to convince her, by hook or by crook, to choose-and the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
While Melanie and James cross the country, the production stayed largely inside just one state: Connecticut, which is so rife with picturesque private academies, prep schools and colleges it was able to provide all the backdrops needed for a varied college trip to myriad campuses, as well as the lovely country roads on which James Porter makes many a wrong and troublesome turn.
No matter where they went in Connecticut, Roger Kumble worked closely with his behind-the-scenes team-including director of photography Theo Van de Sande (who first worked with Kumble on "Cruel Intentions"), production designer Ben Barraud and costume designer Francine Jamison-Tanchuck-to keep the look of the film light and fun.
Though the trip mostly stayed on the roads and campuses, it also involved a number of carefully choreographed comic set pieces- including one in which James' police vehicle rolls itself out of commission down a precarious hill; one in which a pig sloshes his way through a wedding buffet; and one in which a golf cart plows through Georgetown's Greek Week Games.
Perhaps the most adrenaline-pumping of them all was the uproarious scene in which James and Melanie find themselves unexpectedly airborne-forced to jump their way into Washington, D.C., with a gung-ho skydiving team. "The skydiving sequence was a super-fun set piece," says Ann Marie Sanderlin. "From the first time someone mentioned the word skydiving, we could all see Raven and Martin flying through the air. Then, our costume designer, Francine, did a wonderful job designing outfits that were really eye-catching and funny. Finally, we brought in an aerial coordinator who helped us to pull off actually shooting in the air."
Raven admits she got a personal thrill from filming the skydiving scene, but adds: "Hopefully, audiences will learn the lessons that Melanie and James have to learn the hard way-and maybe they won't have to jump out of plane to see that everyone needs to have the room to grow up!"
Roger Kumble echoes that sentiment, summarizing: "No matter how many wild, comic situations Martin and Raven face in this movie, we always kept the focus on telling a father-and-daughter story."



ABOUT THE CAST
MARTIN LAWRENCE (James Porter) has established himself as one of America's most popular actor/comedians with starring roles in such hit movies as "Bad Boys" and its sequel "Bad Boys II," "Big Momma's House" and "Big Momma's House II," "Blue Streak," and "National Security." Lawrence's many other screen credits include "Do the Right Thing," "House Party," "Talkin' Dirty After Dark," "House Party 2," "Boomerang," "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" (which he also co-wrote and directed), "Nothing to Lose," "Life" and many others.
Lawrence was last seen in Universal Pictures' "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, which was released in February 2008. Last year, he starred opposite John Travolta, Tim Allen and William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs," the hit comedy about four middle-aged bikers who hit the road in search of their lost youth. Lawrence also voiced the character of Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear who has his perfect world turned upside down, in Sony Animation's "Open Season." Lawrence was the executive producer of the STARZ original series "Martin Lawrence Presents: First Amendment Standup," a comedy program that showcases new talent.
Lawrence began his career as a stand-up comedian, gaining major attention at Hollywood's legendary Improv, and shortly thereafter won a performance spot on TV's popular talent showcase "Star Search." Columbia Television executives, impressed by his "Star Search" appearance, offered Lawrence his first acting job, a regular role on the sitcom "What's Happening Now!" He was then personally chosen by music mogul Russell Simmons to host the groundbreaking showcase for young comedians HBO's "Def Comedy Jam." Lawrence worked on the show for two seasons and is credited with helping promote a new generation of stand-up comics, including Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans, Steve Harvey, and Cedric the Entertainer.
The actor/comedian went on to co-create, executive produce and star in Fox Television's "Martin." The hit sitcom, which ran from 1992-1997, earned three NAACP Image Awards, and is one of several series which helped solidify the fledgling Fox network within the industry.
Lawrence has also starred in two hugely successful concert films: "You So Crazy" and "Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat" and has recorded a Billboard Top 10 concert album and the Grammy® nominated "Funk It."
RAVEN-SYMONÉ (Melanie) is one of Hollywood's most powerful and talented young stars. She is best known for her role in the Emmy® nominated comedy series "That's So Raven" for the Disney Channel. She played Raven Baxter, a teenage girl who periodically received brief psychic visions of the near future. Trying to make these visions come true resulted in trouble and hilarious situations. Her role as Raven garnered two NAACP Image Awards and a third nomination this year for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's series/special, two Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Television Actress and a Young Artist Award for
Outstanding Young Performer. "That's So Raven" was nominated for two primetime Emmy Awards® for Outstanding Children's Program in 2005 and 2007 and was nominated this year for a NAACP Image Award. Raven-Symoné was named producer for the series' fourth season which aired in 2007.

On April 22nd, she will release her fourth solo album, "Raven-Symoné," on Hollywood Records.
Raven-Symoné's film credits include: Garry Marshall's "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," opposite Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, "Dr. Dolittle" and "Dr. Dolittle 2" opposite Eddie Murphy. Her role in "Dr. Dolittle 2" earned her two award nominations, a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress and a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Female Star.
On television, Raven-Symoné starred as Olivia on the critically acclaimed series "The Cosby Show" for which she received the Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Nine. She also starred on the comedy series "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" for four seasons. Both shows were on ABC.
Raven-Symoné starred on four Disney Channel Original Movies: "Zenon," "Zenon: Z3," "The Cheetah Girls" and "The Cheetah Girls 2." She received a Black Reel nomination for Best Actress and served as an Executive Producer for "The Cheetah Girls 2." Raven-Symoné continues to voice the role of Monique on Disney Channel's animated action/comedy "Kim Possible."
Raven-Symoné released her third solo album, "This is My Time" in 2004 on Hollywood Records. She also performs on the gold-certified soundtrack for "That's So Raven" and the double platinum-soundtrack for "The Cheetah Girls," which clinched 2004's #2 top-selling soundtrack. Raven-Symoné released her first hit single, "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of," when she was five years old. That same year, she debuted on Broadway with the Boys Choir of Harlem for their 25th anniversary celebration. She toured with N'Sync to support her second CD, "Undeniable."
As an innovative entrepreneur, Raven-Symoné created a "how to" online destination for teens and tweens, RavenSymonePresents.com. The site features an easy-to-use video player and playlist where users can discover new content. The video clips feature Raven-Symoné personally demonstrating an array of useful tips and project ideas for her fans and supporters.
Raven-Symoné is a humanitarian who addresses issues of concern to children. She is very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Raven-Symoné is also involved with Girls Incorporated, a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold by providing vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Additionally, she is involved with the Aviva Family and Children's Services, an organization that provides lifesaving and life-affirming services to thousands of children and families who have suffered within the Los Angeles community every year. Raven-Symone was honored with their Spirit of Compassion Award in 2006.



DONNY OSMOND (Doug) began his illustrious career in entertainment at the age of 5, and by 13, he had already collected 18 gold records, eventually earning a grand total of 33 throughout his career, with sales of over 80 million albums. He recently released his 55th record, "Love Songs of the '70s," which shipped gold in the
U.K. His starring role in Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" broke records during its 6-year run of 2,000 performances. During his 40+ year career, Donny has been a singer, actor, triple-threat television series host (talk show, game show, variety show), best-selling author (his autobiography
entered the U.K. bestseller chart at #1 last year), commercial spokesman, motivational speaker, and even a race car driver. Reflecting his multigenerational worldwide fan base, his Web site, donny.com, receives a staggering 120-million-plus hits annually. Last year, he starred on Broadway as Gaston in "Beauty & the Beast," hosted two television series on British television, performed at "The Concert For Diana" (seen worldwide by 2 billion viewers), served as special correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" to "Dancing With the Stars," and, along with his siblings, appeared on a special episode of "Oprah" to celebrate his family's 50th anniversary in show business. Currently he is on "ET" again nightly reporting on "American Idol," is about to embark on a sold-out 50th anniversary tour of the U.K., Australia and Asia with his siblings, and his upcoming summer series of reunion concerts with his sister Marie at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas has been sold out since last Thanksgiving. Donny and Debbie, his wife of 28 years, have five children and two grandchildren.
BRENDA SONG (Nancy) has been a familiar face to Disney Channel viewers since she was six years old. Currently she is starring as London Tipton in Disney's hit show "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," and she will reprise her character in the spin-off series titled "The Suite Life on Deck." Before this, she had a recurring role as Tia on Disney Channel's "Phil of the Future." She also starred in the original Disney Channel movies "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior," "Stuck in the Suburbs," "Get a Clue," and "The Ultimate Christmas Present." She has also guested with her COLLEGE ROAD TRIP co-star Raven-Symoné on "That's So Raven."
Among her other guest-starring credits are "George Lopez," "The Bernie Mac Show,"
"Seventh Heaven," "One on One," "Judging Amy," and "Once and Again." On the big screen,
she has appeared in "Like Mike," "Leave It to Beaver," and "Santa With Muscles." Brenda was born in Carmichael, California, to a Thai mother and a Hmong father. She now
lives with her family in a suburb of Los Angeles. She was named an All-American Scholar in
ninth grade and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.


ESHAYA DRAPER (Trey) makes his feature-film debut with COLLEGE ROAD TRIP. He has appeared in numerous television commercials, print advertisements and in a PSA for global warming.
Eshaya is nine years old. He was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and now lives in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is a student at the George Street Playhouse Academy. His hobbies include roller skating, basketball, soccer, drawing, and board games. He is an auxiliary member of a nonprofit organization who is actively involved in his community. Recently, he held his first lemonade-stand sale. All proceeds were donated to charity.
KYM E. WHITLEY (Michelle) first appeared with Martin Lawrence in 1995 in a guest appearance on his sitcom "Martin." She also played Raven-Symoné's Aunt Vicki in two episodes of "That's So Raven" on The Disney Channel.
Whitley was born in Sudan, Khartoum, to parents who were American missionaries. Upon the family's return to the U.S., Kym was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and educated in Nashville at Fisk University. She co-starred with James Avery, Terence Howard and Robin Givens on the series "Sparks." Among her other TV appearances were recurring roles on "My Wife and Kids," "The
Parkers" and "The Boondocks," as well as guest shots on "Reno 911," "Grey's Anatomy," "Married with Children," an Emmy®-nominated episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and numerous others. Her films include "Next Friday," "Fun With Dick and Jane," "The Perfect Man," "Along Came Polly," and "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps." She received a BET Comedy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Box Office Movie for "Deliver Us From Eva."
In addition to her acting career, she is a multitalented stand-up comedienne and producer, with her own production company, Kwick Whit Productions.
ARNETIA WALKER (Grandma Porter) was born in Columbus, Georgia and was attending New York's prestigious High School of the Performing Arts when she was cast in her Broadway debut, "The Sign in Sidney Brustien's Window" by Lorraine Hansberry. She went on to stand by for Stephanie Mills as Dorothy in the original Broadway run of "The Wiz." In 1987, she starred in the Broadway revival of "Dreamgirls" in the role of Lorrell Robinson, and she eventually achieved the distinction of being the only woman to have played all three of that show's principal characters.
Ms. Walker's films include "For Love of the Game," "Love Crimes," "Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills," and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." She also appeared in the HBO movie "Cast a Deadly Spell." She has worked extensively in television, including as a series regular in "The Big House," "Camp P," and "Nurses," and as a guest star in "Everybody Loves Raymond," "City of Angels," "Touched by an Angel," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Just Shoot Me," and "NYPD Blue." She is married to real estate investor Elliott Francis, and they have one child, Trevor.


MARGO HARSHMAN (Katie), though still young, has appeared in numerous films. She starred in "Simon Says," opposite Crispin Glover, and played the title role in "Hiding Victoria." Among her other films are "Rise," "Legacy," "Keith," and "Parental Guidance Suggested."
She has appeared often on The Disney Channel. During 1999-2002, she was a series regular on "Even Stevens," which is still shown. In 2003, she was in the Disney Channel movie "The Even Stevens Movie." In addition, she had the lead role in the 2003 TV movie "Recipe for Disaster," with John Larroquette and Lesley Ann Warren, as well as guest-starring roles on "Without a Trace" and "Everwood," and a recurring role on CBS' 2004 sitcom "Center of the Universe" with John Goodman.
Margo was born in San Diego and grew up in La Costa and Orange County, where she also attended college.
MOLLY EPHRAIM (Wendy), a senior at Princeton University, is making her motion-picture debut. Broadway audiences have recently seen her as Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods" (which she also played in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre) and Bielke in "Fiddler on the Roof." At the Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia, she played Gerda in "The Snow Queen."
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
ROGER KUMBLE (Director) is a graduate of Northwestern University. He began his career as a playwright and director in 1993 with the Hollywood satire "Pay or Play," which garnered him the LA Weekly Award for Best Comic Writing. His second play, 1997's "d girl," starring David Schwimmer, earned him four Dramalogue Awards. In 2003, Kumble completed his Hollywood trilogy with the critically acclaimed "Turnaround," again starring David Schwimmer, which sold out its entire run in Los Angeles.
Kumble made his feature-film directorial debut with 1999's Sony Pictures box-office hit, "Cruel Intentions," starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair, which he adapted from Choderlos De Laclos' "Les Liasons Dangereuses." He followed this in 2002 with Sony Picture's "The Sweetest Thing," starring Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate. In 2005, he directed New Line Cinema's "Just Friends" starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Ferris, and Amy Smart. In addition, he created the television series "Manchester Prep" and directed an episode of Showtime's "Out of Order."
ANDREW GUNN (Producer) was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and made the move to Los Angeles to attend the Annenberg School for Communications at The University of Southern California, graduating with an M.A. in 1995.
Through his Disney-based GUNNfilms, which was started in December of 2000, Gunn produced Walt Disney Pictures' "Sky High" (2005), "Freaky Friday" (2003), "The Haunted Mansion" (2003) and "The Country Bears" (2002). He also executive produced the platinum selling soundtrack to "Freaky Friday." He also served as the Executive Producer of "Minutemen" starring Jason Dolley ("Cory in the House"), which premiered on the Disney Channel in January 2008.
Currently, Gunn is in preproduction on "Bedtime Stories" starring Adam Sandler and directed by Adam Shankman ("Hairspray"), which will start filming on February 11, 2008, and on "Witch Mountain" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb and Carla Gugino and directed by Andy Fickman ("The Game Plan"), which will start principal photography on March 17, 2008. Among other projects in development is "Snow and the Seven" to be directed by Francis Lawrence ("I Am Legend").
Gunn is also responsible for finding and hiring the writers of the Disney Writer's Program. Before starting his own company, Gunn spent three years in charge of development and production for John Hughes at his Disney-based Great Oaks Entertainment. During that time he contributed to such films as "101 Dalmatians," "Flubber" and "Home Alone 3." He was also Co-Producer of Hollywood Pictures' "Eddie" starring Whoopi Goldberg.
He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Julia, who is Vice President of Programming and Development for Lifetime Television, along with his daughter Isabelle and son Connor.
ANN MARIE SANDERLIN (Executive Producer) is head of development at GUNNfilms. She serves as executive producer on all of the company's upcoming films, including "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler, "Witch Mountain" with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and "Snow and the Seven," to be shot in China and directed by Francis Lawrence, the director of "I Am Legend." Additionally, Sanderlin manages the Disney Writers' Program, which consists of five comedy writers with overall deals with the studio that generate material solely for Disney's live-action label. The idea for COLLEGE ROAD TRIP came out of this group. Sanderlin got her first job in the film business as a production assistant in 1995 when the HBO film "The Tuskegee Airmen" filmed in her hometown of Muskogee, Oklahoma. She earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas and, after moving to Los Angeles, entered the agent-trainee program at William Morris' famous mailroom. In 1998, Andrew Gunn hired her to be a creative director at Ricardo Mestres Productions, and she subsequently joined Gunn at his company GUNNfilms in 2002. Since that time, she has co-produced "Freaky Friday" and executive produced both "Sky High" and the currently airing Disney Channel original movie "Minutemen."
In 2005, MICHAEL GREEN (Executive Producer), the co-founder of The Firm, one of the most successful management companies in entertainment history, set out to create a new kind of venture, one that would draw on his extensive experience managing talent, negotiating deals and packaging projects. Green's goal was to move beyond a transaction-based business and form a company that would generate unprecedented opportunities for his clients, cultivate new avenues for the distribution of content and create a diverse and dynamic portfolio of assets. To help realize his vision, Green recruited three of Hollywood's top manager/ producers/consultants: Jeff Golenberg, Former Head of Talent at 3 Arts Entertainment; Sam Maydew, Former President of PopArt Entertainment; and Aaron Ray, Founder and CEO of Nine Yards Entertainment and a former Senior Vice President of The Firm.
The result is The Collective, a full-service, 21st Century Management and Production Company, whose clients include Academy Award® Winner Forest Whitaker, as well as diverse talents such as Martin Lawrence, Eddie Izzard, Emile Hirsch, John Leguizamo and Katt Williams. Within just two years of assembling this senior team, Green has helped steward several top films, television shows and DVDs; acquired key assets which speak to niche audiences; and secured financing and packaged several high-profile film projects.
The Collective has produced feature films such as "Big Momma's House 2" and "Are We Done Yet?" as well as TV shows such as HBO's "The Pimp Chronicles" and MTV's hit "Wild `n' Out." In addition, the company has acquired assets, including Salient Media, a full-service production and distribution studio at Vivendi/Universal; Payaso Entertainment, whose mandate will be to sign new talent, as well as develop and produce content that speaks to the English-speaking Latino experience in America; and Bloody-Disgusting.com, the world's leading horror and thriller genre website. The company is also producing and handling domestic sales for "Powder Blue," starring Forest Whitaker, Jessica Biel and Ray Liotta.


In 1997, Green broke away from a senior manager position to start The Firm with copartner Jeff Kwatinetz. While there, Green oversaw a powerhouse film lineup that included Martin Lawrence, Vin Diesel and Ice Cube. On the music side, he developed and managed some of the biggest-selling artists in recording history, including Enrique Iglesias, The Backstreet Boys, Michael Jackson, Korn, and Limp Bizkit. In 2000 Green was successful in getting a $200 million valuation on The Firm. Continuing to build or acquire licensing, animation, apparel and beverage divisions, The Firm grew into a full-service media company. Green was the first CEO of a management company to successfully acquire and relaunch an apparel brand, Pony.
Prior to founding The Firm, Green was a Senior Manager at Gallin--Morey Management and a Partner at Irvin Arthur Associates. Green has represented some of the biggest names in comedy including Jim Carrey, Richard Lewis, Ellen DeGeneres, Margaret Cho, Sam Kinison, Andrew "Dice" Clay, Rosanne Barr and many others.
ANTHONY KATAGAS (Executive Producer) is a native New Yorker who has quickly developed a reputation as one of the most prolific New York City-based filmmakers. He entered the film industry as a production assistant and moved up into the ranks of the assistant directors He worked on over 20 independent films including Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet," Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," Denys Arcand's "Stardom" and the Robert Evans documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture."
In 2000, Anthony Katagas formed Keep Your Head Productions, committed to the development and production of film in his hometown of New York City. Through Keep Your Head, Katagas has produced three films by Michael Almereyda: "Happy Here and Now," "This So-Called Disaster" and "William Eggleston in the Real World." In addition, he produced "Blackbird" by Pulitzer Prize-nominated Adam Rapp, as well as "Second Best" and "Homework." Next up through Keep Your Head is "Ostrich Incident" for writer Glenn Gers.
Katagas was co-producer of Lee Davis' "3 AM," Ray Mckinnon's "Chrystal," Adam Rapp's "Winter Passing" and Ben Younger's "Prime." He bears credit as executive producer on Lasse Hallstrom's "The Hoax," James Gray's "We Own the Night" and Griffin Dunne's "The Accidental Husband." He recently produced Vadim Perlman's "In Bloom" and James Gray's "2 Lovers," which will star Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow. He has just signed on to produce Wes Craven's next picture for Focus Features in 2008.
In 2004, Katagas was nominated for an IFP Independent Spirit award, which honors filmmakers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent film.
CARRIE EVANS (Screenwriter) was born and raised in Los Angeles, where her father was a stuntman. She studied at Cal State Northridge, and after graduation held a series of jobs in Hollywood: a page at Paramount, an assistant to TV writers, and an assistant film editor on commercials. Her first produced writing credit was an episode of the Disney Channel animated series "Teamo Supremo."
They began writing specs scripts together. At their interview for the Disney Writer's program, they pitched the idea for COLLEGE ROAD TRIP and were hired to write it while in the program.
EMI MOCHIZUKI (Screenwriter) was born in Los Angeles and raised in Santa Barbara. She studied at the University of California at Davis, where she majored in International Relations and Japanese. Her first job out of college was as an assistant to Oliver Stone. She met Carrie Evans when they were both working as assistants at Castle Rock Films. They began writing together and came up with COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, which they subsequently developed under the Disney Writers Program.
CINCO PAUL (Screenwriter) was born in Phoenix and studied at Yale, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English. Upon moving to Los Angeles, he received a fellowship grant to attend the screenwriting program at USC.
His credits with Ken Daurio include Touchstone Pictures' "Bubble Boy," Disney's "The Santa Clause 2," the German film "Wo Ist Fred?," and the upcoming animated feature "Horton Hears a Who." He will be making his own college road trip with his 16-year-old daughter this spring and is already working on the mix tape.
KEN DAURIO (Screenwriter) moved to Hollywood at the age of 8 with dreams of becoming a filmmaker. A year later, he was well on his way, making animated short films and special effects-driven movies with his secondhand super 8 camera. Straight out of high school he began directing music videos for up-and-coming bands like Blink 182, AFI and Jimmy Eat World. Six years and over 100 music videos later, he teamed up with Cinco Paul to write his first feature script. Its sale solidified his partnership with Paul, and the two have been writing together ever since. Their films include "The Santa Clause 2," the German film "Wo Ist Fred?," Touchstone Pictures' "Bubble Boy" and the forthcoming animated feature "Horton Hears a Who." Daurio has three children who are all years away from heading off to college. Thank heavens.
THEO VAN DE SANDE (Director of Photography) marks a reunion with director Roger Kumble on COLLEGE ROAD TRIP. He also shot Kumble's first film, "Cruel Intentions." Van de Sande, a graduate of the Dutch Film Academy, began working as a director of photography in his native Holland in 1972. Since then, he has been a DP on more than fifty feature films and nine feature-length documentaries. For his work on Dutch features, documentaries, and shorts, he has twice received the prestigious Golden Calf award.
Van de Sande relocated to Los Angeles in 1987. Since then, he has worked with directors as diverse as Robert Wise, Garry Marshall, Joan Micklin Silver, Lasse Hallstrom, Penelope Spheeris, Carl Franklin and Mick Jackson. Among his feature films are "Crossing Delancey," "Miracle Mile," "Once Around," "Volcano," "Blade," "Cruel Intentions," "High Crimes" and "Out of Time."
His contributions to American television include "Tuesdays with Morrie," the pilot episode of "The Practice," "The Riches" and five episodes of "October Road."


BEN BARRAUD (Production Designer) trained as a photographer in New Zealand at the Otago School of Fine Art. He began his film career as a prop master in New Zealand and continued after he relocated to the U.S. From there, he then moved into art-directing commercials and soon was art-directing films. Ben was the art director on several forthcoming features including "Awake," "An Accidental Husband," and "The Nanny Diaries." COLLEGE ROAD TRIP marks his second film as a production designer; the first was the 2005 feature "Angel," which was shown on HBO.
FRANCINE JAMISON-TANCHUCK (Costume Designer) was born in St. Louis and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and Los Angeles.
She became a costume designer on the TV film "Eye of the Sparrow" in 1987. Her first film as costume designer was "Glory" in 1989. Since that time, her many films have included "White Men Can't Jump," "Boomerang," "The Distinguished Gentleman," "Corrina, Corrina," "Courage Under Fire," "Sister Act 2," "The Negotiator," "Big Momma's House," "Kingdom Come," "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties." Forthcoming are "This Christmas" and "Perfect Christmas."
ROGER BONDELLI (Editor) began his career in the mailroom of a Los Angeles television station while still in high school. After being promoted into the film department there, he continued to work at the station through college. He then joined Spelling-Goldberg Productions as an apprentice and moved up to assistant editor for five years, working on a variety of series, pilots and MOWs until he became a full-fledged editor.
His films include "Must Love Dogs," "Eurotrip," "Dickie Roberts," "Anna and the King," "Ever After," "George of the Jungle," and "Bye Bye Love," as well as many others. Among his impressive list of television credits are two seasons with the popular series "Moonlighting," for which he was nominated for an Emmy® Award in 1986 and won the Emmy® in 1987; one season on "Designing Women," for which he received another nomination; a season on "Midnight Caller," which garnered him yet another Emmy® nomination; and two seasons on "Brooklyn Bridge," which brought Bondelli two A.C.E. Eddie Awards and another Emmy® nomination in 1992.