00:00Now it's the sit down with Kyla Pratt.
00:02Hi, Kyla.
00:03The fourth and final season of The Proud Family,
00:06Louder and Prouder, premieres July 29th on Disney+.
00:09This is really big.
00:10When you stepped into the booth to record,
00:12what was the vibe, nostalgia, excitement,
00:14or something else entirely?
00:16The vibe when I am stepping in the booth
00:18to be Penny Proud is always amazing.
00:21It's complete nostalgia.
00:22I think I was talking to my kids earlier this week
00:26about, you know, getting older
00:27and how you can still stay a kid inside
00:29and I've had the pleasure of being able to do that,
00:34especially just energy-wise,
00:35but also to have something like The Proud Family
00:38to connect me to my younger self.
00:41So for me, every time I step in the booth,
00:43it's just like, it just feels amazing.
00:45But then once you realize, like, you know,
00:47these things don't last forever,
00:48it's kind of like you take it in a little bit more.
00:51Morning, family!
00:53The first season premiered 25 years ago,
00:56so this has been a part of your life for a long time.
00:58What has been the most surprising part about saying goodbye?
01:02Luckily, I'm the type of person,
01:04I find the good in everything.
01:06I understand that I have been very blessed and fortunate
01:09to be a part of something like The Proud Family
01:12and not only be a part of it,
01:14but be able to revive it and live it a decade later.
01:21You know, not a lot of artists get to experience playing a character
01:24that they started when they were 14.
01:27It's Penny Proud, y'all!
01:29You know, filming this show when I was a teenager,
01:32I didn't like my voice.
01:33I was like, how am I auditioning for a voiceover?
01:37How is this happening?
01:38And I was like, I'm gonna get fired.
01:40Like, they're not gonna like this.
01:42But you know, we're our own biggest critics.
01:45Got to talk about the guest stars this season.
01:47They are epic.
01:48Mariah Carey, Chloe Bailey, Ali Wong.
01:51Who are you most excited for?
01:53We record and every time I walk in,
01:55they're like, yeah, you know,
01:55we got so-and-so for this episode.
01:57And I'm like, what?
01:58Like, how did you do that?
02:00Having people return like Leslie Oldham
02:03and Chloe Bailey just being like this sweetheart
02:07that she is and a legend like Mariah Carey.
02:09Like, we already have a cast of like absolute legends in my eyes.
02:14So just to add more to it is like, I can't wait for you
02:17to see the craziness that these people bring.
02:20Being a Disney alum is such a unique experience.
02:23Only a select group of actors can relate to that.
02:26Who have you connected with the most to share stories,
02:28maybe even swap advice?
02:30When I think of Disney, I think of Raven Simone,
02:34was fortunate enough to be her sister in Dr. Doolittle.
02:38And for me, Raven was the face of Disney.
02:41Like, I was a cartoon character and I had maybe the voice.
02:46But for me, you know, seeing a young Black woman
02:49navigate that space and become a director
02:52and producer and writer,
02:54I would say we have an unspoken bond.
02:56So whenever I see her or see her doing anything,
03:00I support it and I'm just happy that, you know,
03:04she's living how she's living, you know?
03:05Black representation matters, period.
03:08And the Proud family really pioneered Black representation
03:11in animation.
03:12Now that you have kids of your own,
03:13how much more meaningful does this all feel?
03:16Oh, I think Black representation is everything.
03:18I'm a strong advocate for mental health.
03:20And I believe once you're able to see yourself,
03:23you're able to feel not alone.
03:25And a lot of times our stories weren't meant to be told.
03:28Back in the day, it was like, hey, blonde hair, blue eyes,
03:32that's what's beautiful.
03:33And if that's all you saw, you know,
03:34of course you're gonna compare yourself to that.
03:36But when you are able to grow up
03:38and see characters who look like you
03:41or characters who've been through similar things
03:43or have similar dynamics or use the same lingo,
03:47it's enough to make you feel like,
03:49okay, I'm not alone in this world.
03:50My daughters, I'm just really big on their mental health.
03:54I'm really big on them understanding that, you know,
03:56society's gonna move a certain way
03:58and that's, and sometimes that may not be for you
04:01and it's okay.
04:02Just reminding them every day, like, hey,
04:04everything you see is not for real.
04:06People are gonna doubt you, especially with who you are,
04:10with where you come from, with the way you look,
04:12the color of your skin, your gender.
04:15You know, it's okay for people to doubt you.
04:18You just show them how you get it done, you know?
04:21Okay, to finish, we're gonna put 10 seconds on the clock.
04:24Tell everyone why they should watch
04:25The Proud Family louder and prouder.
04:28Ready? Go.
04:29It is everything that you think it is gonna be.
04:31It is gonna be loud, it's gonna be proud,
04:33it's gonna be crazy, it's gonna be fun,
04:35it's gonna be heartwarming.
04:37We might be done, but there's more to come.
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