Raven Goodwin Shares How She 'Channeled' These 2 Stars for Her “Good Luck Charlie” Audition (Exclusive)

Raven Goodwin is opening up about her Disney Channel audition.

While promoting her holiday film Style Me For Christmas, now streaming on BET+, the actress, 32, tells PEOPLE about her audition process for the hit Disney Channel original series Good Luck Charlie, which ran from 2010-2014.

"So Good Luck Charlie was amazing. That whole cast, they've always been super sweet,” Goodwin begins. “I love comedy so much. And I love Disney-style comedy."

Goodwin goes on to say that her comedic sensibilities for the audition were influenced by none other than Disney darling Raven-Symoné, who most famously led the groundbreaking series That’s So Raven for the network from 2003-2007.

"I grew up on That's So Raven, so playing over there, you know, I channeled my Raven-Symoné and took all of her genius comedic advice," says Goodwin. And though she clarifies that she didn’t speak with Raven-Symoné "personally," Goodwin notes that "watching her over the years" gave her an idea of what the network was looking for.

"I kind of knew what Disney liked and what works over there," she shares. "And I learned that from her and Kyle Massey and Orlando Brown and all of those kids that were over there at the time, I was definitely studying them. So when I went in the audition for Disney for Good Luck Charlie, I knew exactly what they wanted."

Goodwin also highlights a surprising celebrity connection to her Good Luck Charlie audition — reality TV star Lauren Conrad.

"I remember I went in with like ... I just started wearing blazers. I was just transitioning my wardrobe. So, I went in with a slick ponytail. What [show] was out at the time? The Hills! So I had that aesthetic: that kind of Lauren Conrad, very chic, red nails, you know, hair to the back," she recalls.

"And so that was my aesthetic and I went in there like business, but my audition was crazy!" Goodwin continues. "I went crazy in there, and [the Disney representatives] were like, ‘Can you come back? Do the same thing, but can you just wear something more kitsch, crazy and young?’ So I did one of those numbers and booked it!"

Over the four seasons of the show, Goodwin recurred as Ivy Wentz, the best friend of Teddy Duncan, played by the show’s lead Bridgit Mendler. When asked if she and Mendler (who notably retired from acting and music to pursue higher education and entrepreneurship) keep in touch, Goodwin says there’s nothing but love between them.

"I'm super happy for her! When I left Good Luck Charlie ... I knew she was going to go on to do great things. And the fact that she was even pursuing her education in the midst of her being a huge Disney Channel star at the time was super admirable," she shares.

In addition to Style Me For Christmas, Goodwin also starred in the Ryan Murphy-helmed thriller Grotesquerie alongside Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance and Travis Kelce in his debut acting role.

While speaking with PEOPLE at her holiday party on Dec. 21, Nash-Betts, who plays Detective Lois Tryon, gushed about Goodwin and revealed that she co-signed Goodwin’s casting.

"Raven was my first choice to play my daughter [Merritt Tryon,]" Nash-Betts recalled. "I think she's so talented and I went to the Met, I was like, ‘Ryan, this is the girl.’ Love her so much."

Read the original article on People