Kyla Pratt was the definition of Americas sweetheart in the late 90s and 2000s for Black millennials.

Her early roles showed the multifaceted and expansive experiences of Black girlhood. She had spunk as the tomboy-ish hooper Monica Wright in Love and Basketball. She showed us what it looked like to advocate for yourself while coming of age as Breanna Barnes in One on One. And she affirmed us in The Proud Family when she said Im Penny Proud, Im cute and Im loud, and I got it going on.

The 35-year-old is in a canon of young actors, along with Raven Symon and Keke Palmer, who played a pivotal role in early aughts television by helping Black girls see themselves in the characters they portrayed. In a lot of ways, Pratt is the blueprint. The powerhouses making the most creative and innovative TV today, including Issa Rae and Quinta Brunson, grew up watching Pratt. And those who didnt still stand on her shoulders.

Pratt, who began her acting career appearing in Nike commercials at 8 years old, said she didnt set out to make such a significant impact. She just wanted to act. It just happened by virtue of the kinds of roles she chose.

My mom is an actress, so I enjoyed watching her work, and I wanted to be like Mommy, she said. And literally everything I auditioned for, I was that young girl, I would let you know if something was too grown for me.

Ive just been very fortunate to be a part of projects that people still care about.

Pratts distinctively South Los Angeles voice is bringing new life to her beloved animated character in a reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Nearly 20 years after the final episode aired, original creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar have revived the show to explore life for a pubescent 14-year-old Penny Proud for a 10-episode season.