Keke Palmer Went From Child Star to Hollywood Leading Lady: Inside Her Remarkable Rise to Fame
And her vibrant personality has made her an internet icon!
At just 12 years old, Keke Palmer starred as a young girl with her sights set on winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee when she took on the title role in 2006’s Akeelah and the Bee, but even before that was the young actress was making herself known in both the film and television world. As early as 2004, Palmer was taking on roles in films like Barbershop 2: Back in Business, followed by appearances in series like Strong Medicine, ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit—and the work she put in as a youngster certainly paid off when she landed the title role in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP as a teenager. The series showcased both her acting chops as well as her impeccable comedic timing, and her teen stardom only paved the way for the fame that would come her way. Having recently starred in the hilarious One of Them Days alongside SZA, read all about the life and career of the now 32-year-old Keke Palmer.
The early life and career of Keke Palmer
In addition to films like Akeelah and the Bee, Palmer’s early career was defined by films such as Knights of the South Bronx (2005), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006), Jump In! (2007) and more before deep diving into television fame with True Jackson, VP the following year. While her time on the Nickelodeon hit taught her a lot, the pressures of stardom and her family’s sacrifices often weighed heavily on her.
“She was climbing a corporate ladder, working a grown-up job as a kid. I felt the same way,” Palmer told The Cut of her on-screen character of True Jackson, a teenage girl who is offered a Vice President position at the fashion company she works for. “I hated my parents for a long time,” she said of knowing that she served as her family’s main source of income. “There was so much pressure to rise to the occasion for my community, for my parents, for my siblings, for their sacrifices. They weren’t saying it, but that was the reality. Because I’m the one that we all came here for.”
In spite of this, her parents served as major advocates for her throughout her young career, the actress explaining during an appearance on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe that her mother was often stepping up to ensure she was getting what she deserved, sometimes to the extent that it would cost her opportunities.
Some of her other notable works throughout her youth include movies like Rags (2012) and Joyful Noise (2012), two films that showed off her vocal prowess.
Is Keke Palmer a singer?
Over the years, Palmer has shown off her singing skills both in her on-screen works as well as in albums and EPs like 2016’s Lauren and her groundbreaking 2023 album Big Boss. What set this particular body of work apart was the fact that it was released via her own label, Big Boss Entertainment.
“I think with labels, there isn’t any artist development,” she told PEOPLE of her past experiences working with various labels prior to her own. “A lot of times they’ll try stuff to throw stuff out, then it doesn’t work and it’s your fault. They don’t really support the artists in being able to discover how to share their voice, how to tell their story.”
What has Keke Palmer been up to?
Though Palmer is busy as a mom to her son Leodis, whom she shares with ex Darius Jackson, that hasn’t stopped her from shining on our screens. In 2022, she starred in Jordan Peele’s Nope. Additionally, she keeps us entertained with her podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer. Most recently, she could be seen in One of Them Days, a hilarious film about two friends whose rent money gets stolen by one of their boyfriends. Going to great lengths to acquire the funds before they’re evicted, Palmer shines alongside famed singer SZA. She also recently starred in The Pickup with Pete Davidson and Eddie Murphy.
Whether you know her as the adorable kiddo from Akeelah and the Bee or have grown to love her vibrant personality that she’s shared with the world in recent years, Keke Palmer is a force to be reckoned with.
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