Source: Cindy Ord / Getty
Keke Palmer stepped into Club Shay Shay to talk about being a child star, chasing her career, and understanding her parents’ sacrifices. The One of Them Days star opened up about what it was like to be homeschooled, flubbing an audition, and navigating Hollywood as a child.
Palmer spoke passionately about her parents setting aside their own entertainment dreams to support their family, being able to send her sister to FAMU stress-free, and wanting Black Hollywood to lean on one another. The Master of Me author is selective with her roles as a mother and a Black woman.
Keke Palmer Club Shay Shay Interview
She described the way faith uplifted her at times when she had to make tough choices. She advocated for child performers. Palmer described the pressure that they are under to maintain decorum and objectivity in intense situations. “There’s no way to be a kid there,” she said. Palmer talked about her dedication to supporting her community and the joy that comes from people continuing to connect with her work. She also explained why she felt compelled to speak on reproductive justice and PCOS.
See more of Palmer’s conversation with Sharpe below.
She Inspired Her Mother To Face Her Travel Fears
When Palmer had to travel to Montreal for a television movie called The Wool Cap, her mother was nervous about accompanying her, but the child star’s confidence allowed her mom to move past her concerns. “My mom told me later on; she said I was so scared to go out there,” she said. Her mother said, “I was so scared, but when I looked at you and I knew that you weren’t afraid to do it, that made me say well I got to let this go.”
That level of commitment inspires Palmer’s own parenting style. “It’s the same for me. I found so much strength and things that I never thought that I could overcome,” she said.
Her mother found her voice in the process, protecting Palmer by ensuring she received the amount of schooling she was entitled to on set.
She blew the audition for Are We There Yet?
Palmer has been stealing the show on major productions since she was a child. She thought she was a shoo-in for the Ice Cube movie Are We There Yet? After slaying Barber Shop 2: Back In Business, she assumed the role was hers. But the audition did not go well. “I just did the barber shop like I got to get Are We There Yet? And I knew when I did the audition it just wasn’t right; something wasn’t right about it,” she said. “I knew it didn’t go well.”
Her mom kept it real with her. “She just said ‘you weren’t ready.’ And that’s something that my mom has always told me is that timing is everything,” said Palmer.
Later, the timing was right for Ice Cube and Keke Palmer to work together on The Longshots where he imparted advice to her she never forgot.
She didn’t sweat it when the pilot for “Keke and Jamal” was passed on
Most people would crumble when the show they worked on did not get picked up. Keke was confident in her growth as a performer. She felt bad for the studio who missed out on her talent. “I’ve always had this relationship with myself where there’s a voice inside my head that would say well they f’ed up,” she said.
True Jackson, VP was picked up three years later proving that Keke could carry quite the franchise. “Once that hit the air, it was up, and it was stuck,” yelped Palmer.
People still call her Akeelah in public
The public can’t part with Palmer’s breakout role in Akeelah and the Bee. It was not a box office smash, but it became a cult classic. The inspiring 2006 film inspires people to scream at her on the street. “They come up to me like Akeelah!”
Fans also love to quote the line, “Stop popping that gum!”
“That still is the most popular thing that people do when they see me,” she said with a bright smile.
Her then-agent dismissed her when she expressed concerns about having her first kiss on screen
Twelve-year-old Palmer spoke to her representative when she was nervous about kissing a seventeen-year-old on screen. “I was like you know I’m scared about this. This is weird and she was like well you know Megan Good had to kiss Samuel L. Jackson in Eve’s Bayou and I was just like huh,” she recalled.
The experience made her wish there were more mental health resources afforded to child performers. “There’s a weird thing that happens with kid entertainers where we have to literally dissociate so much as an adult would in the workplace in ways that’s not normal or common,” she said.
“I’ve always said to my mom that I wish that there was more therapy for kid entertainers on set.”
She was a fan of Tyler Perry before they worked together
Palmer shared memories of watching Tyler Perry’s taped plays at her Uncle Ronald’s house. When Perry’s company reached out for Madea’s Family Reunion, she was thrilled!
“I was like oh my gosh Tyler has called us,” she said.
She once forgot the lyrics on Broadway
Palmer is a consummate professional, but she once had an off day.
“I was doing Broadway and you know what happens is you kind of go like blank in your mind when you doing so many shows like that. Because you get used to the fact that I know what I’m doing and they rehearse you and rehearse you and rehearse you so, so much that you’re like I got this, and you can actually leave your body,” she told Sharpe. That phenomenon is referred to by stage actors as “going into the white room.”
“One night I left my body doing ‘a lovely night, a lovely night, and I was like oh what kind of night is it,” she was horrified. The conductor quickly helped her get back on track and the audience was none the wiser.
“Honey, it was the strangest thing.”
DON’T MISS:
7 Things We Learned From The Lisa Raye And Carlos King Interview
Keke Palmer Slays Three Looks In One Day While Promoting Her New Book
