Lauren Keyana Palmer, known professionally as ‘Keke,’ is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has always loved singing and performing since she was a child. She began her career at the age of nine with a little part in the film ‘Barbershop 2: Back in Business,’ and has since appeared in a number of films and television series.
She wowed audiences with her performances in ‘The Wool Cap’ and ‘Akeelah and the Bee.’ She starred in the TV series ‘True Jackson, VP,’ and she is becoming a regular on another program, ‘Scream Queens.’ She provides the voice of a key character in the animated film series ‘Ice Age.’ She has performed a variety of music in her performances and films, and she has published two studio albums, two EPs, and three mixtapes.
Keke Palmer who is also a philanthropist works with the charity initiative ‘Cool To Be Smart’ to create awareness about education among young children. She has also collaborated with ‘Saving Our Daughters’ and the YWCA to tackle bullying and abuse throughout the globe.
Keke Palmer’s Bio, Age
Keke Palmer was born on August 26, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois, to former professional actresses Sharon and Larry Palmer. Her father is working for a polyurethane firm, while her mother is a high school teacher who works with autistic children.
She requested her mother as a teenager to let her sing solo in the church choir. She stunned everyone when she sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ at the age of five. She did a solo performance in her kindergarten play at the age of six, and her voice touched the crowd.
She auditioned for the theatrical performance of ‘The Lion King’ when she was nine years old. She was not chosen because she was too young for the job, although the casting director commended her abilities.
She wanted her family to relocate to Los Angeles (LA) so she could pursue more acting chances. After discovering that casting directors were willing to cast her, her parents were certain that she had a future in show business.
Career
Keke Palmer has been singing since she was a child, but she received her first break as an actress in ‘Barbershop 2: Back in Business’ in 2004. She portrayed the niece of Queen Latifah’s character.
She landed a job in an episode of the CBS series ‘Cold Case’ six weeks after moving to Los Angeles (2004). Within a year, she had starred in a national K-Mart commercial and had been chosen via a nationwide search program to act alongside William H. Macy in the film ‘The Wool Cap.’ Her acting in the film received great praise.
During this period, she participated in the ‘American Idol’ spin-off series ‘American Juniors,’ which was later cancelled, in an effort to establish herself as a singer. She was signed to Atlantic Records in 2005 and recorded her first song, ‘All My Girlz,’ which was subsequently featured on the soundtrack of ‘Akeelah and the Bee.’
She made her television debut in the 2005 film ‘Knights of the South Bronx.’ In the same year, she appeared as a guest on three television shows: ‘Second Time Around,’ ‘ER,’ and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’
She was cast as ‘Akeelah Anderson’ in the award-winning film ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ in 2006. She captivated reviewers and audiences alike with her portrayal of a poor brilliant child attempting to win the ‘Scripps National Spelling Bee.’ The following year, she had a supporting part in the film ‘Madea’s Family Reunion.’
For the first time, she played in front of thousands of people in November 2006, in Carson, California, for VH1’s ‘Save the Music’ Battle of the High School Marching Bands competition. Later, she appeared in the music video for Ludacris and Mary J. Blige’s song “Runaway Love.” Her song ‘Tonight’ was used as the opening song in the end credits of the film ‘Night at the Museum’ the same year.
She played Mary in the Disney Channel Original Movie ‘Jump In!’ in 2007, which included her songs ‘It’s My Turn Now’ and ‘Jumpin’. She also appeared in the thriller ‘Cleaner,’ opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes.
Her first album, ‘So Uncool,’ was released on September 18, 2007, with the track ‘Footworkin” as the lead single. Despite favorable reviews, the album did badly on the ‘Billboard’ charts.
She was cast as the lead in the Nickelodeon comedy ‘True Jackson, VP’ in 2008. Palmer also sang the show’s theme tune. The same year, she starred in the films ‘The Longshots’ and ‘Shrink.’
In 2010, she switched from Atlantic Records to Interscope Records. The following year, she released her debut mixtape, ‘Awaken,’ which included the hit ‘The One You Call.’ In 2012, she released her self-titled second mixtape.
She was a key character in the Nickelodeon sitcom ‘Winx Club’ from 2011 to 2014. She also voiced the character Peaches in the 2012 animated film ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift.’ That same year, she co-starred with Queen Latifah in the film ‘Joyful Noise,’ and she also produced and featured in the Nickelodeon musical ‘Rags.’
Her most recent major performance was in the Fox horror series ‘Scream Queens.’ Since 2015, she has played the primary role of Zayday Williams for two seasons.
Keke Palmer received early attention for her performance of the lead character in ‘Akeelah and the Bee.’ Some reviews compared the picture to ‘Rocky,’ while others said Palmer stole the film from stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
One of her biggest works is the Nickelodeon sitcom ‘True Jackson, VP.’ During the series, she became to the fourth most paid child performer on television, earning $20,000 each episode.
In 2004, Keke Palmer was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work in the film ‘The Wool Cap.’ She was the youngest actor ever to be nominated for a ‘Lead Actor’ award at the age of 10, and she still holds the record.
She has garnered several awards for her part in ‘Akeelah and the Bee,’ including ‘NAACP Image Awards,’ ‘Chicago Film Critics Association Awards,’ ‘Black Movie Awards,’ and ‘Young Artist Award.’ She has also won four ‘NAACP Image Awards’ for her role in ‘True Jackson, VP.’
Who is Keke Palmer’s Husband?
From 2010 until 2013, Keke Palmer dated Rodney King for three years. She had a crush on him ever since she spotted him on the set of ‘True Jackson, Vice President’ in 2008.
Since October 2013, she has been dating actor Quincy Brown. However, she is now single, according to reports.
What is Keke Palmer’s Net Worth?
Keke Palmer has an estimated net worth of $7.5 million.