Keke Palmer Overview
Lauren Keyana Palmer, known as Keke Palmer, was an American actress, singer, and television personality, who was born on August 26, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois, to Sharon and Larry Palmer, both former professional actors. She has been passionate about both singing and acting since she was a child and went on to appear in a host of films and television shows. She took the entertainment world by storm with her performance in The Wool Cap and Akeelah and the Bee. She played the lead role in the TV series True Jackson, VP, and was currently a main cast member of another show, titled Scream Queens. She was also the voice of a main character in the Ice Age animated movie series.
Started Her Career
As a child, Keke Palmer urged her mother to let her sing solo in the church choir. At the age of five, she surprised everyone with her rendition of Jesus Loves Me. At the age of six, she gave a solo performance in her kindergarten play and moved the audience with her voice. When she was nine, she auditioned for the stage production of The Lion King. During this time she begged her family to move to Los Angeles so that she could seek more acting opportunities. Even though she was very passionate about singing since she was a child, she got her first break in 2004 as an actor, in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. She played the niece of the character played by Queen Latifah.
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Career Trajectory
Six weeks after relocating to LA, Keke Palmer booked a role in an episode of the CBS series, titled Cold Case in 2004. Within a year, she appeared in a national K-Mart commercial and was selected via a national search program to play opposite William H. Macy in the movie The Wool Cap. During this time, in an attempt to establish herself as a singer, she participated in the American Idol spin-off series, named American Juniors, which was later canceled. In 2005, she was signed by Atlantic Records and released her debut single, All My Girlz, which was later included in the soundtrack of Akeelah and the Bee. The same year, she appeared in the television film, titled Knights of the South Bronx, and also made guest appearances on three TV series, including Second Time Around, ER, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2006, she was cast in the lead role of Akeelah Anderson in the award-winning film, titled Akeelah and the Bee. She charmed critics and the audience with her portrayal of a poor bright girl who attempts to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The same year, she also performed in front of thousands of people for the first time, in Carson, California for VH1's Save the Music Battle of the High School Marching Bands competition. In 2007, she got the lead role of Mary in the Disney Channel Original Movie, titled Jump In!, which featured her songs It's My Turn Now and Jumpin'.
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Become A Talk Show Queen
In 2008, Keke Palmer was cast in the lead role in the Nickelodeon sitcom, titled True Jackson, VP, which was considered one of her major works. During the series, she became the fourth highest-paid child actor on TV, with a $20,000 salary per episode. She also performed the theme song for the show. From 2011 to 2014 she had a main voice role in the Nickelodeon series, titled Winx Club. She also lent her voice to the character Peaches in the 2012 animation movie, titled Ice Age: Continental Drift.
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