Early Life
Keke Palmer was born Lauren Keyana Palmer on August 26th, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois. She expressed her interest in performing arts at her local church when she was very little. That little church in Keke’s hometown of Robbins was her springboard that helped her build self-esteem and fall in love with acting.
Maybe she got it from her parents. Her parent, Sharon and Larry Palmer, met in drama class. Before deciding to settle with 9 to 5 jobs, both of them worked as professional actors.
Career
After church, Keke Palmer started performing on a stage show at one of the most popular tourist destinations in Chicago. The next step was a huge one for the pre-teen.
She was cast for a small role in Barber 2: Back in Business in 2004 when she was only 11. Playing side by side with Queen Latifah was inspiring for young Keke. After seeing the movie, her parents decided to move to California in their efforts to support young Keke’s career.
This move helped Keke pursue numerous opportunities in show business. She appeared on several TV shows, such as Law & Order, Cold Case, and ER. But the real success came later that year after Keke starred in The Wool Cap – a made-for-TV movie in which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild best leading actress honor.
She also appeared on Madea’s Family Reunion in 2006 and Akeelah and the Bee in 2006. In Akeelah and the Bee, Palmer worked alongside the great Laurence Fishbourne and Angela Basset in a movie that featured Palmer’s first song, All My Girls. Her talents as a singer were recognized by the Atlantic Records label. After signing a contract with them, she released her debut R&B album So Cool.
In the News
Keke Palmer keeps a low profile. Besides the usual new album and roles announcements, she usually keeps to herself. But not so long ago, we could see her speaking out against R. Kelly on her Instagram profile.
For the latest news on Palmer, stick with The Shade Room.
