Why Keke Palmer Has Always Been the Ultimate IT-Girl!

Lauren Keyana Palmer otherwise known as Keke Palmer is an American actress, singer, and media personality known for iconic on-screen roles, but there is so much to her that makes her an IT-Girl aside from her talents.

Keke Palmer has had experience working in Hollywood beginning in the early 2000s. We’ve been fortunate to watch her grow and evolve in the entertainment industry while also staying humble and true to herself with her genuine personality. With that being said, why do people love Keke as much as they do? Is it her on-screen talents or her off-screen personality? We’d say both!

Palmer is known for some iconic movie roles in films such as Akeelah and the Bee, Disney’s original film, Jump In and 2019’s Hustlers. The 2006 drama, Akeelah and the Bee was the first movie gig she starred in and some of her most memorable work; making it a breakthrough role for Palmer. She later starred in Jump In in 2007 and continued acting in movies and television, jumping from Nickelodeon to Disney projects. As she continued perfecting her craft, she secured the role of Mercedes in the 2019 crime comedy-drama, Hustlers and Izzy Hawthorne in this year’s Lightyear by Disney.

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One of the most iconic and underrated Nickelodeon shows is the 2008 original series, True Jackson VP, starring the one-and-only, Keke Palmer. She made history with this role as the first black woman to star in a Nickelodeon series, she also performed the show’s theme song and almost every episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience.

By fall of 2014, the 22 year old at the time, became Broadway’s first black Cinderella. In addition to that, she was also the first African-American Pink Lady in the Live production of Fox’s Grease in 2016 as the sassy, Marty Maraschino. Both of Palmer’s performances were huge trailblazing moments full of some much-needed black representation.

Palmer joined the talk show, GMA 3: Strahan, Sara and Keke, in August 2019 alongside Michael Strahan and Sara Haines on ABC Network as part of the Good Morning America program. Like most daytime television programs, it ended in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. However, Palmer is still the youngest talk show host we have seen, being only 25 at the time!

It’s well-known that Palmer is hilarious, making her loved for more than just the projects she’s been a part of. Her personality is incredibly vibrant, some even calling her a “walking meme”. Nearly three years ago, Palmer did a lie detector test with Vanity Fair where she was asked about former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney where she responded with the iconic line, “I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous, I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.” and it was everywhere! A similar “meme worthy” Palmer quote came to be while she was interviewing other celebs for Vogue at the 2021 Met Gala, specifically Megan Thee Stallion. Check it out!

It’s no secret that Palmer’s talent has always been able to speak for itself. The actress took part in some off-screen roles with voice-over acting in shows such as Aisha in Nickelodeon’s Winx Club, Netflix’s Big Mouth and its spinoff Human Resources, and Disney’s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder as Maya Leibowitz. Her work as Big Mouth’s ‘Rochelle the Hate Worm’ nominated her for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in Television.

Palmer is only 28, almost 29, yet her stellar track record speaks for itself. The talented actress has five NAACP performance awards under her belt in addition to a 2014, BET YoungStars Award. If that isn’t impressive enough, she has also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series last year for her role as Barbie in the comedy series, Turnt Up with the Taylors. Well done Keke!

A huge reason why Keke is loved by so many is because she is a huge advocate for inclusivity and a big face of representation for the black community. She constantly makes time for her fans and so many individuals appreciate how incredibly sweet she is to everyone, but specifically her younger fans. Making everyone around her feel special. In this TikTok, you can see her meeting a young black girl, Cami, who has the same hair as her. Something as simple as them “matching”, as Keke says, is the much needed representation people have been longing to see within the public eye. Check out the adorable interaction!

@camifrobabe Reply to @.issa.marri Cami meeting @KekePalmer ♬ original sound – CamiandFamily💕

If you’ve been keeping up with Keke in the last couple years, you know how much she loves writing songs and singing. Almost as a form of escapism for her. When you are able to align your passions with your career, that’s when you know you’ve really done something special, and that’s exactly what Keke did. She can be found singing in season three of HBO Max’s Legendary and it is quite literally, legendary! In addition, she also sang a Christmas classic, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” in Illumination’s 2021 film, Sing 2, and it hits just as much as it does in December! She’s even created some original music of her own in an album entitled Virgo Tendencies. We love to see it.

Last but certainly not least, Palmer is currently starring in the number one box office movie, NOPE (as if her previous accomplishments weren’t impressive enough). The Jordan Peele film stars Palmer alongside Daniel Kaluuya. Peele actually wrote the role of Emerald with her specifically in mind; admitting she didn’t have to audition in an interview with CBS. That’s when you know you’ve made it. Incredibly well deserved Keeks!

@cbsmornings Writer and director Jordan Peele says he immediately had actress @kekepalmer in mind for the role of Emerald in his new film #Nope. #entertainment #movie #kekepalmer #jordanpeele #horrorfilm #movietok #director #writer ♬ original sound – CBS Mornings

What’s your favorite thing about Keke Palmer?! Let us know on Twitter @AfterBuzzTV!