Disney star finds her voice
NEW YORK If you’ve seen images of Keke Palmer on the red carpet in recent years, it’s clear the performer who charmed audiences as a child in Akeelah and the Bee and Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP has grown into a sultry star who knows who she is.
“People don’t understand. Nickelodeon, Disney Channel — those are corporations. That is a machine and it’s a well-oiled machine. … Not only when you work with them are you working on their show, but you’re working with their brand. So you become that identity in which they want you to be,” the actress said. “There’s rules and regulations and so they pigeonhole you when the reality is, ain’t nobody that PG!”
It’s that kind of real talk Palmer, 23, shares in her new book, I Don’t Belong to You: Quiet the Noise and Find Your Voice. She says one goal was to let readers know that just because she’s in the public eye doesn’t mean she’s perfect.
Q Why did you decide to be so honest in the book?
A I was like, “I don’t want to hold back,” and not even so much because of my story, but more so because I wanted people to know the truth so they could apply it to their lives. I didn’t want to gloss anything over. I wanted them to know the truth about me, you know, so they could put themselves in my shoes and realize that just because they know me or recognized me or that I’m a celebrity to them, doesn’t mean that we’re not the same.
Q Who has inspired you?
A Rihanna. She’s a pop icon saying how she feels. We would always see and hear people not really saying how they felt, saying what I feel like they wanted us to hear them say. And I really loved her courage, her courage to say how she felt. And I remember writing that to her in her DMs (direct message), I was like, “Rihanna, you inspire me so much with your ability to just have courage in who you are and speak your truth. I want to be like that. I want to be able to say how I feel and I love that you do that.” And she wrote me back and I actually say that in the book. She’s like, “Keke, you are a light. Continue to embrace God’s anointing and you will be all that you want to be.”
Q Season 2 of your show Scream Queens recently wrapped airing. What’s next?
A I’m also getting more into production, producing and, hopefully, directing. I wrote my first script two years ago. I’m working to get that done. I’m hoping to also be a conduit for others. Queen Latifah has done so much for me. I want to be in the position of someone like her giving opportunities to other people.
I wrote my first script two years ago. I’m working to get that done. I’m hoping to also be a conduit for others.