Keke Palmer Feels She Was Diminished During Her Child Stardom as ‘the Black Girl on the Network’

With critical and box office hits like 2022’s “Nope” and the new theatrical release “One of Them Days,” Keke Palmer is stepping into her star-era, and according to her, it’s been a long time coming.

In a recent interview with The Cut, Palmer reflected on her time as a child actress in films like “Akeelah and the Bee” and the Nickelodeon show “True Jackson, VP.” While many of her peers received a great deal of attention of similar work, Palmer always felt a bit ignored.

“I wasn’t necessarily in the same conversations as Victoria Justice or Selena Gomez or Miley Cyrus at that time,” she said. “It was very much ‘That’s the Black show’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network.’” 

At the time, Palmer was only 15, so this was not only hard to understand, but to cope with emotionally.

“There is a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you’re treated differently that I’d accepted a long time ago,” said Palmer. She added later of how she feels now, “I don’t compare myself to anyone. But I definitely don’t compare myself to any white person.”

Palmer has also become more involved in shaping the material she’s a part of, as she recently served as an executive producer on “One of Them Days” in addition to starring alongside SZA. The script for the film, written by Syreeta Singleton, went through the normal round of studio drafts, giving Palmer the chance to put her own spin on the material.

“I had to really be specific about what needed to change, what the jokes were going to say, what story we’re telling about where these two characters come from,” she told The Cut. “I was more than just an actor doing the role. I really cared about the project as a whole.” 

Another project she’s looking forward to getting out there is Boots Riley’s second feature directorial effort, the dark comedy “I Love Boosters.” The film is described as a satire of consumerism and the culture it creates, but even beyond the material, getting the chance to collaborate with a creative visionary like Riley was enough to draw Palmer to the project.

“He’s so unique. He talks about real issues but makes them digestible in this poignant and fun way,” said Palmer. In teasing the four women “I Love Boosters” revolves around, she added, “They’re trying to make a living in a world that feels impossible to make a living in. You can’t make the world care about you. You just can’t. But if you try your best, you can build a community and fight for things you want.”

“I Love Boosters” will also feature Demi Moore, Eiza González, Poppy Lio, Naomi Ackie, Will Poulter, LaKeith Stanfield, and Taylour Paige, and is produced by Annapurna Pictures and Neon.

“One of Them Days” is currently in theaters from Sony Pictures.