Keke Palmer was already a star long before bursting the screen in Nope, the horror epic from director Jordan Peele. Released in 2022, this blockbuster against a background of threat from the sky earned a new consecration to the actress who became known at the age of 11 on the Nickelodeon channel. The one who is also a singer, podcast host and owner of a digital channel looks back on a year that marked her in more ways than one.
Where are you right now in the world?
Right now, I’m in New York, a city that I love. I live between here and Los Angeles, where I work most of the time.
You spent time in New York, especially when you co-hosted the show Good Morning America.
I loved the GMA chapter!
It is precisely on television, on the set of Saturday Night Livethat you revealed your pregnancy.
In fact, I didn’t quite know how to announce it. Having a child is something very intimate. I felt like it was never the right time, but I preferred people learning about it from me. Besides, it was really fun to unveil my baby bump during my opening monologue on Saturday Night Live. It will be a good memory for my child.
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It’s a legendary start for your child, indeed!
Yes, I’m so happy for him! Pregnancy is one hell of an experience. I remember my doctor telling me: “Pregnancy is not a disease. It’s a natural thing! No need to go there as if you were walking on eggshells. »
How does your companion, Darius Jackson, experience this new stage?
He is really an incredible support on a daily basis. This is a first for both of us and so far we have not been disappointed with the trip. I have a very demanding and very solitary career. do it Saturday Night Live, for example, it is an extraordinary chance, but it is also very difficult for a multitude of reasons. Already, it’s a unique moment in a career, so it requires a lot of preparation. I gave myself to it thoroughly and, inevitably, I was less present for my loved ones. But Darius never left me during this period. He is very selfless and always makes sure that I feel loved and cared for. I think that’s all you can expect from a life partner. Especially since I never really had that kind of support from my family.
This year has also been rich in emotion for you on a professional level. Nope was critically acclaimed. Has this experience changed you, or changed the way people see you?
I definitely think it changed the way people see me. The audience doesn’t know what you’re capable of until you step out of your comfort zone. For twenty years that I have been doing this job, I have changed, evolved and grown as an actress. Having new opportunities on a larger scale has made me an even stronger version of myself.
You also launched your own television network, KeyTV, and your podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer. How do you see yourself in your professional future?
I wish I could say I have a sick strategy, but there’s too much of a chance it will go wrong. I rather try not to project myself too much beyond a month or two, because otherwise I can no longer concentrate on the present moment.
I learned that I was doing it Saturday Night Live only three weeks before. At least it allowed me to fully concentrate on the event and not think about what happened next. So, you see, I don’t project myself that much. Everything that has happened in my life, especially this year, has been ordered by forces beyond me. I leave it up to God, to the universe, because all that, I couldn’t have written it down, you know what I mean? I don’t have such a developed imagination. If someone had told me last year that I would be pregnant this year, I would not have believed it. I would have been happy but at the time, it was not yet on the agenda.
On Twitter, your fans rejoiced at the news. You have received a lot of love.
Yes ! It gives me life. [Rires.] I, who have been producing for so many years, it touches me a lot that people feel that. It is enormous. It brings me so much joy to see them rejoicing over the news with me.
The public appreciates you for many reasons. Already, there are your movies and your shows. Then there’s the honesty you show on social media and in your podcast. You talk about your struggles, your flaws, your daily thoughts. The fact that so many people are watching and listening to you, is that a burden? A privilege ? Or both ?
Both. Of course, I don’t always have something deep to share. And when everyone takes what you say at face value, it can be a little stressful. I don’t want to disappoint, or draw attention to the wrong thing. So yes, it can be a burden because I want to do things right. There’s a big community behind me and it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.
Who are your heroes in the business?
Director Tyler Perry, 100%. I admire him enormously. What he does, no one has ever done it this way. He shows black artists the way forward. Every time someone criticizes him, it pisses me off. It’s unfair, we already have so few creators at this level. People expect him to reflect an entire community. But he has an art, a style and a vision of his own. He is talented and he is successful in what he does. I can also cite Jordan Peele, Donald Glover and Issa Rae. There is only the embarrassment of the choice.
Where I have great respect for Tyler is that he managed to do the hardest thing for anyone, white people, black people, men, women, everyone: he directs, produces, embodies and distributes its own films. This is true freedom. He employs young people, he employs people of color, he builds something. It does not have a price. I want people to understand that the real power is this notion of ownership. It’s working so as not to have to sell. That’s what I would like to do. I would like to create something that can last.
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This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Adaptation Sandra Proutry-Fiddler