10 Things You Didn’t Know About Keke Palmer: From Child Star to Record-Breaking History Maker

Actress and singer Keke Palmer, who’s now starring in the Netflix comedy “One of Them Days,” became a powerhouse of firsts, starting with her starring role in “Akeelah and the Bee,” but here are 10 things you probably don’t know about the 31-year-old performer.

1. She was born Lauren Keyana Palmer in Harvey, Ill., and was nicknamed Keke by her family after an imaginary friend her older sister Loreal had before she was born. Keke’s actress mom Sharon and actor dad Larry are both twins who had twins, Lawrence and Lawrencia.

2. She had a record contract at age 9, and her first movie was two years later, 2011’s “Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” in which she plays Queen Latifah’s niece. The Palmer family then moved to California so Keke could advance her career.

3. Keke’s big break came at age 13 as the title character in 2006’s “Akeelah and the Bee,” for which she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.

4. In 2008, she landed the lead in Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson, VP,” and appeared in more than 50 episodes of the series. She earned $20,000 an episode, making her the fourth-highest-paid child star on TV. Keke even worked with Walmart to create a clothing line called Mad Style by True Jackson in honor of the show.

5. Keke made history as the first African American woman and the youngest person to play Cinderella on Broadway, taking over the role after Carly Rae Jepson’s stint in the production in 2014.

6. At age 20, she hosted “Just Keke” on BET, becoming the youngest talk show host in television history.

7. Keke has a lot of love for her baby boy. She welcomed her first child, son Leodis “Leo” Andrellton, on Feb. 25, 2023, with her ex-boyfriend, Darius Jackson.

8. She has more than 11 million followers on social media and posts about her adventures daily and delights fans with her sassy alter ego Lady Miss Jacqueline on her “Southern Belle Insults” series.

9. Palmer is skilled at giving manicures and loves to give friends amazing nails in her spare time!

10. Keke reveals about herself: “I’m super spiritual, very sensitive, love underdogs, like being barefoot everywhere, and vintage tees make me really happy. Being responsible and dependable is a huge part of my personality, unfortunately!”