Keke Palmer was born on August 26, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois, and raised in Robbins, Illinois, to Sharon and Larry Palmer, both former actors. At a tender age of five, she showcased her impressive vocal skills by belting out "Jesus Loves Me" in her church choir.
A year later, Palmer had a solo in her kindergarten play, but her mic wasn't adjusted to suit her height. Without missing a beat, she lowered the mic and moved the crowd with her heavenly voice. This moment marked the beginning of her family's realization that there was something special about Keke.
Although music was her passion, Palmer's first big break came through her acting skills. She made her big-screen debut in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) as Queen Latifah's niece. Recognizing her star potential, the film's producers encouraged her parents to relocate to California to explore other acting opportunities.
Relocating required her parents to leave behind the security of their jobs, a newly purchased home, and uproot their other three children. However, it didn't diminish the family's support of Palmer's aspirations. Once settled on the West Coast, she didn't waste any time, booking an episode of the critically acclaimed CBS series Cold Case (2003),a national K-Mart commercial, and a TNT movie, The Wool Cap (2004).
Her performance earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination, making her the youngest actress ever to receive a nomination in a Lead Actress Category. In 2006, she appeared as the lead character "Akeelah Anderson" in the critically acclaimed film Akeelah and the Bee (2006),which won the hearts of audiences everywhere.
Palmer's breakthrough performance received praise from many film critics and organizations. She won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture by the Black Movie Awards. She also received nominations for Most Promising Newcomer by the Chicago Film Critics, Best Actress by the Black Reel Awards, and Best Young Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
That same year, she appeared in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006),which was #1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks. Palmer went on to win a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her breakout role in "Akeelah and the Bee". She also received a ShoWest Award for Rising Star of the Year.
Palmer contributed her first recording, "All My Girlz", to the "Akeelah and the Bee" soundtrack and followed it up with the ever popular "My Turn Now" on the "Jump In!" soundtrack. She was also asked to sing "Tonight", an end-title song from the smash-hit Ben Stiller movie Night at the Museum (2006).
Her Atlantic Records debut album, "So Uncool", is jammed with up-tempo R&B tracks, inspirational moments, and love songs. In 2008, Palmer starred in the Weinstein Co. feature, The Longshots (2008). The film was based on the true story of a young female quarterback, played by Palmer, that makes Pop Warner history; she starred opposite Ice Cube, for first-time director and Limp Bizkit front man, Fred Durst.
Palmer also starred as the title character in the hit Nickelodeon series, True Jackson, VP (2008),for 68 episodes. She played a high-school student who becomes the head of a major fashion label. In the fall of 2008, True Jackson bowed with over 4.8 million viewers, setting a record for Nickelodeon's largest audience for a live-action premiere.
She has received four NAACP Awards for Best Actress in Children's Television for her role as True Jackson. In 2011, Keke joined the voice cast of Nickelodeon's Winx Club (2004). She played Aisha, the Fairy of Waves. For her voice work on Winx Club, she received another NAACP Award nomination, this time for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special.
Palmer starred in the movie, Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2012),for the Lifetime Network. She had a voice role in the 20th Century Fox animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012),as the character Peaches. Her co-stars include Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Jennifer Lopez, and Queen Latifah.
Palmer was seen on the big screen in the Alcon/Warner Bros movie, Joyful Noise (2012),singing alongside legendary Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton; however, it was Palmer who the critics singled out for her "young and inspiring" rendition of the Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror".
Palmer resides in Los Angeles, CA.
