Keke Palmer, 'Cinderella' Star Interview 2014; Actress Talks Dealing with Hate on Social Media, Being 'Sexy' & Pressure to Be Perfect 'Not Trying to Be' [PHOTOS]
At only 21-years-old, triple threat performer Keke Palmer has accomplished more than her young-Hollywood peers and some of the actresses who came before her. She's starred 40 television and movie roles, became the youngest person to ever host a talk show and now, is starring on Broadway as the first African American woman to play "Cinderella." At this point, accomplished is an understatement. Still, underneath all of the success is a young woman who is growing and living life out loud, the best way she knows how.
Early last week, our Enstars Exclusives writer caught up with the star in between shoots and her busy Broadway schedule in a brief phone conversation. The two chatted about her budding career, the pressure to be perfect and dealing with hate on social media. Sure, drama may come and go, but Keke will always be, "Just Keke."
See the Evolution of Keke Palmer's Red Carpet Style
Gia Peppers: You are on Broadway now, and killing it! Every review that I've heard has been phenomenal. I saw the emotion on your face from the pictures of opening night, tell me what you were feeling in that moment.
Keke Palmer: It was such a hard process. I knew that Broadway was going to be grueling, it was going to be different and it was going to teach me a level of discipline that I had never experienced before. But, at the same time, you never really know what to expect until you go through it. So, going through the process was so overwhelming and I was so nervous because I just wanted to get it right. But, on that first night when I went out there, and everybody was standing and clapping for me... I was like, "You know what girl, give yourself a break. You did it! You did it! You proved it to yourself that you could do this."
I was just so happy. That's why I was crying and overjoyed. I felt like I could finally give myself a break and give myself a well-deserved pat on the back.
GP: With all that you've accomplished this year, do you feel pressure to be perfect? How do you deal with that?
Keke Palmer: I naturally feel the pressure that other people put on me for their idea of perfection, because I am what people view as a "good role model." It's not something I try to be, I just try to be honest with myself. I just try to live my life for God. So, I think a lot of the time people confuse that with being perfect or with being somebody that's got it all together, but it's quite the contrary. I'm somebody who knows they don't have it all together; I'm just trying each and every day to live life in the fullest way possible, while still loving and respecting myself.
GP: Exactly. You've literally grown up in front of everyone's eyes. Recently, you starred on "Masters of Sex" proving your versatility as an actress. But, would you consider yourself to be sexy?
Keke Palmer: (Laughs) No! I don't look at myself and say, "Yasss, girl you're sexy!" Every now and then I'll be at home and say, "Yasss mama! You did that!" If I had a type of sexy, my type of sexy would be more Cameron Diaz. So, yes, I'm not an ugly woman but I'm more so silly and goofy. Being comfortable in myself is what makes me come across most attractive. I'm not a like an Angelina Jolie type of sexy that oozes sex with every single step I take. I'm more so like, "Hahaaa! I made you laugh!" type of sexy.
GP: Exactly. So, you cut your all of your hair off-- which looks amazing on you by the way. What made you decide to change it up?
Keke Palmer: Girl, I was so tired of my hair. I was like, I'm tired of my hair, I'm tired of the weave. I wanted something that I could enjoy and play with, so I told them to cut it off of me! I'm like, "I'm 21 now, I'm about to cut this hair off of me. You ain't got nothing to say about it!" I feel independent. I feel like myself. I feel like I finally look like how I feel inside.
GP: You mentioned your mom and it seems like you two have a super-close relationship. How do you all separate business and personal, to make sure that you aren't at each other's throats?
KP: I mean, I don't really know how we separate it because we definitely had our outs before. In my teenage years, we weren't close at all. We've definitely had our moments... I guess we just figure it out. My mom loves me and I love my mom! I think that's the main thing that allows us to get through it, it's that love.
Loading
my mother, acting coach & manager.
GP: Exactly. So, you cut your all of your hair off-- which looks amazing on you by the way. What made you decide to change it up?
Keke Palmer: Girl, I was so tired of my hair. I was like, I'm tired of my hair, I'm tired of the weave. I wanted something that I could enjoy and play with, so I told them to cut it off of me! I'm like, "I'm 21 now, I'm about to cut this hair off of me. You ain't got nothing to say about it!"
I feel independent. I feel like myself. I feel like I finally look like how I feel inside.
GP: You mentioned your mom and it seems like you two have a super-close relationship. How do you all separate business and personal, to make sure that you aren't at each other's throats?
KP: I mean, I don't really know how we separate it because we definitely had our outs before. In my teenage years, we weren't close at all. We've definitely had our moments... I guess we just figure it out. My mom loves me and I love my mom! I think that's the main thing that allows us to get through it, it's that love.
GP: I love that. Fans met you when you starred in "Akeelah and The Bee." Since then, you've moved on to other amazing things but how did you avoid the "curse" of the child star?
KP: I have a close relationship with God. I always talk to Him about everything and I have a really good support system. My parents are really awesome... Now, that doesn't mean I am perfect. I always say that because I think that people just assume because I'm not in the tabloids that I've never had any issues-They've just never been public. I've gone through stuff with my parents before and things that any normal teenager would go through, it's just I've always kept a more private life.
GP: You have a huge fan-following on social media, but you also aren't afraid to put the negative ones in check... I see your posts all the time!
KP: I feel that a lot of times, especially when you are a celebrity, people feel like they have the right to have an opinion on things that most people shouldn't have an opinion on. For example, I posted on my page that I wanted to date a guy that's like Tupac before he went to jail. A lot of people started a conversation saying, "Well, he never changed." It's like, look... People always want to combat what you say and have an opinion about what you say.
But, at the end of the day, you can't have an opinion about the type of person that I want to date. For you to try to comment and change my mind... makes you look silly as hell! Would you argue with a friend over the type of guy she wanted to date?
GP: Would you say that social media is the worst part of being a celebrity?
KP: Social media CAN be, it can be, but you have to learn to not let it bother you. Sometimes it annoys me simply because I am the type of person that has reasons for everything I do. When somebody tries to combat my reasoning, it gets under my skin simply because I know why I say what I say, and why I do what I do.
I'm not the type of person that is very black and white. I keep my things in shades of grey, so when people try to combat my emotions and things that can't be combatted, it annoys me because they simply feel they have a reason to, because what I say is heard more than theirs. I don't like that, I feel like I'm being attacked for no reason. But, at the end of the day, it's something you have to deal with and it kind of comes with the territory. I love social media for being able to touch the people that actually care and have love for me. But, I don't like it when people try to anger me.
To keep up with Keke, follow her on Twitter @KeKePalmer and purchase tickets to see her on Broadway, here!
Gia Peppers is an entertainment reporter and pop culture connoisseur who resides in Brooklyn, New York but calls Maryland home. To keep up with her, follow her on Twitter @GiaPeppers.
