Keke Palmer

Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy-drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, six NAACP Image Awards, and nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was included on Time magazine's list of most influential people in the world in 2019. Palmer made her acting debut in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004). She later appeared in the television film The Wool Cap (2004) and had her breakthrough starring in the drama film Akeelah and the Bee (2006). She progressed as a prominent child actress with roles in Madea's Family Reunion (2006), Jump In! (2007), The Longshots (2008) and Shrink (2009). She released her debut studio album, So Uncool, in 2007. Palmer received recognition for her roles on Nickelodeon, such as portraying the titular character in the sitcom True Jackson, VP (2008–2011), providing the voice of Aisha in the Nickelodeon revival of Winx Club (2011–2014), and headlining the television film Rags (2012). Following her work in the musical drama film Joyful Noise (2012) and the animated adventure film Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), Palmer made her transition to mature roles with the VH1 original biographical film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story (2013), and subsequently starred in the thriller film Animal (2014), the comedy horror series Scream Queens (2015–2016), the drama series Berlin Station (2017–2019), the slasher series Scream (2019) and the crime drama film Hustlers (2019). In 2021, she received a Primetime Emmy Award for her roles in the series Keke Palmer's Turnt Up with the Taylors. Since So Uncool, Palmer has released three extended plays: Lauren (2016), Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 1 (2019) and Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 2 (2020). She hosted the talk show Just Keke (2014) and co-hosted the talk show Strahan, Sara and Keke (2019–2020) alongside Sara Haines and Michael Strahan; Strahan, Sara and Keke earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host. In 2020, she hosted the MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the first woman of color to host the event.

Palmer released her debut album, So Uncool, on September 18, 2007, through Atlantic Records. Apart from her work in music, Palmer is also a recognized actress. In June 2019, Palmer became a guest co-host of ABC's daytime talk show Strahan and Sara, filling in for Sara Haines while she is on maternity leave.