Keke Palmer biography

Synopsis

Early Years

Actress, singer. Born Lauren Keyana Palmer on August 26, 1993 in Harvey, Illinois. From an early age, Palmer wowed audiences at her church in her hometown of Robbins, Illinois.

Performing is certainly in Palmer's genetic make-up. Her parents, Sharon and Larry Palmer, who met in drama class, had both worked as professional actors before settling into more regular full-time jobs. Lawrence went on to have a career at a plastics manufacturing company while Sharon worked with middle school age autism students.

The jump from church stage to the big screen happened quickly for Palmer. She earned valuable experience and exposure performing at a stage show at a popular Chicago tourist destination.

From there, Palmer was cast for a small role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), in which her aunt was played by Queen Latifah. Palmer's role in the film encouraged her parents to relocate the family to California, so Keke could pursue a career in show business

"I knew opportunities would pop up if I just kept on trying," said Palmer, who unsuccessfully auditioned for a Broadway show at age 10. "I talked it over with my sister, and I didn't have anything to bribe her. I asked her, 'Please?' I knew she was excited about going to high school and I didn't want to take that away from her — but I really wanted my dream to come true. She said, 'You're really talented, and I think this could be good for you.' "

Commercial Success

It wasn't long before those opportunities came. Palmer's early credits included a string of appearances on several television shows, including ER, Cold Case, and Law & Order.

In 2004 Palmer starred opposite William H. Macy in the made-for-television movie, The Wool Cap, a performance that earned her the distinction of becoming the youngest actress ever to be nominated for Best Leading Actress by the Screen Actors Guild.

Other work soon followed, including Madea's Family Reunion (2006) and Akeelah and the Bee (2006), which tells the story of a young girl and her pursuit of the National Spelling Bee championship. The film starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett and garnered Palmer significant critical praise. The soundtrack also featured Palmer's first recording, "All My Girlz".

That song helped propel Atlantic Records to bring Palmer into the studio for more recording time. The singer's first album, So Cool, a mix of R&B tracks, was released in 2007.

In recent years Palmer has continued to maintain a full acting schedule. In 2007 she co-starred with Sam Jackson and Eva Mendes in n The Cleaner. A year later she headlined The Longshots, a film that tells the true story about the first girl to quarterback an all boys football team in the Pop Warner nationals.