It has been quite some time since we've seen Keke Palmer in action. However, with recent roles in the films CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story and Scream Queens, she continues to prove that she fails to disappoint.
Her talent is undeniable and charisma infectious but her baby face and past as a child actor sometimes makes it difficult for her to break the mold from back in her Akeelah and the Bee and True Jackson VP days. Don't be fooled though, Keke has been in boss mode since 2014 when she became the youngest talk show host in history with her BET debut of Just Keke. Though proud of her past, Keke lets us know her future is bright as she gears up for her latest role, starring in her first feature film Pimp.
She plays the role of Wednesday, a lesbian pimp whose main drive is to protect her prostitute mother and girlfriend on the hard streets of the Bronx. Wednesday grows up learning the game from her dad and takes it upon herself to continue the legacy. KeKe elaborates:
"I did films earlier on in my career but once I was an adolescent, I did a lot of children-themed stuff. And for Christine [producer], it was just not a fit for Wednesday and Keke Palmer. But my mother and I just knew we had to figure out a way to get her to see I have what it takes to do this role."
She sat down with The Wrap and explained that she took it upon herself to study the culture of hustling back in her hometown in Illinois, digging far into herself to channel the rawness and emotion it would take to play such a gritty and controversial character. She proved to the movie's producers that she had the skills that it took to transform mentally and physically for the role of Wednesday. She committed to grueling days in the gym, and even decided to shave her head to really emulate her character.
"Over the course of the three years, from the time I just read it [the script] when I was 19, and now I'm about to be 23, I really did a lot of research... within myself because I knew I would have to go very deep in order to take on such a role like this. I would have to face a lot of my dark truths to be able to reach that point of understanding and having empathy for this life that Wednesday had no choice but to be in."
Keke's hard work paid off as she was able to see her movie played at The Tribeca Film Festival with her supportive parents by her side. Additionally, executive producer Lee Daniels pushed for the film to debut on the big screen and on-demand in selected cities. This victory resulted from Keke staring the fear of change in the face and letting her creativity lead her in the process of being a more seasoned actress:
"What it is to be a creative, what it is to be an artist is to know when to explore those different shades of who you are because we are not just one people. We can decide who we want to be at any given moment, and I think that is a bigger message that I am always trying to send, that you can change who you wish to be."
Get ready to see Keke show off the talented multifaceted woman she is becoming today in Pimp.
Pimp is out in select theaters now and will be available on demand. Check out the trailer below.
'Pimp' trailer starring Keke Palmerwww.youtube.com
Featured image by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images
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- Keke Palmer is a 'Pimp' in exclusive trailer | EW.com ›
- Keke Palmer Stars As A Lesbian Pimp In New Film: Watch The Trailer ›
- How Keke Palmer's Role in 'Pimp' Helped Her Graduate From Kids ... ›
- Watch A Trailer For Lesbian Love Drama 'Pimp,' Starring Keke ... ›
- 'Pimp' Review: Blaxploitation and Lesbian Love - The New York Times ›
- Keke Palmer Is A Lesbian Pimp In New Lee Daniels Movie | Keke ... ›
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To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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