Keke Palmer Takes Control in New Interview

Keke Palmer dives deep into her creative projects One of Them Days, Master of Me, and her groundbreaking KeyTV Network in an insightful new interview with The Cut.

One of Them Days follows Alyssa (SZA) and Dreux (Palmer) as they navigate a chaotic day in Los Angeles, trying to scrape together rent money. According to Palmer, the script went through four rewrites before reaching its final version. “I had to really be specific about what needed to change, what the jokes were going to say, and what story we were telling about where these two characters come from,” she shared.

When it comes to Master of Me, Palmer explores her experiences as a child star. “Sure, the child-star industry is inherently exploitative, By everything is inherently exploitative. Everything is a problem, and everything is hurting somebody else. No disrespect to anybody else, because everyone else’s experience is valid. But I don’t want to group my experiences with theirs because that’s not how I think. And I think that’s a big part of how I’ve survived,” the actress shared.

Not your ordinary day.

Keke Palmer and SZA attend the New York screening of #OneOfThemDays. Watch it in theaters January 17! pic.twitter.com/6ihQCZfuJB

— KeyTV (@KeyTVNetwork) January 7, 2025

Far from being “just an actor doing the role,” Palmer played a key role in shaping the film, ensuring it remained true to its themes. The result? A heartfelt friendship comedy that doubles as “a story of gentrification, about community, about joy in the midst of hardship.”

The actress revealed that her most relatable role remains True Jackson from True Jackson, VP. “She was climbing a corporate ladder, working a grown-up job as a kid. I felt the same way. She was making it happen for herself independently in the world. Growing up with that character bled over into how I wanted to show up and deal with life,” the producer explained.

My new book Master of Me is out now! I'm wandering through these NY streets talking all about it, holla at your girlpic.twitter.com/Nb7NL8oMOh

— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) November 20, 2024

The actress also opened up about her experience as a Black actress in the industry. “I wasn’t necessarily in the same conversations as Victoria Justice or Selena Gomez or Miley Cyrus at that time. It was very much, ‘That’s the Black show,’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network,’” she revealed.

“There is a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you’re treated differently, and I accepted that a long time ago. I don’t compare myself to anyone. But I definitely don’t compare myself to any white person,” she added.

Palmer launched KeyTV in 2022 alongside her best friend, Nora Addison, whom she met through AwesomenessTV. “It was such a new thing for me when we met to be friends with someone who was my age,” the star stated. “Usually, my friends were people I worked with who were, like, 15 years older than me.”

KeyTV has since become a platform for innovative and inclusive storytelling, reflecting Palmer’s vision and passion for uplifting diverse voices.

You can catch One of Them Days in theaters now and check out Keke Palmer’s full interview with The Cut.