Good luck trying to fit Keke Palmer into a tidy category. She is such an extreme multi-hyphenate that any effort to describe her reads like a broken key on your laptop. But let’s try. She’s a child actor (Akeelah and the Bee) who grew into full-fledged leading roles with Nope and Hustlers. She’s written two books (the latest is Master of Me), co-hosted a game show and two talk shows, leads a podcast called Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, and is a singer with Interscope Records. Now, at 31, Palmer has a young son and co-stars with SZA in One of Them Days. She plays a woman trying to navigate calamity and chaos to make rent and arrive at her corporate interview on time. Viewers may have to suspend disbelief because, if they know anything about Keke Palmer, they’ll be pretty certain she’ll emerge victorious. I spoke to Palmer about her image while she was getting ready for an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers—“It’s a lot to do at one time,” she told me, “but I’m trying to give everybody what they need.” Chaotic, but ultimately triumphant. —Linda Wells
I’m not sure that I have a signature look. People notice my voice before they even notice me. My voice is more signature. I just asked somebody the other day what is it about my voice that people recognize, because when I hear it, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. I have a Midwestern accent. Maybe it’s that my voice is a little bit raspy.
