Keke Palmer Biography: Emmy-Winning Actress, Singer and Host

Q: What was Keke Palmer's first movie?

Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004); the same year's The Wool Cap made her, at 11, the youngest-ever SAG nominee in a lead-actress category (Wikipedia).

October 20, 2026

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Keke Palmer biography: Lauren Keyana “Keke” Palmer (born August 26, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and TV host with a two-decade career — from Akeelah and the Bee child star to Emmy-winning Password host, Broadway’s first African American Cinderella, and incoming Voice season 31 host.

Keke Palmer biography: quick facts

Full name: Lauren Keyana Palmer
Born: August 26, 1993, Harvey, Illinois, USA
Nationality: American
Occupation: Actress, singer, television host
Known for: Akeelah and the Bee, True Jackson, VP, Scream Queens, Hustlers, Nope, Password
Awards: 2× Primetime Emmy Awards, NAACP Image Award, Black Reel Award, NYFCC Best Supporting Actress
Partner: Darius Jackson (2021–2023; split)
Children: One son, Leodis “Leo” Jackson (born February 2023)

Early life

Lauren Keyana Palmer was born on August 26, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois, and was raised in nearby Robbins, Illinois, in a Catholic household (Wikipedia). Her parents, Sharon and Lawrence “Larry” Palmer, met in drama school as aspiring actors; her father is now a Catholic deacon who works for a polyurethane company, and her mother is a high school teacher working with autistic children (Wikipedia).

Child stardom: Barbershop 2, The Wool Cap, and Akeelah and the Bee

Her 2004 screen debut in Barbershop 2: Back in Business and the TV film The Wool Cap made her, at 11, the youngest nominee ever in a lead-actress SAG category (Wikipedia; Vicomanija). Her 2006 breakthrough as Akeelah Anderson in Akeelah and the Bee, opposite Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, won her a Black Reel Award and an NAACP Image Award (Wikipedia); that year she also appeared in Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion.

The Nickelodeon years: True Jackson, VP

In 2008 she landed the title role in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP — a teen fashion-company executive — and wrote and performed its theme song (Wikipedia). At a reported $20,000 per episode, she was the fourth-highest-paid child star on television (TheRichest). She also released her debut album So Uncool (2007), starred with Ice Cube in The Longshots (2008), voiced Aisha in the Winx Club revival (2011–2014), and headlined the TV musical Rags (2012) (Wikipedia).

Adult transition: Broadway, Scream Queens, and Hustlers

She pivoted to adult roles as Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas in the 2013 VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. In September 2014 she became the first African American to star in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway, and at 20 was one of the youngest daytime talk-show hosts in TV history with BET’s Just Keke (2014) (Wikipedia). She starred as Zayday Williams in Fox’s Scream Queens (2015–2016), appeared in Berlin Station (2017–2019) and Scream season 3 (2019), and played Mercedes in Hustlers (2019) with Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B (Wikipedia).

Prestige roles, hosting empire, and 2026 news

The 2020s made Palmer a prestige player and one of TV’s busiest hosts. Her Facebook Watch comedy Turnt Up with the Taylors — she played every member of a fictional reality-TV family — won her a 2021 Primetime Emmy, and her turn as Emerald Haywood in Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) won the NYFCC Best Supporting Actress prize (Wikipedia; Martin Cid Magazine). Since August 2022 she has hosted NBC’s Password, winning the 2023 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show — the first Black woman to win it (NBC). She runs the KeyTV Network platform and her Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast, published Master of Me (2024), co-headlined 2025’s One of Them Days with SZA, and was named to the Time 100 Next list (2019) and Forbes 30 Under 30 (2016) (Wikipedia; Female First).

In August 2026 NBC announced Palmer will host The Voice season 31 in 2027, replacing Carson Daly (Wikipedia). In October 2026 she trended in the US after the October 13 Friends Keep Secrets podcast episode (hosts Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, Kristin Batalucco), discussing her dating life — including a playful encounter with an unnamed “mystery man” — and saying she’d be open to ten children “if it’s the right person” (Complex via Free AI Tools Hub).

Major achievements

2× Primetime Emmys (2021; 2023 Password host — first Black woman to win it)
First African American to star as Cinderella on Broadway (2014–2015)
NYFCC Best Supporting Actress (Nope, 2022)
NAACP Image Award and Black Reel Award (Akeelah and the Bee)
Youngest-ever SAG nominee in a lead-actress category (The Wool Cap, age 11)
Forbes 30 Under 30 (2016); Time 100 Next (2019)
Announced host of NBC’s The Voice season 31 (2027)

Personal life

She announced her pregnancy hosting SNL (Dec 2022) and gave birth to son Leodis “Leo” Jackson in February 2023 (NBC; Icon Polls). The father is ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, a fitness trainer and aspiring actor (2021–2023); she is unmarried and keeps her dating life private (Wikipedia; TVOvermind).

Net worth snapshot

Keke Palmer’s net worth is estimated at about $7.5 million as of 2026 — see Keke Palmer’s net worth for the full breakdown. Palmer herself has called such figures unreliable, and told Business Insider in 2025 she didn’t feel properly paid in Hollywood until Nope, 20 years into her career (SoapCentral; Parade). For a fellow multi-hyphenate’s fortune, see Ariana Grande’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Keke Palmer?

Born August 26, 1993 — she is 32 years old as of October 2026 (Wikipedia).

What was Keke Palmer’s first movie?

Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004); the same year’s The Wool Cap made her, at 11, the youngest-ever SAG nominee in a lead-actress category (Wikipedia).

How many Emmy Awards has Keke Palmer won?

Two: Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series in 2021 (Turnt Up with the Taylors) and Outstanding Host for a Game Show in 2023 (Password) — the first Black woman to win the latter (NBC).

Who is the father of Keke Palmer’s son?

Ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, a fitness trainer and aspiring actor (2021–2023); their son Leodis “Leo” Jackson was born in February 2023 (Wikipedia).

What is Keke Palmer doing now?

In 2026 she trended after a viral October podcast appearance, hosts NBC’s Password, and was announced as host of The Voice season 31 (2027) (Wikipedia).