News | Entertainment
23 Feb 2026 17:09
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Keke Palmer felt her career was limited as a child star because of her ethnicity

    The 31-year-old actress grew to prominence playing the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom 'True Jackson, VP' in 2008, before providing the voice of Aisha in the network's revival of 'Winx Club' and leading the cast of the television film 'Rags'.


    However, she believes she was only chosen for "Black girl" parts at Nickelodeon and wasn't in the "same conversations" as her peers, Victoria Justice, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.

    She told The Cut magazine: "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.'"

    Victoria, 31, rose to fame on Nickelodeon, playing Lola Martinez on the comedy drama series 'Zoey 101' between 2005 and 2009, Tori Vega on the teen sitcom 'Victorious' and Jordan Sands in the television comedy horror film 'The Boy Who Cried Werewolf'.

    Selena, 32, starred on Disney Channel's 'Wizards of Waverly Place' between 2007 and 2012, while Miley, also 32, made her name playing her titular alter ego in 'Hannah Montana' on Disney from 2006 until 2011.

    She continued: "There is a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you're treated differently that I'd accepted a long time ago.

    "I don't compare myself to anyone, but I definitely don't compare myself to any white person."

    The Emmy Award-winning star has since gone on to star in movies including 2014's 'Animal', 2018's 'Pimp', 2019's 'Hustlers', and Jordan Peele's acclaimed 2022 sci-fi horror 'Nope', and admitted that once she'd gotten too old to be considered a child star, she had to completely rebuild her "brand".

    She said: "You're at this weird age where you're too young for the kind of roles that you would want and you're too old for the kind of roles you used to get. Your brand was made up of you being a kid, and you're not a kid anymore. So you have to build a new one."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     23 Feb: Hilary Duff found her return to the music industry to be "scary"
     23 Feb: Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones has launched an impassioned defence of Travis Kelce
     22 Feb: James Van Der Beek was a "great leader on set", according to Algee Smith
     22 Feb: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been "released under investigation"
     22 Feb: Khloe Kardashian would "want to be married" before having any more kids
     22 Feb: Timothee Chalamet thinks AI is set to change the movie business
     22 Feb: Hailey Bieber has found fame to be "mentally exhausting"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Moana Pasifika are on the hunt for a new venue for their round nine Super Rugby match against the Chiefs More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Wallets appear to opening again - across the country More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    Wallets appear to opening again - across the country 16:57

    Entertainment:
    Hilary Duff found her return to the music industry to be "scary" 16:51

    Motoring:
    Northbound lanes have reopened at Orewa - after a three-vehicle crash and diesel spill on State Highway One, this afternoon - in northern Auckland 16:47

    Law and Order:
    Auckland police have arrested a man they believe responsible for a string of indecent assaults - against high school students and teachers 16:17

    Business:
    Energy watchdog to force retailers to offer struggling customers help in overhaul 16:07

    Health & Safety:
    Denmark and Greenland reject Trump's offer to send naval hospital ship 16:07

    Rugby:
    Moana Pasifika are on the hunt for a new venue for their round nine Super Rugby match against the Chiefs 15:57

    Law and Order:
    40-year-old summonsed to court in relation to Christchurch dog attack on Saturday 15:27

    Accident and Emergency:
    Five hikers are lucky to be alive after a Mount Taranaki tramp yesterday 14:57

    National:
    In Emerald Fennel’s Wuthering Heights, domestic abuse has been recast as consensual kink 14:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd