News | Entertainment
26 Feb 2026 7:04
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
     26 Feb: Backstreet Boys "pray" they don't get injured before going on stage
     26 Feb: Sir David Beckham has been hailed a "true gentleman" after helping an injured skier
     25 Feb: Matthew Lillard admits his fashion sense is "still stuck in 2000"
     25 Feb: Bonnie Blue is pregnant following her recent "breeding mission"
     25 Feb: Dennis Quaid thinks Donald Trump is "very funny" and "really genuine"
     25 Feb: Daniel Radcliffe admits it feels "surreal" seeing the new child stars stepping into the Harry Potter franchise
     25 Feb: Matthew Lillard was convinced he'd never work again during his "darkest days"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Wallace Sititi is back for the Chiefs for their Super Rugby final rematch against the Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Meridian says mother nature has come to party and helped turn their finances around More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Backstreet Boys "pray" they don't get injured before going on stage 6:51

    Entertainment:
    Sir David Beckham has been hailed a "true gentleman" after helping an injured skier 6:21

    Environment:
    The work continues to tackle the large blaze in Central Otago's Springvale 6:07

    Law and Order:
    The family of a Christchurch mother says they will be haunted by her murder 5:47

    Living & Travel:
    Papatoetoe is the latest Auckland suburb to be hit with fruit and veggie restrictions, as another invasive fruitfly is detected 5:27

    Cricket:
    New Zealand have recovered from 84 for six in the 13th over to post 168 for seven in their super eight match against Sri Lanka at cricket's T20 World Cup in Colombo 5:07

    Entertainment:
    Matthew Lillard admits his fashion sense is "still stuck in 2000" 21:51

    Entertainment:
    Bonnie Blue is pregnant following her recent "breeding mission" 21:21

    International:
    President Donald Trump's State of the Union adress in detail 21:07

    Entertainment:
    Dennis Quaid thinks Donald Trump is "very funny" and "really genuine" 20:51


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd