News | Entertainment
20 Nov 2025 13:01
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."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     20 Nov: Isla Fisher has found it "challenging but deeply rewarding" rebuilding her life after her divorce
     20 Nov: Jennifer Aniston's boyfriend Jim Curtis is "very special" and "very normal"
     20 Nov: Kim Kardashian studied for "nine hours a day" for three months because she needed to pass the bar exam on her "first try"
     20 Nov: Sean 'Diddy' Combs will spend an extra month behind bars after his prison release date was reportedly pushed back by authorities
     20 Nov: Ozzy Osbourne was hospitalised in secret two weeks before his Black Sabbath reunion gig
     20 Nov: Kim Kardashian says dating has become "less and less appealing" after her divorce
     20 Nov: Hilaria Baldwin admits her 26-year age gap with Alec Baldwin can either be "a flex" or a need for "a little therapy"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The All Blacks are banged up, but most players are available for what is likely to a vastly changed side to tackle Wales this weekend More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Northland Regional Council has paid tribute to former councillor and businessman, Monty Knight - who died on Sunday More...



     Today's News

    Cricket:
    Wellington are scrambling on the third day of cricket's Plunket Shield opening round against Otago at the Basin Reserve 12:57

    Entertainment:
    Isla Fisher has found it "challenging but deeply rewarding" rebuilding her life after her divorce 12:55

    International:
    NASA unveils close-up pictures of Comet 3I/Atlas in our solar system 12:27

    Business:
    Northland Regional Council has paid tribute to former councillor and businessman, Monty Knight - who died on Sunday 12:27

    Entertainment:
    Jennifer Aniston's boyfriend Jim Curtis is "very special" and "very normal" 12:25

    Business:
    Relief on Wall Street, as computer chip giant Nvidia records another record-high three months 12:07

    Entertainment:
    Kim Kardashian studied for "nine hours a day" for three months because she needed to pass the bar exam on her "first try" 11:55

    International:
    Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupts prompting aviation warning in Australia 11:37

    Entertainment:
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs will spend an extra month behind bars after his prison release date was reportedly pushed back by authorities 11:25

    Business:
    The AI bubble is yet to burst - if it exists 11:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd