Keke Palmer found success early on as the star of Nickelodeon‘s True Jackson, VP, but she doesn’t think she’s in the same conversation as others like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Victoria Justice.
In a new interview, Palmer reflects on her career and the Hollywood limitations being a young Black woman.
“I wasn’t necessarily in the same conversations as Victoria Justice or Selena Gomez or Miley Cyrus at that time,” Palmer told The Cut in an interview, adding that “people were putting limitations” on her. “It was very much ‘That’s the Black show’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network.’”
Palmer starred in the Nickelodeon sitcom for three seasons (2008 through 2011), playing the role of True Jackson, a teenager hired to be Vice President of a fashion company.
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“There is a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you’re treated differently that I’d accepted a long time ago,” she added. “I don’t compare myself to anyone but I definitely don’t compare myself to any white person.”
Fellow Nickelodeon alum Victoria Justice starred in Victorious between 2010 and 2013, Selena Gomez starred on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place between 2007 and 2012, and Miley Cyrus starred in Hannah Montana for four seasons between 2006 and 2011.
Palmer also talked about the difficulties of transitioning into adult roles following True Jackson, VP, saying, “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.”
Palmer can be seen in One of Them Days alongside SZA, set to open in theaters on January 17.