Keke Palmer covers the January 2015 issue of ESSENCE where she comments on the single life, why she thrives under pressure and the challenges of being the first Black "Cinderella" on Broadway. More inside...
It's been an amazing year for Keke Palmer. First, she became the youngest talk show host in television history when "Just Keke” premiere on TV and a few months later, she because the first Black actress to star as Cinderella on Broadway.
Now, the 21-year-old singer/actress is talking to ESSENCE about her road to success, how she's becoming a voice for her generation, discovering who she is outside of a man and standing up against online judgments. The article is titled "Sugar & Spice" and also delves into her decision to focus on her career (not romance) and how her work pushes racial boundaries. Here are the highlights:
On pushing boundaries and going beyond race:“
I know that the role of Cinderella is primarily for a Caucasian girl, but it didn’t stop me from going in and it didn’t stop them from seeing me.
Thriving under the pressure of Broadway:
"There is a bit of intimidation. You think about Denzel, Viola Davis, and you think, Only great people can do Broadway. That was the scariest thing about it, but I’m the type who thrives on pressure…”
On the single life and putting career first:
"I realized that I'm a lot freer of a spirit. That was the beginning of me standing up for myself. I would love to have somebody but this is such a great time in my life, in my career. I really am liking myself."
On Cell Phone Hacking
“People think they can just put their hands in everything and it’s like, No, no, no. The fact that so many celebrity pictures were out there and everybody is elating in the fact that they’re a Peeping Tom? You’re all Peeping Toms. Everybody that’s commenting. In real life, if anybody went to somebody’s house and looked at them naked, they would go to jail…”
On Relationships
“What you’re ready for, you attract. So I think I have to do some introspection on why I’m attracted to people that can’t give me what I want…Maybe I’m not as ready for a serious thing as I think I am. The guys I end up getting involved with, they’re into the idea of me, but they really can’t handle what I’m about…”
The January 2015 issue of ESSENCE hits newsstands December 5th.
Photos via ESSENCE
