Keke Palmer Responds to Zendaya Career Comparisons & Viral Colorism Commentary

Keke Palmer is having a well-deserved moment in Hollywood right now, but it’s not her breakthrough moment — and she wants you to remember that.

Keke is currently starring in Jordan Peele’s latest social thriller, Nope, which was released in theaters on July 22. The 28-year-old actress has earned critical acclaim for her work in the film, with her performance being praised as one of the best of the year. However, it seems as though a number of audience members had not been familiar with Keke’s impressive talent as an actress, calling her role in Nope her “breakout” and the role that is sure to make her a “movie star.”

Though, as pointed out by Teen Vogue editorial assistant Aiyana Ishmael on Twitter, for many, Keke Palmer has been established as a successful “movie star” for decades.

“It’s so interesting seeing the conversation around Keke Palmer having her breakout or superstar moment and it’s wild we live in different worlds because in my household Keke been a star for forever,” tweeted Aiyana. “Akeelah and The Bee was my dad’s favorite movie it went triple platinum in my home.”

Tens of thousands of people seemed to be of the same opinion, retweeting and replying to Aiyana’s tweet in passionate agreement and naming dozens of cherished projects from Keke’s lengthy filmography. A few hours later, one Twitter user sparked a new side of the conversation with a quote tweet.

“I’d like someone to do a deep-drive [sic] on the similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya’s careers,” @NBAgladiator wrote, posting photos from Keke and Zendaya’s solo British Vogue photoshoots. “This may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood. They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different.”