NEW YORK (AP) — Keke Palmer became a star with her Nickelodeon show "True Jackson, VP" which aired for three seasons and made her one of the highest paid child actors on television. Instead of sticking with the show though she decided it was a good time to end it around her 18th birthday last August.
"I was approaching 18 and it's just like I don't want to be a grown woman on the show," said Palmer in a recent interview. "I want my fans to grow with me, I don't want to stay stagnant and that's what it pretty much came down to. You know I'm growing up and I wanted to grow with my audience. Not for them to watch me and I'm left behind and just a memory from their childhood."
Palmer shows she's growing up with the film "Joyful Noise" starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton. It's about a small-town church choir that faces being shut down by budget cuts.
She plays Latifah's teenage daughter Olivia, who falls for Dolly Parton's character's grandson, played by Jeremy Jordan.
In the film, Palmer has her first make out scene, which she admits made her nervous.
"It's not some Nickelodeon or Disney channel (romance) it's like the real deal," said Palmer about kissing Jordan. "The kissing scene I would say was the scariest thing for me."
She joked about how she had to tell her dad to leave the room during filming.
"I'm like, 'Dad, doesn't this freak you out too, watching me do an on screen make out?'" she laughed.
"Joyful Noise" is now in theaters. It currently ranks No. 7 at the box office. The album's soundtrack also is No. 7 on the iTunes charts.
Palmer said she wants to continue showcasing her singing, acting and maybe host a talk show one day.
"Someday I would really love to do a talk show. That's something I've always been interested in. I like to talk, and I love to help people."
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Online:
http://joyfulnoisemovie.warnerbros.com/
http://www.kekepalmer.com/
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Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her at www.twitter.com/aliciar.
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