Keke Palmer said she learned an important lesson about building a professional reputation from an industry veteran: Queen Latifah.
The actor, host, and singer joined Amy Poehler on the August 18 episode of the Good Hang podcast, where she reflected on what she had learned from women she has worked with in Hollywood.
One of those career lessons came from Queen Latifah, who showed Palmer the value of building a strong reputation through your work.
“People are watching even when you don’t think they’re watching,” Palmer said around the 44-minute mark. “It’s not what you say. It’s what you do.”
Palmer has known Latifah since the very early days of her career. The actor played Latifah’s niece in the 2004 film “Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” her first professional film role at age 10. The two also starred in the 2012 films, “Joyful Noise” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift.”
After watching Palmer work over the years, Latifah was approached by a director who asked whom she would recommend for a role. Latifah suggested Palmer.
Palmer said Latifah later explained that she had recommended her after watching Palmer conduct herself professionally and consistently show up for work.
“I just remember thinking in that moment, ‘Wow, my work ethic precedes me,'” Palmer said. “The way that I continue to move into the game, it’s going to count for something at some point.”
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The experience showed Palmer the importance of building a reputation that speaks for you in rooms that you’re not in, and of having supporters who believe in your potential.
What Keke Palmer learned from Jennifer Lopez
Later in the podcast, Palmer said she bonded with her “Hustlers” costar Jennifer Lopez over their shared work ethic. Palmer said Lopez respects people who show up and give 100%. “So we kind of bonded because she saw me on my grind,” she added.
Palmer said that Lopez had become a mentor to her and had repeatedly offered support, empowerment, and guidance at different stages of her life and career.
“She’s like, ‘I want you to win in this way where you’re already winning,’ which is a really cool way to empower people,” the actor said of Lopez.
For Palmer, both experiences underscored similar lessons: The way you show up for work can shape opportunities you don’t yet know are coming.
