During the July 23 episode of her podcast “Baby, This is Keke Palmer,” 30-year-old actress Keke Palmer expressed heartfelt gratitude to filmmaker Tyler Perry for his support during a challenging time early in her career.
Perry, who was a guest on the episode, received high praise from Palmer for his unexpected generosity following their work on the 2006 film “Madea’s Family Reunion.”
Palmer, who began her career as a child actress, reflected on her experience working on the film.
“I thank you so much for this,” she said. “Whatever the movie did, you gave me extra money in the backend, and that’s big. I really wanted to point that out because that’s not something that people are always doing, and that was very early on in my career. I was no big name or anything like that. It was not necessarily something that was my birthright, but for that to happen in that movie and for it to have been such a success — that extra money, what it did for my family and how it allowed me to maintain my time in California, moving from Chicago. I mean, we had nothing, and for you to do that was just really amazing, so I just wanted to mention that ‘cause I never forgot that.”
“Madea’s Family Reunion,” released in 2006, was a significant success, topping the box office during its debut weekend with approximately $30.25 million in earnings, according to The Associated Press.
Palmer played the role of Nikki, a rebellious runaway whom Madea’s character is court-ordered to look after. The film, with a budget of $6 million, went on to gross over $63 million, as reported by Box Office Mojo.
Today, money is no object for Palmer, who has blossomed into a multimedia talent.
She has begun producing her own projects and has launched her own digital television network, KeyTV.
Following in Perry’s footsteps, Palmer now stars in and produces content for her viewers, supporting upcoming actors and singers in the industry.
In a poignant moment of the podcast, Palmer acknowledged the significance of Perry’s early support.
She said Perry’s generosity had a lasting impact on her career and life, enabling her to sustain her pursuit of success in California.
