Keke Palmer is Making a Meteoric Mark on the Film Industry

When I recently sat down to watch the entertaining film, Akeelah and the Bee, starring the incomparable Laurence Fishburne and realtive newcomer, Keke Palmer, I enjoyed the film and Palmer's performance so much, that I decided to sit down and write this biographical article on the young actress, whose fame and stardom are rising as quickly as any actor working in the film industry these days.

Having said that, I must admit that I found Palmer's story quite interesting. With that in mind, here is everything I've learned about the formidable young actress, Keke Palmer.

Born Lauren Keyana Palmer on August 26, 1993, Palmer is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film, Akeelah and the Bee. Palmer was born in Harvey, Illinois and her father works for a polyurethane company and her mother, Sharon, is a high school teacher who works with autistic children.

Palmer has three siblings, including an older sister, Loreal, who gave her the nickname "Keke" during her early years. She began singing in her church's choir at the age of five, and auditioned for a stage production of The Lion King at the age of nine. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 2004 so Palmer could pursue an acting career.

Palmer made her acting debut in 2004's Barbershop 2: Back in Business, playing the part of the niece of Queen Latifah's character. Between 2004 and 2006, she appeared in episodes of several television series, including Cold Case, Strong Medicine, ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and was subsequently cast in two films released in 2006: playing a supporting part in Madea's Family Reunion, and starring as the lead character, Akeelah Anderson, a young girl from South Los Angeles who attempts to win the national spelling bee, in Akeelah and the Bee.

Palmer's performance in Akeelah and the Bee has received numerous positive notices, including praise from legendary film critic Roger Ebert. Palmer is also pursuing a career in singing and participated in the 2003 American Juniors, an American Idol spin-off, although she was not particularly successful.

Palmer has signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, and is currently working on her debut music album. Her debut single, "All My Girlz," is featured on the Akeelah and the Bee soundtrack and on November 18, 2006, she performed at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California for VH1's "Save the Music" Battle of the High School Marching Bands, marking her first ever stadium performance in front of thousands of people. Palmer also recently starred in the video for Ludacris's "Runaway Love" as a fictionary character named Erica.

Early next year, Palmer will star opposite Corbin Bleu in a Disney Channel Original movie titled, Jump In!

So there you have it, the scoop on Keke Palmer. Stay tuned, I'm sure there's more to come.