Keke Palmer is entering a brand-new era of her career, and it is more personal than ever. Sitting down with TODAY’s Craig Melvin, the multi-talented star opened up about her role in the upcoming Peacock series, The ‘Burbs. While she discussed her recent travels to Bali and her hilarious attempt to crash the Super Bowl stage, the heart of the conversation was about her transition into motherhood. For the first time, Keke is portraying a mother on screen while navigating the joys and challenges of being a new mom in real life.
Keke Palmer reveals being a new mom ‘gave her so much more’ to play the role of a mother
During her chat with Craig Melvin, Keke shared how her perspective on acting shifted after welcoming her son, Leo. When asked about playing a parent for the first time since becoming one herself, Keke admitted the experience was transformative. “It’s just crazy,” she said. “It honestly gave me so much more than I knew it would.”
She explained that while she might have expected some change, the reality was much deeper. “After you have a kid, it really does just kind of expand your heart in a way you would not… you can’t imagine until it happens.”
Keke was quick to note that she channeled this new emotional depth directly into her character, Samira. Having that “expanded heart” allowed her to bring an authenticity to the role that she simply couldn’t have accessed before. However, she also kept it very real about the “terrible threes” when a photo of her son, Leo, popped up on screen.
With her trademark humor, she joked that at age three, Leo has a “really crazy attitude” and is currently “being terrible.” Despite the toddler tantrums and the “baby language” he uses to boss her around, Keke is clearly devoted.
She told Craig that she is doing everything she can to “make sure I show up” for him every single day. This mix of professional growth and the chaotic, funny reality of parenting is exactly why fans find Keke so relatable as she takes on this milestone role.
Originally reported by Samriddhi Goel on Momtastic.
