Keke Palmer Compares Working on Disney Channel to Nickelodeon: “Disney Has a Way of Making You Want to Be a Part of It”

Keke Palmer is one of the few actresses who worked on both Nickelodeon and Disney Channel at the start of her fame.

During an appearance on The Toast, hosted by Claudia & Jackie Oshry, she explained the differences between working on the two networks as a kid. She had her breakthrough role on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP, and went on to star in Disney’s Jump In!

“I’ll say Disney is really amazing when it comes to not only the storytelling that you see onscreen, but the storytelling even within the company, like they are storytelling through marketing, through their employees,” Palmer said. “People got pins in the office. They are literally a whole like universe, and I think that feels good, especially when you’re a little kid ’cause the magic doesn’t end. So, there’s an element of being a part of it that feels really, really fun.”

Nickelodeon, on the other hand, had good pay, the Alice actress said, noting however that it felt a bit more clinical than Disney, though they both had that element since they’re corporations.

“Disney has a way of making you want to be a part of it,” she continued. “It feels like I need to be here. It feels like something you want to be a part of, where Nickelodeon is kind of like, ‘Come in, get this check.’ It ain’t about making it necessarily exciting, except for that slime.”

In addition to her stints on Disney and Nickelodeon, Palmer noted that she felt like Barbershop II and Akeelah and the Bee also helped her break into the industry. Since then, she’s starred or appeared in projects like Nope, Hustlers, Scream Queens and Bosses, among others. She’s also voice-acted in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Lightyear, Big Mouth, Winx Club and more.