In his upcoming memoir, “Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling the Narrative” Keke Palmer reflects on his journey to understanding his price in each his personal and skilled life. During an interview with Los Angeles TimesPalmer talked about how the book covers a wide range of topics, including her experiences on the set of Fox’s “Scream Queens.”

Palmer played Zayday Williams on the horror comedy series for 2 seasons. During her time on the show, the actress recalls a racist encounter on set with an anonymous white star, whom she calls “Brenda” within the book. In an try to calm down Brenda after the clash along with her colleague, Palmer reportedly suggested everyone “have fun and respect each other,” to which Brenda allegedly replied, “Keke, literally, just don’t do it. Who do you’re thinking that you might be? Martin F. Luther King?”

“It was a very important thing that she said, but I didn’t let that burden be put on me because I know who I am,” Palmer told the newspaper, reflecting on the event. “I’m no victim. That’s not my story, honey. I do not care what her ass said. If I let what she said cripple me, it should.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the one negative encounter Palmer encountered while working on “Scream Queens.” In her memoir, she also describes an instance where she needed to miss filming because of a scheduling error, which led to a really indignant phone call with the series’ co-creator and director, Ryan Murphy.

“I felt like I was in the dean’s office,” she said, adding that Murphy allegedly “pissed” her off by asking for her absence. “He said, ‘I’ve never seen you act like that.’ I can not imagine you, of all people, would do something like that.

Featured Stories

The longtime star then remembers receiving a shooting schedule and scheduling one other business meeting on her time off. But when the day got here, the production notified her that she was indeed needed on set, and the star decided to honor her earlier commitment. After apologizing for her absence, Palmer thought she and Murphy had gone their separate ways until she spoke to a different unnamed star.

“I said, ‘Ryan talked to me and I think he’s fine, everything’s fine,’ and she said, ‘It’s bad,’ trying to scare me or something, which was kind of irritating,” she explained.

While the star hoped to form a long-term relationship with Murphy that may lead to future roles like other industry stars, Palmer felt it was more necessary to arise for herself.

“I’m still not sure Ryan cared or understood it, but that’s okay because he just focused on his business, which is not a problem for me,” she wrote within the book. “But I know that even if he didn’t care, and even if I never work with him again, he knows that I see myself as a company, too.”

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced the full list of winners for the seventh annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television awards. The ceremony, which will happen on December 9, will be hosted by “Saturday Night Live” actor and comedian Jay Pharoah. Celebrating exceptional performances and work in Black Entertainment, this 12 months’s honorees are a mixture of heritage and emerging talent.

“We are proud to recognize this year’s group of outstanding honorees,” Shawn Edwards, executive producer and author of Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, said in a press release. “2024 was a special year. There have been so many great stories about the Black experience, and this event is a celebration of the power of these stories to shape and move the entertainment industry. “It is a true acknowledgment of the profound influence of black cinema and television on culture and society today.”

CCA’s seventh annual celebration of Black Cinema and Television, recognizing work done on and off screen, will honor producer-director Tyler Perry with an Icon Award for his profession achievements up to now – which incorporates his 24 movies, 20 plays and 17 television shows and founding Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.

Similarly, Malcolm D. Lee, who directed “The Best Man” movies, will receive a profession achievement award for his “exemplary work as a writer and director.” Other directors will also be honored at this 12 months’s gala, including: Steve McQueen, Angela Patton and Natalie Rae. Actress and producer Natasha Rothwell will be honored with not one, but two awards for her work on Hulu’s “How to Die Alone.”

From established actors like Wendell Pierce and John David Washington to rising stars like Michael Rainey Jr. and Ryan Destiny, the annual awards ceremony goals to present black stars with flowers. This 12 months’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will also honor actress Regina King with a Trailblazer Award for her profession and role on Netflix’s “Shirley.” Cynthia Erivo will also be honored for her role as Elphaba in the highly anticipated 2024 film adaptation of “Wicked.”

CSW will also honor the work of black actors beyond the big screen with a Social Impact Award. This 12 months’s award goes to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor for her social justice work. In addition to starring in social justice projects comparable to “When They See Us” and “Nickle Boys,” Ellis-Taylor is the founding father of Miss Myrtis Films and co-founder of Take It Down America, an initiative to take down the Confederate flag in Mississippi.

The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema and Television will be available on Starz in January and will air nationwide in February in honor of Black History Month.

Featured Stories

Fifty years later, comedian and actor Garrett Morris remembers what it was wish to be the only black solid member and author on the inaugural solid of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

Said by the 87-year-old actor Guardian in a recent interview that after working in the experimental theater scene in Harlem under constant threat from the authorities, it was a much safer working environment. However, it was not effortlessly, namely racism.

“I will repeat until the end of my days: there was a lot of racism among the Lorne writers,” the star told the outlet.

He continued: “Sam Lorne? Zero racism. Because, remember, once I was hired, I used to be the only black author. Lorne wanted someone black on TV at night. People didn’t want it. They demanded that all the things be white. He didn’t do it.

The actor explained that he was initially hired as a author until Michaels was introduced to his role in the film as a history teacher.

“Because of this, I was asked to audition for Not Ready for Prime Time Players (then the working title of SNL),” Morris told the publication. “And I went from being a writer to being part of the group.”

Breaking boundaries in the fight against stereotypes

Despite the series’ success, the “Martin” star described a difficult period in her life drug fueledit involved “bad choices” and was marked by an try and resist being pigeonholed.

“It really touched me when we watched the first performance. I didn’t have the skit, but I watched another one. I told Lorne, “There’s a doctor in this skit.” Why don’t I play doctor? And he goes, “Garrett, a black doctor can dump people,” he said, adding, “Well, I came from New Orleans, where you are surrounded by black doctors and black PhD students. For that matter, in all the big cities in the south.

Among Morris’ breakout characters in the comedy sketch was Chico Escuela, a Dominican Major League player whose only line was, “Base-e-bol was damn good to me.” Another favorite moment was the introduction of the deaf translator on the update desk who simply repeated the message Chevy Chase delivered louder without signing it.

Morris explained how he tried to imbue his characters with something apart from stereotypical images of Black people. Still, Morris and his time on , where he contributed to 99 episodes, have change into synonymous with typecasting of black actors in Hollywood.

Regardless, Morris said, “I’m proud to have played a small role in the beginning and to have created a chair for a non-white performer.”

Morris’ undeniable influence on the legendary series is highlighted in the upcoming film “Saturday Night,” which chronicles the show’s debut night. Actor Lamorne Morris, no relation, plays Morris. Even though they haven’t any relationship, Lamorne shared with Washington Post Office as they share what it means to be the only black guy in a solid. Lamorne became famous for playing Winston Bishop, the only black roommate on the hit comedy “New Girl.”

ON “Kelly Clarkson Show”, Lamorne joked about how he grew up telling other people that Garrett Morris was his father. Because of this, Lamorne spent his life imitating Morris on television. He had a lot experience playing Morris for sport that he was in a position to put together an audition tape for the role inside minutes of being asked to submit it.

“I booked it the very next day,” Lamorne said.

He said of Morris: “If you walk into a room with Garrett, he’s the most talented person. He did all the things. The man helped desegregate labor unions. He protested during the Civil Rights Movement. Then he’s on SNL. I mean, you recognize what you call it.

Featured Stories