Keke Palmer Interview – ‘Scream Queens,’ Horror, and Comedy

Keke Palmer Interview on Scream Queens
Keke Palmer as Zayday in ‘Scream Queens’ (Photo by Tommy Garcia © 2015 Fox Broadcasting Co)

Keke Palmer says Scream Queens definitely has its gruesome and scary moments, but it’s also funny. Chatting about the upcoming Fox series at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Palmer said the prospect of being involved in a project that allowed her to do some comedy was one of the appeals of being a part of the series from Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Glee). “I’d done it with True Jackson, VP when I was a teenager which was fun, but it’s in one type of genre. So when I discussed the show with him and he asked me what I was I would like to do or what I’d like to play, I was like, ‘I really would like a chance at comedy.’ When he said he’d give me that opportunity, I immediately was like, ‘This is something I have to do and be a part of.'”

Palmer also told us that it’s a challenge to tackle this series because Ryan Murphy loves to throw in unexpected twists and constantly changes things up. “Well, it’s so interesting because you never know with Ryan. He’s definitely into uncovering myths, not playing into what people think. You never really know. You never know what will happen or how things will go. Even now we’ve read up to episode six maybe now at this point and the characters have changed, things have happened that you never knew were going to happen so it’s hard to tell,” said Palmer.

“That’s part of the excitement being on this ride with Ryan with Ian [Brennan] with Brad [Buecker] is kind of like seeing what’s going to happen next.”

Palmer’s character is pledging the sorority at the heart of the series, something she never experienced in real life. “Growing up, my dad is a part of a fraternity and so I used to always hear about fraternity and sorority life and all that stuff, so it’s very cool to me to be a part of that because I didn’t get a part of that in my real life,” explained Palmer. “I didn’t go to college, definitely wasn’t involved in any sororities or fraternities or anything like that, so it’s definitely cool to play that on TV. Plus, I’ve always been into horror films. Halloween is one of my favorites, so it’s just the coolest thing ever to be a part of the show.”

What other films scare her? “Well my favorite horror film was with Freddy Krueger and I always loved how snarky Freddie was at the time when he would be killing people. Like, he’s ripping off somebody’s nose and he’s like, ‘I got your nose!’ I loved the wit that he added. I loved the characters, and that’s why I loved Halloween because there was a certain amount of the storyline and things that you expected and you hoped would get from Jamie [Lee Curtis’] character and whomever,” replied Palmer. “I love characters; I love personality. When the killer has personality that’s definitely cool to me.”

In addition to the horror, the humor, and Ryan Murphy, Scream Queens also has horror veteran Jamie Lee Curtis in a starring role. Palmer discussed her co-star, saying, “We love when we’re with Jamie because Jamie kind of always is taking us under her wings. Whenever she’s on set, we’re just in awe and watching her and how she handles the set. Literally, any time we all have to do our lines and let’s say she’s off camera, even if she’s already filmed her stuff she’ll stay after and she’ll do her lines. She’ll be a part of the whole thing. That’s probably the coolest thing.”

Watch the full interview with Keke Palmer on Scream Queens: