Keke Palmer to star on ‘Proud Family’ reboot

The multi-hyphenate star has scored another gig

Aug 7, 2020

Keke Palmer Proud Family thegrio.com — Keke Palmer attends the IFP's 29th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 02, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for IFP)

Looks like Keke Palmer is officially joining the cast of Disney’s “Proud Family” reboot.

“There’s a new girl coming to town!” the iconic media company announced Thursday on its official Twitter page. “Prepare to fall in love with 14-year-old activist Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins, voiced by @KekePalmer, from the upcoming Original Series, #TheProudFamily: #LouderAndProuder, coming soon to #DisneyPlus.”

In response the actress and host enthusiastically responded, “DREAMS COME TRUE!”

The Proud Family, created by Black animator Bruce Smith, who also did The Princess and the Frog, originally aired from 2001-2005 on the Disney Channel. The show’s main character, Penny Proud, was voiced by Kyla Pratt with Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker and Jo Marie Payton voicing other main roles.

Palmer, 26, has already worked with the network, starring in the 2007 Disney Channel original movie, Jump IN! She’ll voice a new character, a 14-year-old activist named Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins, on the animated series.

This will be a case of art imitating life because during the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, Palmer emerged as an outspoken activist off-screen, as well.

https://twitter.com/KekePalmer/status/1291361752995831808

She was often spotted in the sea of demonstrators who took to the streets during Black Lives Matter’s peaceful protests earlier this year, and a video of her delivering a powerful plea to armed law enforcement even went viral.

According to Entertainment Weekly, “The original cast – Kyla Pratt (One on One) as protagonist Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson (In Living Color) as patriarch Oscar, Paula Jai Parker (Friday) as mom Trudy Proud, Jo Marie Payton (Family Matters) as Suga Mama, and Cedric the Entertainer as musical Uncle Bobby Proud – will all be back for the new show, but there will be additions as well.”