Niecy Nash-Betts on Confidence, Career Hustle & Unexpected Love

Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts joins Keke for a candid conversation about believing in yourself before anyone else does. From boldly pushing her way into auditions for Reno 911! to speaking up on set with Whoopi Goldberg, Niecy shares the mindset that built her career and the unexpected love story with her wife Jessica Betts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Keke Palmer?

  Hey y'all, today's guest is an Emmy Award-winning actress who has always known exactly who she is. From Reno 911 to Claws, from Ava DuVernay's "When They See Us", to Ryan Murphy's "Monster", and now "All's Fair". Her resume is long, and her range is undeniable. But beyond the credits, she chose love in 2020 in a way that felt like a plot twist written just for her, showing us that bold, authentic joy looks good on a grown woman. There is no stopping Nisi Nash Bets, and today, we're getting into how she built this life, how she stands in it, and how she keeps it real. And what better place to do that than right here? Because baby, this is Keke Palmer.

• 1:10Keke Palmer?

  Please welcome to the show one of my favorite people, Nisi Nash.

• 1:17Speaker 01

  My girl! And I knew you was gonna come upstage and be on my own show. What are you talking about? You look so amazing! Body is back. My girl! I'm happy to see you, boo. Hi, Toots!

• 1:30Keke Palmer?

  Okay. So wait a minute. You were just in Mexico with the cartel stuff, girl? They had you locked up in the room?

• 1:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, zonks!

• 1:38Keke Palmer?

  Zonks! It's definitely giving zonks. Were you scared? Or were you kinda like, "I'ma be alright"?

• 1:43Speaker 01

  You know what made me nervous? Was I was there with my family, all my children. My mom was there. And the thing that gave me the most pause was their reaction. Because you wanna feel like all of these people are out here for my birthday, and the next thing you know, you know, this happens. And so, there was some in tears, like, "Oh my God", you know. You had some that just, you know, were a little shell-shocked, like, "What is happening"? You know what I mean? And I let each of my family members bring a friend, you know.

• 2:16Keke Palmer?

  That's fabulous.

• 2:17Speaker 01

  And that turned into... I need to call my mama. You know, it was just a lot going on. I need to call my mama. It was a lot going on. I'm so glad you were safe. So, me too. And I, you know, the main thing was keep the, do your best to keep your peace, but never let a circumstance take your joy. So, we had to pivot, uh, because we were supposed to go on a boat excursion, and we couldn't go because we, you know, had to stay sheltered in place. And it was like, okay, well, what's the plan B? You know what I mean? And family talent show, you know what I mean? Yeah. Family talent show is everything. We were, you know, getting low on food. Where we stayed, we said, oh, you know what? There's a W that we could get to in the golf cart.

• 3:01Speaker 01

  Let's go over to this hotel and try to get some rations, and bring them back to our spot. And the W was so mean to us, and they didn't, they didn't want to let us get anything. They didn't want to help us out, you know? And, uh, we snuck in. We snuck in, we snuck in through the back. And when we snuck in, we found a couple at the bar. We didn't go to the main restaurant. We found a couple at the bar who, um, wanted to swing. Yeah. So, no, not y'all. No. However, well, what room are y'all in? Where's the party? Right? Where's the party? What room are y'all in? We get the room number.

• 3:46Speaker 01

  We order everything that we need to take back to the house to their room, because we're not guests. Yeah, yeah. And then, we say, no, we want to pay for it in cash. So, it wouldn't be on their bill when they checked out. For sure, for sure. You know what I mean? You got to make it work. That's right. It's very thoughtful, it's very cutesy, very demure. Yeah, and it was like, oh, you know, maybe next time. You know? And- Thanks for the food. And we got out of there. And they were so drunk, they didn't even know that we ordered all the stuff to their room.

• 4:15Keke Palmer?

  That is so crazy.

• 4:16Speaker 01

  So we paid for it, and then we were able to take food back home to the kids.

• 4:20Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh. Shout out to the couple. Shout out to swingers. They're so nice. I really do love that.

• 4:28Speaker 01

  Some of the nicest.

• 4:29Keke Palmer?

  Okay. We're safe, we were fed, family's good, and you had a great birthday.

• 4:34Speaker 01

  I had a great birthday. I'm still gonna have a party.

• 4:37Keke Palmer?

  Period.

• 4:37Speaker 01

  So I will send you.

• 4:38Keke Palmer?

  I'm gonna say, girl, you know I need my invite.

• 4:40Speaker 01

  I will send you the D.

• 4:41Keke Palmer?

  Yes. Well, we gotta get into this pre-show pull-up because I'm excited to get into the signs of it all and just what's going on in your life. So, what's your zodiac sign? I already knew Pisces.

• 4:50Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 4:51Keke Palmer?

  But your big three is Pisces, Libra, and what is Jupiter, girl?

• 4:55Speaker 01

  Well.

• 4:56Keke Palmer?

  Your rising is Jupiter?

• 4:57Speaker 01

  Yeah. You know, I have my chart professionally done.

• 5:00Keke Palmer?

  What the hell do that mean?

• 5:02Speaker 01

  I'm a lover.

• 5:04Keke Palmer?

  Really?

• 5:05Speaker 01

  Yeah, like I'm.

• 5:06Keke Palmer?

  The hands? I'm a lover. It got real.

• 5:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, because, because I'm born under Venus, and so my, my mission, my soul's mission is to help people love better and fuller. So it all makes sense.

• 5:25Keke Palmer?

  It's so funny that you're saying this because I know you, you know? And I was literally talking to the people when they're like, oh, you know, Nisi's coming on the show, we're so excited. And I'm like, one of the main things I said was, she was somebody that always tried to make sure I kept believing in love. So that's why this is so funny because that's you.

• 5:42Speaker 01

  When I got it done, I was, I was like, I feel seen.

• 5:45Keke Palmer?

  Girl, that is so you.

• 5:46Speaker 01

  You guys know who I am, you know? Yeah.

• 5:48Keke Palmer?

  That is so, you're so loving. You, you always have such a bright spirit around, love. There's never, I've never seen you really in a negative way, even though I know you've gone through hard things in your life, because we all have. But you've always just had such a deep belief.

• 6:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 6:03Keke Palmer?

  And it's really, I mean, I've leaned on it. I'm sure so many of your friends and family have as well, so this is.

• 6:07Speaker 01

  I mean, you know, I will pull up on you in a red, in a red carpet gown, a vent, bitch, and be like, you good. Everything alright? Come on, step to the side, let me talk to you.

• 6:18Keke Palmer?

  Yes!

• 6:19Speaker 01

  You know me!

• 6:20Keke Palmer?

  Girl, that's why when you, when you're saying this, I'm like, that'd be real.

• 6:23Speaker 01

  It made so much sense.

• 6:25Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I love that, I love that. Okay, what are you most grateful for, for today? Life, period. It's a blessing, waking up, breathing.

• 6:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, and it, and it always, for me, means there's another chance.

• 6:38Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 6:39Speaker 01

  It's another chance.

• 6:40Keke Palmer?

  I used to think that as a kid, even though that's so dramatic. I don't know why I was such a dramatic kid, but like, even at five years old, I would be so, you know, trying not to go to sleep, you know, because you want to stay up, you got FOMO. And then every time I wake up, I'll be like, I got another chance.

• 6:53Speaker 01

  Another chance.

• 6:54Keke Palmer?

  And that's literally how I feel still to this day.

• 6:56Speaker 01

  Amen.

• 6:57Keke Palmer?

  A relationship or a friendship non-negotiable for you? Lying. I just hate the lying, because I'm not the police. Why are you lying to me?

• 7:05Speaker 01

  Why?

• 7:06Keke Palmer?

  I don't get that, why do people do that?

• 7:08Speaker 01

  No, and I grew up with a mother who said, "Don't you ever steal nothing, and don't you ever lie." You know, and it was just like ingrained in me, like, you know what I mean? And so, even, you know, where you gotta have the tough words.

• 7:21Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 7:21Speaker 01

  You know, when somebody is asking you what you think, or how you feel, you know what I mean? Standing in your truth can feel very bold, especially because I feel like we're socialized to cover our truth to make somebody else feel good in the moment. But how do you tell the truth in love? How do, how are we all satiated here? Because I'm not finna go home and live no lie.

• 7:43Keke Palmer?

  Yes, the only time that I find, I, you know, because it'll be a moment where like, your friend is like, "What, how do you think of my look?" And there's two things. First of all, I need to know what you're going for. Because if we're going for crazy kooky fun, you've nailed it. If we're going for,

• 7:59Keke Palmer?

  if we're going for, you know, chic minimalism, I don't know. So it's like, I've always gotta ask questions, because it is that thing too, where it's like, when somebody's asking your opinion, it's subjective.

• 8:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:09Keke Palmer?

  So my truth, you know, I always find myself with there, where it's like, what are we going for before I give you the real deal?

• 8:14Speaker 01

  But also specifically as it relates to a, a, a love relationship, don't start lying, because you gonna, you gonna piss me off. And here's the thing, and the thing of it is, is that I just feel like so many people, if you just trusted that the universe is kind enough to send someone for whatever you got on the menu. Then you don't gotta lie to keep somebody.

• 8:39Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 8:39Speaker 01

  Who doesn't wanna what you got on your menu.

• 8:41Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 8:42Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 8:43Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 8:43Speaker 01

  So it's just like when you lie over little things too, you'll lie about anything.

• 8:46Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 8:47Speaker 01

  And so I, yeah, lying in any relationship, I'm like, beat it.

• 8:51Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, come on, Michael.

• 8:52Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:53Keke Palmer?

  Then we have, what's a question you wish you were asked more in interviews? How do you make your dreams come true?

• 9:00Speaker 01

  Let's talk about it.

• 9:01Keke Palmer?

  Now, how do you?

• 9:02Speaker 01

  Well, there's a, there's a few steps to the process. First of all, you believe what the most high has written on the canvas of your imagination.

• 9:11Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 9:12Speaker 01

  How you see yourself, what was that dream that was implanted in you? You gotta believe that first because this is why I often say it's not called mama esteem and them esteem and us esteem.

• 9:26Keke Palmer?

  Self.

• 9:27Speaker 01

  Because ain't nobody got to believe it but you. So you gotta believe that thing, right? And then you gotta put belief into action, right? So what does that look like? Two things. One, you keep confessing it. You say it till you see it. You understand? I hate when people say, I'm an aspiring actress. I always say, stop right there and I'm gonna ask you, what do you do again? And I want you to confess very boldly, I'm an actor, I'm an actress, I'm a this, I'm a that, I'm a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, whatever it is. Confess it, right? And then walk it out. What does that look like? You know, you're not gonna become the thing that's implanted in your, in your subconscious or conscious by laying in a hammock and eating a hot dog.

• 10:12Speaker 01

  You gotta get up.

• 10:13Keke Palmer?

  They're good, but.

• 10:13Speaker 01

  You gotta get up and do something. And little steps towards your dreams is still progress.

• 10:21Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 10:21Speaker 01

  So every day, do something.

• 10:25Keke Palmer?

  I love that. And it's so important when we go back to the beginning of what you said with the whole self-esteem, because I think that's the biggest thing that we must feed in order to even follow some of those steps.

• 10:35Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 10:36Keke Palmer?

  And I know I have more questions here, but just because, because we're here, I wanna um, ask you, what are, what are some self-esteem builders that will help people to even get to those other few steps that you were talking about?

• 10:46Speaker 01

  Well, first of all, you know, you gotta watch the company you keep. You know what I mean? Because everybody in your life is not for you. You know what I mean? Some people just come because they wanna suck up your vibes and your energy. Some people come, you know, they beg so much their hands look like cups when they coming. Some people, you know what I mean? Some people don't wanna see you win, but they just wanna be around to peep it.

• 11:13Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 11:13Speaker 01

  You just never know, and so you gotta watch the people who you hang around, you know what I mean? And, you know, you know, Sherri, my, my, my best friend is Sherri.

• 11:25Keke Palmer?

  Love Sherri.

• 11:26Speaker 01

  So, example, if Sherri said something that was down about herself, I would then, my response would be, watch your mouth and watch what you say about my friend. My friend is not that. Have a glass of act right and get it together and repeat what you just said. You know, people who will put a battery in your back and encourage you, you, you, so you gotta be around like-minded people.

• 11:51Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 11:51Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 11:52Keke Palmer?

  That's really important too, because I've realized in my life, sometimes in, I guess it's a human thing, especially if we don't also often feel like we've been recognized for what we've been through or what we've endured. But you can have people that absolutely love you, but the recognition that you have with them is based in your past hardships. And they can't move forth with you out of that. And so it's like every time, it's like, okay, great, thanks for recognizing that, but can we move on?

• 12:19Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 12:19Keke Palmer?

  Like, why do I have to, why is our compatibility and our connection only built off of?

• 12:24Speaker 01

  It's a trauma bond.

• 12:25Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 12:26Speaker 01

  Trauma bond.

• 12:26Keke Palmer?

  You can't keep doing that.

• 12:28Speaker 01

  And the thing of it is, that is why, just because you've known people for years, I just had this conversation with my spouse. So and so, so and so was my friend for twenty years. The key word in the sentence you said is was. Because a person is not showing up the same way, it means you're either there for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. And the lifers are very special.

• 12:50Keke Palmer?

  They are.

• 12:50Speaker 01

  And it doesn't mean that you have ill will for this person, it just means you've outgrown each other. And how come every time I come back from over your house, I feel drained? I'm exhausted.

• 13:00Keke Palmer?

  Nothing has changed.

• 13:01Speaker 01

  I'm tired. We still talking about this bum for years and years and you, you haven't left yet?

• 13:07Keke Palmer?

  It's like a lot.

• 13:08Speaker 01

  Girl, stop asking me what I think.

• 13:10Keke Palmer?

  You don't care.

• 13:11Speaker 01

  So it's like some of those relationships.

• 13:13Keke Palmer?

  That's really true.

• 13:14Speaker 01

  You just gotta know when it's time to get off the ride.

• 13:17Keke Palmer?

  Love that, couldn't agree with you more. Who is someone you've met that made you feel starstruck? Oh my gosh, girl, Billy Dee Williams and Diane Carroll.

• 13:26Speaker 01

  It's old school. Now let me tell you something.

• 13:27Keke Palmer?

  Diane Carroll and Claudine.

• 13:29Speaker 01

  Honey, my favorite movie. It is definitely in my top five.

• 13:34Keke Palmer?

  It's excellent.

• 13:34Speaker 01

  It's in my top five. And the thing about that is that like that was royalty. That was, you know, legendary. I mean Diane Carroll was Julia. You know, she, she was.

• 13:44Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 13:45Speaker 01

  You, you, she was all the things and Billy Dee Williams in Mahogany and Lady Sings the Blues. Talk about it. And I, you know, huh huh. Listen, the universe was kind because I met them at the same time. Boom, boom. When I met Diane Carroll, I was at the, at a theater award, something. And I looked up and I've never been starstruck over anyone. But I saw that woman. Girl, I said, my God, oh Lord, she walking this way. I wonder who she getting ready to come talk to. And I looked behind me and there was a wall. I said, she's still coming. Oh Lord. And she, she walks right up to my face and goes, darling, do you know where you are every evening? And I thought it was a trick question.

• 14:31Speaker 01

  I said, yes, ma'am, uh, I, I am at the center of my will as a black woman, cuz I know why the Caged Bird sings. That's what I said.

• 14:45Keke Palmer?

  Anytime an auntie come up to you, that's, you gotta say the right words.

• 14:48Speaker 01

  I didn't know what to say.

• 14:49Keke Palmer?

  No, for sure.

• 14:49Speaker 01

  And she said, no, you're in my bedroom because I watch your program every evening. I used to host a home makeover show and I'm like, I know that I'm supposed to know you. But girl, you know me. It, I could not believe, and she floated away. And I was like, mm, mm, mm, look at. You know.

• 15:10Keke Palmer?

  That's just amazing.

• 15:12Speaker 01

  I would, listen, listen.

• 15:14Keke Palmer?

  That is just so, I mean, meeting Diane Carroll, I mean, Billy Dee Williams, it doesn't get much better than that.

• 15:18Speaker 01

  No.

• 15:19Keke Palmer?

  What's a mantra you live by and why? Pull up, you used to, oh my gosh, you say that pull up all the time.

• 15:25Speaker 01

  Pull up.

• 15:26Keke Palmer?

  Pull up, push through, never look like what you went through.

• 15:29Speaker 01

  Never look like what you going through.

• 15:30Keke Palmer?

  Never look like what you going through.

• 15:31Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 15:32Keke Palmer?

  Wow, when did that become your thing? Because as I've, as long as I've known you, you've been saying that all the time.

• 15:37Speaker 01

  You know, when you tap into the call of your li, on your life and you start making steps towards the thing, all hell breaks loose because that's the way the universe is designed. So the time you get the idea, the feeling, the dream is here.

• 15:54Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 15:54Speaker 01

  Over here is the manifestation. And in between here and there is the meantime. And the meantime is mean.

• 16:02Keke Palmer?

  It's there.

• 16:02Speaker 01

  Right? Meantime is mean. And in that place, that's where you will try, the, you know, the powers that be will try to break you. Break your spirit, break your soul, kill that, kill that dream, kill that energy, so that you never make it to the promise. Right? So when I realized that I wanna act and I'm gonna pursue this thing and this is gonna be, you know, the thing that feeds my family, my soul, I'm gonna go on these sets and I'm gonna be a light and it's not just about me getting the job, but it's who are you when you get over there? So when I realized that, all hell broke loose. Like where I would literally go to auditions where I had to be funny, crying my eyes out the whole way there

• 16:46Speaker 01

  because I had a huge fight and this happened and that happened and all the things, you know? And so I had to constantly keep telling myself, you push through and you don't look like what you going through. When you walk in there, wipe your face, get it together, you know what I mean? And go get the thing. And so I started that very early in my career.

• 17:09Keke Palmer?

  That's some very positive self-talk.

• 17:11Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 17:11Keke Palmer?

  And it's really, really powerful. I don't think we think about enough how we are speaking to ourselves. And it makes me think about even what you were saying earlier about you and Sheri or your friends and just people in your life, like that positive self-talk is what can get us through.

• 17:23Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 17:23Keke Palmer?

  Um, let's start at the beginning. So at five years old, you saw Lola Falana on TV and said, black fabulous on TV. What did that unlock in your imagination?

• 17:32Speaker 01

  It all. Everything, I saw myself.

• 17:36Keke Palmer?

  Yes, cuz you are fabulous.

• 17:38Speaker 01

  I saw myself, you know, and she was so glamorous. And I had seen black people on television before, but they didn't look like that.

• 17:47Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 17:47Speaker 01

  I was like, what? You know, a new character has been unlocked. I was, you know, whatever, whatever they doing now, the version of that, then, that's what I was doing. I was like, Lord, I see myself, I, that's, that's me.

• 18:03Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, because your energy, were you like how you are now at five? Were you always very like glamorous? Cuz I've never seen you not with a face beat, I've never seen you not throwing a look. A- as long as I've known you, you've always been very deep, you've been very much a diva.

• 18:16Speaker 01

  Kiki Lauren Palmer. Let me, let me tell you where it began. I was in kindergarten, and there was this boy, and I thought he was so cute. I've been a lover, okay? And I came home, and I told my grandmother, I said, cuz, cuz I like him. But it's this other girl with the, she got long ponytails, and she thinks she's so cute. She, but I think he like her, and my grandmother was like, she got what? My grandmother used to smoke a cigarette on a filter. So you got the long gold piece, then the cigarette. She said, go look in, uh, grandmama's hair drawer and get them two ponytails out of there.

• 18:59Speaker 01

  She ain't gonna be the only one with ponytails, and I'm like, wait, what? So I dig in the hair drawer, and I find these two clip-on ponytails. Giving you like, more like Cindy Brady, like a corkscrew.

• 19:11Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 19:12Speaker 01

  Kind of long thing. She said, now don't tell your mama I let you wear your good dress to school, and you better not get dirty. So I had on a purple velveteen dress, white socks, and she put a little piece of candy in your sock, you know? Could've waited, they hard as, you know? I said, okay, put a candy in my sock, have my white, I mean, my black panel of the shoes on, and I wore my rabbit jacket. See, back in the day, y'all don't know nothing about that. It was like a little patch where they got all the little fuzzy pieces off a rabbit and put it together and made your jacket. So I have my rabbit jacket on, my ponytails, I go to school, my plan is a success. Okay, it's, it's movie time, story time, they're doing the thing, you wanna sit by me? Yes, I pulled a piece of candy out of my sock, I'm like, he's like, yeah, girl, you know?

• 19:56Speaker 01

  And then we clicking and clacking, we off to the races. I come back home to my grandmother, girl. We done cracked the code. So now can we do these ponytails tomorrow with a part on the side? Cause that's gonna, that's really gonna kill him.

• 20:07Keke Palmer?

  That's gonna kill him.

• 20:08Speaker 01

  She said, girl, you can't wear this to school every day. I just let you do this one time. One time, cut to, I go back with my little dumb braids.

• 20:16Keke Palmer?

  Uh-uh.

• 20:17Speaker 01

  I go back to school. He end up back over there with the girl with the long braids. And I picked up a chair, threw it at her, and ended up in detention.

• 20:24Keke Palmer?

  Oh, [BLEEP].

• 20:25Speaker 01

  And so here we are. But that was the beginning. Now, there's hair everywhere. You get a wig. You get a wig.

• 20:33Keke Palmer?

  Girl, first of all, I love that you, your grandmama was your wingman.

• 20:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, got me together.

• 20:38Keke Palmer?

  Got you together. She said, this how you snag them.

• 20:41Speaker 01

  Always had a man.

• 20:42Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 20:43Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 20:44Keke Palmer?

  I need to page out that book.

• 20:45Speaker 01

  My grandmother had a double mastectomy and was at the place getting, um, dialysis. Oh, I can't keep them off me, all these fellas in here. So I got it honest. She was like, I ain't even got titties and they on me.

• 20:58Keke Palmer?

  All these fellas in here.

• 21:00Speaker 01

  On me. I love that.

• 21:03Keke Palmer?

  So you were born in Palmdale?

• 21:04Speaker 01

  I really wasn't. I was born in LA. I don't know where.

• 21:08Keke Palmer?

  You hate this Palmdale.

• 21:08Speaker 01

  I [BLEEP] lived in Palmdale a long time ago, but I don't know how it got on my, my Wikipedia. Wikipedia, I don't live in Palmdale.

• 21:16Keke Palmer?

  As a girl that grew up in Compton, she said, hell, no.

• 21:19Speaker 01

  Come on.

• 21:20Keke Palmer?

  She said, no Palmdale here.

• 21:21Speaker 01

  No, give me my street cred.

• 21:23Keke Palmer?

  Exactly. At what point did you realize laughter wasn't just a personality? It was something that also got you through your life?

• 21:31Speaker 01

  You know, I had always been funny, but I didn't know it was a thing because I got punished for it.

• 21:38Keke Palmer?

  Interesting. Why would you get punished for it? You was just playing too much?

• 21:41Speaker 01

  Cause I was like, you know, doing stuff in church.

• 21:45Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 21:45Speaker 01

  And then I would get pinched. Or I would get talks too much on my report card. And my mom was like, well, what was you talking about? And I'm like, I was telling jokes. You know, she's like, get the belt. I, I got something that's funny. You know, so it just never, I never thought it was a thing.

• 22:01Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 22:01Speaker 01

  And then in 93, um, my only brother was murdered on his high school campus.

• 22:08Keke Palmer?

  So sorry to hear that.

• 22:09Speaker 01

  Thank you. And. My mother got in this deep depression and she said, "I'm getting in the bed and I'm never getting back out." So, I didn't know what to do, but I knew I could make my mama laugh. So, I would perform at the foot of her bed every day. I would do characters and jokes and bits and, you know, and my mother went from laying down in the bed to sitting up in the bed. "I got my peanuts and my water. Go on, get up there and do your rendition of things." I said, "Well, let me do my things." And then at one point, I went by there and she wasn't in the bed. I said, "Mama, we're in here." I'm like, "Who is "we"? She's like, "Well, I went across the street and got the neighbors, Ms. Brown and Ms. So-and-so,

• 22:51Speaker 01

  and I told these people, 'You funny. Get that karaoke microphone and tell these people some jokes.'"

• 22:57Speaker 01

  So, while I was on the karaoke microphone telling the people the jokes, I heard a voice as audible as my own say that laughter is a gift.

• 23:11Keke Palmer?

  Amen.

• 23:12Speaker 01

  It is a gift, not that it completely heals you, but it's a balm, it's a salve. Then the voice said, "Nisi, don't be a selfish heifer." Now, that's how the voice talked to me. Said, "Don't be a selfish heifer. There's some other people out here in the world suffering. Go out there and spread this around." Because I couldn't get a job in, in, because I, when people told me I was funny, I got offended because the only thing I knew that it was connected to was being punished.

• 23:40Keke Palmer?

  Right.

• 23:41Speaker 01

  So, I was like, "I'm sorry I'm so funny. I, I really want to be, because I only wanted to be a dramatic actress." I didn't want to be funny. But when I stood on that thing and what came in my mind from that pain, your purpose will be birthed. And then I went outside and I said, "My name is Nisi Nash and I'm funny." And they said, "Yes, you are, little girl. Get on over here." And that's how I started working.

• 24:02Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh. Isn't that so interesting, the ideas that we can have for ourselves? Because obviously, you're an incredible dramatic actress as well. We're going to get to that. But it's interesting the way we think our entry points should be. We'll always get there, but like, if we just will lean in to what comes naturally to us, you know, it becomes so much easier. I also want to talk about the M A V I S, Mothers Against Violence in schools, because I know your mother actually experienced some domestic violence. When you were younger, but you know, you became a spokesperson for this foundation.

• 24:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, Mavis, um, Mothers Against Violence in Schools, we started because my brother was killed on his high school campus.

• 24:40Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 24:41Speaker 01

  He got caught in a love triangle at seventeen. And, you know, somebody brought a gun to school over a girl, and there you go. You know what I mean?

• 24:51Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 24:52Speaker 01

  Um, you know, it wasn't like, it wasn't as a result of, you know, gang violence, or, you know, him being robbed, or, you know, he just, you know, probably got beaten a lover from his big sister. Uh, and it, you know, unfortunately cost him his life. And I went around the country with my mother for many years advocating for safety in schools. And, um, we did it for many years until it was just too painful for her to continue.

• 25:22Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 25:22Speaker 01

  She was just like, cause every time, I'm reliving it every time, you know, so she, um,

• 25:28Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 25:30Speaker 01

  She just said, I'm, I'm ready to put it down.

• 25:33Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, what did that teach you, if anything, about using your voice? I mean, I know the comedy was there, but also just, it really aligns with a lot of the work that you've continued to do, and the stories that you've been able to tell, you know what I'm saying? And so, I'm curious of how, thinking about what you went through, and how that has then become something that you've expressed in later roles.

• 25:51Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 25:52Keke Palmer?

  You know?

• 25:52Speaker 01

  You know, but it's, it's interesting because I probably do more privately than I do publicly. You know what I mean? So, yes, I will use my voice, I will use my platform, but I'm also the one who, he hit you, where are you? You gotta get out of there, and you, how long, when, when is he coming back? You know what I mean? And then calling my other girlfriends, who I know are writers, and I'm like, meet me at this address, make sure your trunk is empty, we gotta get this girl. And we gotta get, and we gotta shorten our time to do it.

• 26:28Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 26:28Speaker 01

  I, I'm not gonna go on social media and tell that, but I will go on social media and say, I'm advocating for the Innocence Project. I'm advocating for, you know, victims to be believed, I'm advocating for, but the, but the private ministry is, is more consuming than.

• 26:47Speaker 01

  What you see in, in, in socials.

• 26:50Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, you've ministered to me many times, so I know that to be so true. Um, you also credit your mom for believing in your acting potential. How important is it, you think, for the adults in your life to really help you pursue, or even just encourage you to pursue your dreams? Cause I've had that with my mom.

• 27:05Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm, but you know, also, um, in the beginning,

• 27:12Speaker 01

  I was very shy. So when you have a baby that is uber shy and you're like, I wanna be on TV, you know, it's like, this girl, you know, go, go, go in there, sit down, did you do your homework, you know? So I really had to stay my path and let everybody catch up.

• 27:32Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 27:32Speaker 01

  It was like, oh, wait, you know? My mother used to work two jobs and so I used to do these acting competitions and she was never able to come.

• 27:41Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 27:42Speaker 01

  Cause she had to work two jobs and then I got into this one that said, you know, you could represent the state of California in this acting competition and go against other people in other states if you win. So my mama took off work.

• 27:55Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 27:56Speaker 01

  Now that's a big deal.

• 27:57Keke Palmer?

  Come on.

• 27:58Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? You, you, you nervous? You all right? I'm, no, I'm fine. I go up there and I do the thing and I win and my mother, it, she just saw me so differently. And she was like, wow, whatever I can do. And I come from a place where there was no entertainers in my family, no blueprint. We weren't child stars. You know, I had graduated from high school, you know, and my mother said, you know, I'm gonna do whatever I can. So what did that look like? Every play that I was in, she would come up there and bring food. She would make her famous chicken. She would do this. She, you know what I mean? They need help making some props, you know, I can call somebody. You know, the, uh, the man up the street like me.

• 28:40Speaker 01

  He makes stuff real good, you know what I mean? So, um, you know, she just really got behind it. You started watching my children for me.

• 28:50Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 28:50Speaker 01

  So I could audition and, you know, but you gotta, you gotta stay with it to let people know you're serious about it.

• 28:56Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah, I feel, I, I, I agree. You studied theater arts at Cal State Dominguez Hill.

• 29:01Speaker 01

  Uh-huh.

• 29:01Keke Palmer?

  How did studying the craft, you feel, protect you in the industry that could sometimes be tearing at your confidence? You know, did that, did studying the craft in school? Give you any substantial support outside of your experience?

• 29:15Speaker 01

  What I will tell you about that is that we are living in a age where people can just be plucked from obscurity because of reality TV, right? You know what I mean? You got a gregarious personality. You know what I mean? He slick and something to look at, you know what I mean, or whatever. And you can become quintessentially an overnight success. I feel like for me, studying was the best gift I could have ever given myself. Because I don't have to rely on tricks. You know what I mean? I don't have to rely on gimmicks. You know what I mean? And my mother is the one who told me, "Don't lie."

• 30:00Speaker 01

  Uh, when I said, you know, "Mama, I'm doing all this comedy, but don't you think I'm a good dramatic actress?" She said, "Girl, I don't." But you can be. So you find the best class in this town, and I'mma work overtime to pay for it.

• 30:16Speaker 01

  You understand?

• 30:16Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 30:17Speaker 01

  And now she's Emmy award-winning for dramatic role, Nisi Nash-Bet. You know what I mean?

• 30:23Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 30:24Speaker 01

  But, but I had to put in the, the work. It, it, it's just for me. I can't speak about anybody else's process. But I'm very grateful that I, that I went and I studied and I, you know, got it together and, and figured out what I didn't know.

• 30:41Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 30:42Speaker 01

  You know?

• 30:43Keke Palmer?

  You worked with Whoopi Goldberg very early on in your career. I'm a Whoopi girl. I love Whoopi Goldberg down. And I'm so, I still have not gotten a chance to work with her. Whoopi, call me. Um, but you told the story about having the confidence to speak up in a scene with her early on in your career. Tell me about that moment and what did it teach you about taking up space, especially being a newcomer?

• 31:02Speaker 01

  Well.

• 31:11Keke Palmer?

  You know your girl loves to travel. Some of my favorite trips have been with my fam to far-off places like Rome. But this spring, we're eyeing a more local spot like South Carolina, because our non-negotiables are delicious food and a beach, where we can have fun but also get some much-needed R&R. And when I'm planning where we're gonna stay, I'm not only thinking about logistics like, "Where is everyone going to sleep?", but also, "How can I really experience the place I'm visiting?" That's why I book a stay on Airbnb for family trips. We get to stay in neighborhoods where locals actually live and really connect with the city through authentic experiences. Plus, everyone can spread out with separate bedrooms,

• 31:53Keke Palmer?

  like, "My son's bedtime doesn't have to be my bedtime", and we've got a real kitchen to cook some meals together if we end up staying in. It's also way more cost-effective than booking multiple hotel rooms. We all get our own space, but still come together to create those genuine memories. For that kind of trip, hotels just don't give us what we need. Find a home for your next family adventure on Airbnb. You know what I love? When people show up with genuine intentions, especially when it comes to dating. My girls and I were just talking about how the best connections happen when someone puts in real effort from the jump. And Bumble is definitely on to something,

• 32:37Keke Palmer?

  because they're making it easy to find people who really want to get to know and date the real you from the beginning, through features like Bumble Compliments. Someone can show genuine interest in something on your profile, like your love of cooking, or that cute hiking photo. "I see you boo." All before you even match. That kind of meaningful connection changes the whole vibe. That's why it's the dating app my girlfriends use and trust. And let's talk about safety, because that matters. Bumble has photo verification and ID verification built right in. You can be at ease knowing the person you're chatting with is actually who they say they are. That peace of mind, it's a non-negotiable. Ready to connect with people who bring the same energy as you?

• 33:23Keke Palmer?

  Download Bumble now.

• 33:28Speaker 01

  Let's talk audition first, okay? So, to even get the job, I was unemployed. I had a little baby. And I was breaking up.

• 33:42Speaker 01

  And I said, you know, "I know what I'ma do. I'm gonna act." And it was, I had no agent, no manager. But I had met a man at a workshop that said I was funny. So I called him. I said, "You said that I was talented and I was funny." I said, "Be responsible for my introduction in Hollywood and hook me up." Okay. And so, he said, "Be down here at 3 o'clock." Girl, I had on makeup out to here, hair down to my address. I, I, I looked like a hot mess. And I walked in and he was like, "What is all of this?" And I said, He said, "I, I said, "I know, right?" And he was like, "Wrong." "Please, go in the bathroom and wash your face. And, and tie that hair up." And I was like, "Ugh." Did it.

• 34:26Speaker 01

  When in an audition, I didn't know I was going into a producer session. Oh. And it was only for under 5 lines. So, you know, he slipped me in, right? So, I read the 2 lines or whatever it was. The director said, "Hmm. Send her back out and we're, have her read this and this." It was too little, say this little part, say this little line. And so, the guy says, he looked at me like, so he said, "Go in the hallway and, and work on this." I said, "This little bit of stuff? I don't need to go in the hallway, I got it." He said, "No, you can..." I said, "Man, stop pushing me. I said, "I got it." So the guy was like, "Oh, if she's ready, let her go." I was like, "Yeah, thank you."

• 35:11Speaker 01

  So, I say words. I say the second set of words. And he goes, "Thank you." And I said- That's the "you got the part" look. I said, "You're welcome." And he said, "Thank you?" And I said, "Don't mention it?" And he said, "Thank you, you may go." I said, "Oh, y'all are dismissing me. What, did you pick me?" And he was like, wait, what? And I said, did you pick me? I told him, I'm broke, I got a baby and I need a job. He said, someone will let you know, dear. I said, let me know when. Nisi. First professional audition, girl. I said, let me know when. And he was like, honey, you have to leave. I said, you know what?

• 35:55Speaker 01

  I'm gonna leave, but let me tell you what my mama always told me. Everybody got a boss. So I'm telling on you, sir. And I'm telling on you, and I'm telling on you, and I'm telling on you. I say, I drove all the way from Compton. You gonna have me drive all the way out here and y'all not gonna tell me if I book shame on all y'all. Cause I didn't know the process. See why you gotta go to school and study kids? Okay. So I had never had the professional audition. So when, right before I walked out, he calls the casting director over, who is bright red. Oh my gosh. And he leans down and says, where did you find her? She's adorable. Yeah, that, it was pretty cool. Kiki, I don't stop. I said, uh-uh. Don't try to get on my good side now. Y'all done already.

• 36:40Speaker 01

  It was a mess. So they ended up calling me for the movie anyway, in spite of that. And I got out there and my scene was with Whoopi Goldberg. Oh my gosh. What movie? Tell me this movie. Boys on the Side. Boys on the Side. With Drew Barrymore was in it. Mary Louise Parker. A very young and undiscovered Matthew McConaughey. Oh my gosh. And I was- And Nisi Nash. Come on. I was woman in the diner. And so I stay in the bathroom and I come out and I'm supposed to tell her words about her friend in the bathroom and cause her friend was sickly. Yeah. And whatever the line was, Whoopi kept laughing.

• 37:25Speaker 01

  Cause it sounded really weird, the way the words were put together. And so the director started getting frustrated. He cut. Come on. Back to walk, you know, all of that. And I was like, oh Lord, I got in that bathroom, girl, and I prayed. I said, Lord, don't plead. I said, this woman, if she laugh one more time, I'mma say something.

• 37:45Speaker 01

  So, I walk out the bathroom, I say the line, she laughs again. Kids, don't do this, don't ever do this. This is what I did.

• 37:53Keke Palmer?

  No.

• 37:54Speaker 01

  Okay, stop, time out. Who am I to call cut? Who am I? Who am I?

• 38:00Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, me too, I'm scared.

• 38:01Speaker 01

  I stopped, and I says, and he said, what is the problem? I said, sir, I'm sorry, but she's messing up the scene because she keep laughing. Whoopi Goldberg looked at me and said, "No, you didn't [BLEEP]!" And I said, "Yes, I did, they not gonna fire you."

• 38:20Keke Palmer?

  You so confident with this, right?

• 38:21Speaker 01

  I was like, "I sure did, drop dime, and what?"

• 38:26Keke Palmer?

  Because they about to cut my part messing with you, Whoopi.

• 38:29Speaker 01

  And he was like, "Well, what do you, what, he said, what's the problem?" I take my gloves off because it's snowing outside, my prop gloves. Long blue fingernails with bingles, bells, bows, and everything. I was like, well, maybe, in hindsight, maybe that's why they gave me the gloves. But, took the gloves off. And I said, "The problem is," and he said, "Oh, wow, go ahead."

• 38:53Speaker 01

  People don't talk like that. And that's why she keeps laughing because it's so weird. And he said, "Well, what would you say if it was you?" I would be like, "Girl, is that your friend in the bathroom? Child, you better get in there because she ain't not throwing up." He says, "Edith, we're changing the line." He said, "You go say whatever you want to say." Whoopi Goldberg said, "You go, girl," and I was like, "Okay." But it just seemed like the most obvious thing to do. You think I'm finna get fired? This lady got a bag of money? And these cute locks? Girl, they not gonna fire you. So, yeah, I spoke up and, and, and, and will, and always have.

• 39:30Keke Palmer?

  And that is so good for any actor to hear because it's really true. Like, at your job, I think a lot of times as actors or performers, we go into a situation and like, this is what it is and I have to do that. But like, also, they're looking for our expertise.

• 39:43Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 39:43Keke Palmer?

  We are the, the performers. So, when we look at the script and the lines and we're coming to the project, you know, it is our, part of our job, and I don't think we also often know that, to say, "Hey, this doesn't feel right, this doesn't seem true." You know, and we get nervous to challenge, but it's not challenge, it's actually doing your job. And so, that's, I love that. Have you seen, when, when the last, like, how soon? Have you seen Whoopi in the young this year?

• 40:06Speaker 01

  Yes, I've, I've, I've seen her several times when I go and I visit The View, and we just hold on to each other and... And laugh about that time, you know, it's just that kind of a, kind of a thing. And, and she's just always been a dear, dear soul.

• 40:23Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I love Whoopi. I love her so deep. Okay, at your Walk of Fame ceremony, you said, "This is just the beginning, not the ending." What did you mean by that? Because you've already accomplished so much, but you do keep accomplishing so much more. What else in your mind, I mean, you maybe don't know, but you're just like, "Honey, I'm here."

• 40:39Speaker 01

  You know, I felt like there is so much more to do.

• 40:43Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 40:43Speaker 01

  I mean, i- i- it's just more to do, more, um, uncharted territory, you know? I didn't, uh, direct until after that. I, you know what I mean? I'm working on a, um, on a second book. I mean, it just so many things, so many things, producing and, you know, all of the things. And so I just thought, wow, this is getting ready to be another chapter, you know? And mind you, mind you, when I was seven, I was on, seven or eight, on the Walk of Fame with my dad. And I run into Ed Asner. I didn't know it was, that was his name. My dad had to tell me. I said, "I saw that man on TV before." Um, he was the boss of Mary Tyler Moore Show or something.

• 41:26Keke Palmer?

  Oh, I loved Mary Tyler.

• 41:30Speaker 01

  And so I said, "I know that guy from somewhere." I said, "I walk up to him." I said, "I know you don't know me." "But my name is Nisi and, you know, my name is gonna be right on this ground, on one of these stars one day."

• 41:42Keke Palmer?

  That goes back to what you said, you start here, the manifestation is there, everything in the middle is the meantime.

• 41:47Speaker 01

  And you gotta say it till you see it.

• 41:50Keke Palmer?

  That's great.

• 41:50Speaker 01

  I said it at that age. And I never forgot that I said it. He was like, "Yeah, kid, scram." And when he was walking away, I was like, "Remember my name." And I didn't know how long it was gonna take, but about...

• 42:05Speaker 01

  Thirty-five, forty years later, I end up on that Walk of Fame. I called that man. And I said, I don't know if you remember me.

• 42:14Keke Palmer?

  No, you didn't, Nisi.

• 42:15Speaker 01

  Sure did.

• 42:16Keke Palmer?

  He's still living?

• 42:17Speaker 01

  He said, I hope you.

• 42:18Keke Palmer?

  Thank God.

• 42:20Speaker 01

  He sent me a letter. I don't think now, but when I got the star, he was. But he said, I'm grateful that you didn't let a crotchety old man destroy your dream. Unfortunately, I can't come to your star ceremony. And he hand drew me a star and he wrote my name in the middle of it. And I thought that was so sweet. And then the day before the ceremony, he called and said, I'll be there. I couldn't even look at him. Google it. You can look up pictures.

• 42:44Keke Palmer?

  Nisi, that is the most special. These kinds of things let me just know that God is so real. Just because the design of the life, the architecture of it all, like it can't be written by anything else other than that thing, that spirit, that unnamed. Because what the heck?

• 43:02Speaker 01

  I couldn't even look at him because my fake eyelashes was gonna fall off. I couldn't even look over because I was like, he's sitting right there. You know what I mean? You know what I mean?

• 43:13Keke Palmer?

  That is so special.

• 43:14Speaker 01

  It's so special.

• 43:15Keke Palmer?

  I love that. I love that. I mean, when we think about it, a lot of us think about it. Reno 911 is like a big turning point in your career, where everybody got that real glimpse of your comedy chops. We could at least know Nisi is one to watch. How did it feel for you during that time when you got that role?

• 43:32Speaker 01

  Can we talk about it? Because I lied my way into it.

• 43:34Keke Palmer?

  I love that there's always a gag or goop. This is a, we could do a whole TV show over Nisi Nash's life, and there's always a gag episode. It's giving me life.

• 43:45Speaker 01

  There's always a gag. So they called, and at first it was supposed to be sketch. And they were like, hi, I mean, yeah, we're just confirming, you do sketch, right? I was like, of course. And then I called my friend, Big George, shout out to Big George. And I said, what the hell is sketch? What do I gotta do? And so he told me what to do, characters and bits. I said, oh, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't know that's what they called it, but yeah, I can do that. So I get my little stuff together and go down there.

• 44:08Keke Palmer?

  Characters and bits.

• 44:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, it was two other girls and me. One was stretching, one was doing vocal warmups, and I was in there reading the magazine. I said, well, should, why should I get up and do something? But they, the audition was running, running very long. And I got up and knocked on the door.

• 44:27Keke Palmer?

  Oh, no.

• 44:28Speaker 01

  Nisi, this is crazy. I have a habit of, wait, now it's all coming back to me. It's a wonder I even work in this business. Okay, so I knocked on the door and it was like about, I don't know, 12 people in a room. And three of them were, I don't know who they were. Yeah. I just knocked on the door and I said, hey, excuse me, uh, what time are y'all gonna get this dog and pony show started?

• 44:52Speaker 01

  And the lady really was upset, you know, she said, why? Are you in a hurry? I said, as a matter of fact, ma'am, I am. I gotta get my kids to Chuck E. Cheese by seven o'clock. Seven. Seven o'clock, because the last time I got there late, they jumped on the mouse, the head came off, the man ran in the back. It was a show. I gotta get there on time. So they said, okay, well, go ahead and come in. I was like, thank you. I do my bit. What are the odds I get a call back? So I'm like, on my way back, I begged my mother to watch my children. I said, mama, I don't wanna be distracted. You know, so I go back and I walk in and I say, how you guys, you know?

• 45:36Speaker 01

  First thing they said, what happened at Chuck E. Cheese? Now I do, now I do a high five on Chuck E. Cheese.

• 45:44Speaker 01

  And then they said, it was time for me to audition again. I mean, and I said, well, I didn't know enough to know that you need to workshop like bits. I just have always been funny. So I felt like, once I learned that how these comedy troops do it. I was like, oh, I didn't know that. But I knew I was funny. I said, I could do the same thing I did last time, but I found this handkerchief in the back of my car. And on the way over here, I made up a bit called Carol the Slave. Y'all wanna see that? I did, not yes. I did, come on, studio audience. We do, we got it. I said, uh, so I did Carol the Slave. I leave, my mother said, how did it go? I said, I think it was funny.

• 46:27Speaker 01

  I said, this white lady fell out of her chair and was beating her fist on the ground. Who that person I now know to be as Carrie Kenny, who played Wygo with the little dark hair. She played Trudy Wygo and I got that job and you know, I don't, and I often say, I don't know that I was better than those two other girls, but I was very comfortable in my skin.

• 46:49Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, well, that's what I keep hearing about everything. And I'm, I was gonna ask you, but I'm glad you brought it up. Like, would you, would you say that it was just confidence? Or was it naivety? Was it you just being like, I can only be me? Like, where was that knocking on the door? Was it just like, you know?

• 47:03Speaker 01

  I feel like I just,

• 47:07Speaker 01

  I never tried to talk myself out of who I knew God made me to be. Never tried to talk myself out of it. You know, you need to be more like this, or more like that, or you need to act like this, and decorum, and this, and that. Whatever it all was, I just was like, you know, I believe that everybody is so unique. And what's your bit? And what's your bit? I don't need, I don't need to borrow from your bit. Cause I'm already over here rocking and rolling in my bit. And when people would say, I'm so sorry, we're going another way. My honest reaction was, guys, I feel so sorry for you.

• 47:40Keke Palmer?

  Yes, right.

• 47:41Speaker 01

  Because I'mma be a big deal. You'll see.

• 47:45Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 47:46Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? And I was just going on about it.

• 47:48Keke Palmer?

  And as you continue to grow, um, and, and what, I don't know, whatever people call learn more, elevate, or just, you know, access different things coming to your mind. How did you make sure that, that, that, that Nisi Nash, that core of what you call as being you, how did you make sure it sustained as you blossomed into more?

• 48:10Speaker 01

  Um, you know, you, I, again, the people who you hang around, you know, will not let you get too, your feet get too far off the ground. You know, it's like punkin'. Not too much.

• 48:23Keke Palmer?

  Right, yeah.

• 48:24Speaker 01

  Not too much.

• 48:25Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. And it keep you grounded.

• 48:26Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 48:27Keke Palmer?

  Absolutely.

• 48:27Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 48:28Keke Palmer?

  Would you ever be open to a reunion episode of Reno Nine One One?

• 48:31Speaker 01

  Oh, I'm the reason why we keep coming back together. Every couple of years, I email everybody twice a year, like, hi guys! Let's put the band back together! Guys, I just found my old booty in the closet, anybody? Y'all wanna go get drinks as our characters? And I just keep putting it out there. I've set it on red carpets. I'm like, ah, can't wait till we get the band back together. And every few years or so, we'll come back and find something to do.

• 48:59Keke Palmer?

  I love that. What do you feel that your character, Aneeshia, especially coming in and not even knowing much about that type of work, that sketch work? What did she teach you, um, as a, in your, in terms of your comedic voice?

• 49:10Speaker 01

  Um, trust her gift. Trust it. Because now you're around all these seasoned people who have been in all of these high-profile comedy troupes. You know what I mean?

• 49:24Keke Palmer?

  Girl, that's how I felt with you on Scream Queens, with you and Glenn.

• 49:27Speaker 01

  What are you even talking about? You mean, me and Jamie?

• 49:30Keke Palmer?

  You and Jamie?

• 49:31Speaker 01

  Me and Ja-

• 49:32Keke Palmer?

  And Glenn Powell.

• 49:33Speaker 01

  Oh, Glenn Powell?

• 49:34Keke Palmer?

  Girl, you remember Glenn Powell?

• 49:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, I love Glenn.

• 49:36Keke Palmer?

  Glenn, girl, watching you and Glenn, I was in so many scenes of mo- And I used to tell you all this, all the time, and you would always look at me just how you always looked at me, like, girl, you could do it. It's a, it ain't no b- But I would be studying you. That taught me so much about improv on that show. Because I was like, yo, this is an opportunity for me, as an adult, to really mature in what my comedic voice is, what it means to take chances. How do I understand improv and improv-ing within the context of the situation? Not just saying something because it's funny, but saying something that's true, and that's why it's funny.

• 50:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 50:07Keke Palmer?

  I would watch everything. We would be working on that show, Nisi, and it would be, they would never, ever, ever, give her a note. And I'm not even kidding, guys. They would just be like, go. And they'd be like, okay, great, another one. And she would come up with something different each time, that was still within the framework of the moment. And I just remember literally looking at you in complete and utter awe, just drooling. And I was like, Nisi, will you do thi- this video with me online? Would you do- This thing with me because I was just so blown away by that watching that skill. That is just like the best school that you could ever be in. And I was just, I when I tell you I was soaking up every minute of Miss Nisi Nash. That was the best time. You taught me so much. You really, really did, you know, just by watching you do you.

• 50:52Keke Palmer?

  And I would see you and Glenn going back and forth. He was the only one to keep up with you.

• 50:55Speaker 01

  Well, you know what, but, but, but I, I, you know how oftentimes people say you see yourself in someone. Definitely, um, watching you on that set because you know, you're working with a whole bunch of girls. And, and, and, and it's a, it's a lot of energy. And I remember that like your trailer was like ground zero. You having a problem and you having a problem, come on in here and let's talk about it. And I was be like.

• 51:22Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? That's me. That's, that's, that's what I would have been. So, yeah, you know, I, I think that, that, that energy is, it's, it's a gift to many.

• 51:31Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah. I was happy that a lot of the girls could trust me. You know, that was a nice, that was, that was a good vibe about the show. Gave a very like, you know, comforting sisterhood in, in moments. Um, let's talk about Clean House.

• 51:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, what was crazy was that I had just had my last baby. I have three children. And I begged their father. I said, you know, it was like I had the baby six weeks later. He was like, it's time to go back to work. And I was like, wait a minute. I've given my body over three times to bring life. In the, in the world. If I could have nine months just for me. To just, let me just see what I could do in nine months. And if at the end of this nine months, I don't make it crack, I'll go back to work. Put my pinky up, twisted it and was like boom. Now the clock is ticking. And it took me about.

• 52:27Speaker 01

  Seven and a half months. I booked my home makeover show, Clean House. Right, maybe about two weeks later, I booked Reno 911. And a week after that, I booked, uh, recurring on the Bernie Mac Show as his sister Auntie Benita.

• 52:44Keke Palmer?

  And I loved, I, I used to go to sleep to the Bernie Mac Show. I loved Bernie Mac Show, rest in peace Bernie Mac. It was, I loved your character on there, it was great.

• 52:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, and so after that, never went back to work.

• 52:54Keke Palmer?

  Wow. And then you won the Daytime Emmy, that was your first time that you won Emmy.

• 52:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, for, yeah, producing that show, um, I loved it. I, literally, I've been out with it, even now, trying to see if I could bring it back.

• 53:07Keke Palmer?

  Well, you also had the, um, one that you did with your family, which was cool, that they now start pulling clips of.

• 53:11Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 53:12Keke Palmer?

  The reality show that you had with, Leave It To Nisi, that now is coming up on socials, how you feel about that?

• 53:17Speaker 01

  Girl.

• 53:17Keke Palmer?

  They're popping up again.

• 53:18Speaker 01

  I know, um, I love the clips that just include me and my children. There were other people in my life at the time, and I'm like, oh, God.

• 53:27Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 53:28Speaker 01

  But, uh, I, I love that people are, they just started discovering it. You know, it's like, I was like, that show was so long ago, but it was a good time.

• 53:38Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, but you've always been producing different, diversifying and producing different things that I think like, we could even say were, quote unquote, before their time, but in any regard, you've always been acknowledged for it, so. Um, you built a long relationship with Ryan Murphy.

• 53:52Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 53:53Keke Palmer?

  I mean, he, you guys have done multiple projects together. What do you appreciate most about that relationship, especially from a showrunner?

• 54:00Speaker 01

  I think that Ryan is so creative, and you never know when he gives you a script, you know, what it's gonna be. But most of the time, I've said yes to Ryan without a script.

• 54:11Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 54:11Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 54:12Keke Palmer?

  Many of us have, cause you don't know what, but you know it's gonna be something.

• 54:15Speaker 01

  It's Ryan, and you know it's gonna be good, you know? The one that I'm doing now, All's Fair, uh, with Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, Tiana Taylor.

• 54:23Keke Palmer?

  Shout out to, uh, Tiana.

• 54:24Speaker 01

  Sarah Paulson, yes, you know, we love our sister.

• 54:26Keke Palmer?

  That girl.

• 54:27Speaker 01

  So, you know, none of us got a script, and all said yes.

• 54:31Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 54:32Speaker 01

  And then the script came later. So, I just trust him.

• 54:36Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 54:37Speaker 01

  I trust him so much.

• 54:38Keke Palmer?

  When it comes to getting to do more drama now at this point, what did you, I mean, you, from the beginning of this, you said you always wanted to do drama. So what was it like to finally start getting roles, you know, the opportunity to play dramatic roles?

• 54:51Speaker 01

  Heaven.

• 54:52Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 54:52Speaker 01

  A blessing.

• 54:53Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 54:54Speaker 01

  But now I want back in, because they forgot I was funny, Kiki. Now I gotta, I gotta scrape up a comedy. I'm like, everything, I look at, she's crying and dying.

• 55:03Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my God.

• 55:04Speaker 01

  She's down and out. She, you know what I mean?

• 55:06Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, isn't that funny?

• 55:07Speaker 01

  I just was like, what just happened?

• 55:09Keke Palmer?

  The industry is very much like that. Like, whatever you do, the most of, that's why mom used to always tell me, you don't let people tell you who you are, you tell them who you are.

• 55:17Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 55:18Keke Palmer?

  And they'll believe it to the end.

• 55:19Speaker 01

  You know, I love your mama.

• 55:20Keke Palmer?

  You know, because we all from the same vibe. Where it's like, at the end of the day, like, I set the tone. So it's like, if I'm being funny, then everybody's like, oh. If you're being serious, like, she's such a serious [BLEEP]. It's like, what, guys? Like, it's just a switch that you could turn on and off.

• 55:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 55:33Keke Palmer?

  And you've done, I mean, limited series, sitcoms, reality.

• 55:36Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 55:37Keke Palmer?

  Uh, you've anchored series. I mean, the credits are so long. What's the real art to not just booking, but becoming indispensable?

• 55:46Speaker 01

  Well.

• 55:46Keke Palmer?

  Because you are that.

• 55:48Speaker 01

  I found out through some other actors that I, I had a nickname I didn't know about.

• 55:57Speaker 01

  And they were calling me Nisi The Range Nash.

• 56:02Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 56:03Speaker 01

  You know? And I was so blessed by that.

• 56:10Speaker 01

  I was so blessed by that because

• 56:14Speaker 01

  to know that your peers can trust you.

• 56:19Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 56:19Speaker 01

  Whatever your script, your project is, call me. You want it funny, you want a drama, you want a host, you want a this, you want, you know what I mean? All of those boxes are checked. And it just made me feel like, you know, um, a very blessed woman to know that my peers can trust me, no matter what the genre.

• 56:38Keke Palmer?

  Absolutely. I mean, 1,000%, you are that person. How do you stay hungry when, I mean, you've accomplished so much? What keeps pushing you and what inspires you at this point in your career?

• 56:51Speaker 01

  Well, first of all, I'm expensive.

• 56:53Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 56:54Speaker 01

  I mean.

• 56:56Keke Palmer?

  Now, let's get into that.

• 56:59Speaker 01

  I like things. I like to go places. And eat stuff. Um, no, I, I, I. The thing, the real reason, um, is because I feel like there's always something new to uncover in my art. It's a million things I could have played that I haven't yet. You know what I mean?

• 57:19Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 57:20Speaker 01

  So, um, discovering different parts of my art, whether it's writing or producing, or finding a character that I've never played before, it all still tastes so delicious. I'm not over it.

• 57:32Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 57:33Speaker 01

  I'm not over it.

• 57:35Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I feel the same way too. And I always wondered to myself, like, will it ever come a day where I'm not, you know, engaged with it? You know, I don't know what that would look like, but I really still feel so passionate about my art. But I guess that's what it is to just be an artist, you know, whatever it is across the board. I'm engaged, you know? Um, I want to switch gears because I got to bring up your performance and Ava DuVernay's When They See Us. I mean, that's very heavy sacred work. Anytime we have to do something that involves like structural, systemic racism, art.

• 58:02Speaker 01

  And real people.

• 58:03Keke Palmer?

  And real people, it can be really, really tough. That's how I did a movie, Alice. It wasn't a real character, but that experience had happened to somebody before. And just getting into the shoes of like our ancestors or what our community has endured. It can be really a lot. So how did you prepare yourself for that and being so, um, in, you know, just invested in this story and concentrated amount of time?

• 58:25Speaker 01

  So with regards to When They See Us, first of all, I love me some Ava DuVernay. Um, but, um, she really protected us and made sure that we had, um, a very extensive bible on the whole story. The people that were still alive, we were able to meet, I call them the Exonerated Five. But we were able to meet them and, you know what I mean, and that bit of it. So, and then we also, it's the only job I've ever done where they had counseling available for you when you got off work, if you needed it.

• 58:55Keke Palmer?

  Wow. Shoutouts to Ava for that.

• 58:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, because you know, most of the time you just go home heavy.

• 59:01Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 59:02Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 59:03Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 59:04Speaker 01

  But she made sure that there was a number you could call. And it was available for the run of the, the run of the shoot.

• 59:12Keke Palmer?

  That's amazing.

• 59:13Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 59:13Keke Palmer?

  Well, that was beautiful work, incredible stuff.

• 59:15Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 59:16Keke Palmer?

  You know, um, but let's, let's, let's switch gears for a second and talk about how you hit us with that plot twist in 2020.

• 59:22Speaker 01

  Can we talk about it?

• 59:32Keke Palmer?

  Y'all, I have questions about everything. What should I cook tonight? Is it jacket weather or am I overthinking this? Should I take that opportunity? And I've been using Claude. It's changed how I make decisions because here's the thing. Most AI just gives you information and that's it. Claude actually helps you decide, think things through fully and take action. Like when I'm prepping for guests or trying to figure out whether something I read is legit. I'll go back and forth with Claude and it won't just hand me some surface level answer. It pushes back and asks me what I mean. It treats the question like it deserves more than 30 seconds. I also love that you can now connect your health data to Claude through Apple Health.

• 1:00:17Keke Palmer?

  And when I'm trying to figure out if my sleep is off, Claude helps me see the patterns. Try Claude for free at claude.ai/Keke Palmer and see why problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner.

• 1:00:34Keke Palmer?

  We have to talk, shout out to Jessica Betts. She's an amazing person. And I mean, let's talk about what made you, what, what brought this shift into your life? And what made you publicly like be like, hey y'all, this is what I'm on?

• 1:00:47Speaker 01

  Okay. Here we go. So it wasn't anything that I was even thinking about.

• 1:00:53Keke Palmer?

  Sure.

• 1:00:53Speaker 01

  I was out of my marriage and no one knew I got divorced, right?

• 1:00:58Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:58Speaker 01

  Or filed and it had been months. And I was doing a project in Jersey. We, JB and I had been friends for a thousand years.

• 1:01:08Keke Palmer?

  A thousand, come on, centuries love.

• 1:01:10Speaker 01

  You know, we've just been friends.

• 1:01:11Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, no, I don't.

• 1:01:12Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? We're just friends for a couple of years and maybe like four, four and a half. But I never thought about her as someone I would date. You know what I mean? Um, and, but every time I came to New York, we hung out. We went to go do plays. We, matter of fact, wait a minute. No, you was in Cinderella.

• 1:01:32Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. Y'all came? Cause Jerry was in it.

• 1:01:35Speaker 01

  I know.

• 1:01:35Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:01:36Speaker 01

  No, I came to that, but JB and I, I think, went to Wicked. But, but, but, you, you neither here.

• 1:01:41Keke Palmer?

  That's fine.

• 1:01:42Speaker 01

  Uh.

• 1:01:44Speaker 01

  I saw you, she just didn't see.

• 1:01:46Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah, I remember you came.

• 1:01:47Speaker 01

  Yeah. So, anyhow, we would always hang out. But I didn't even tell her I was there that time, because in my mind, I got confused. I'm not an east coast girl. So, I thought, I don't know what I thought. She's like, are you in New York? I was like, no, I'm in Jersey. She was like, you're in New York? And I was like, oh, okay. But anyhow, and we hung out.

• 1:02:13Speaker 01

  And it was just something that I did not see coming. I, I, I.

• 1:02:18Keke Palmer?

  Do you think she was waiting on her chance?

• 1:02:19Speaker 01

  No. I do not.

• 1:02:21Keke Palmer?

  So, what happened about this time? Do you, that you think it was just like, I guess the timing was right? That you started to see it with a different set of eyes?

• 1:02:28Speaker 01

  Okay. She said, I'mma, I'mma pull up on you because you live so close to me. I'm on my way to see this girl, but I'mma stop by and see you first. I said, okay, great.

• 1:02:40Speaker 01

  Nothing unusual. Laughing, talking, catching up. And then, I said, well, how long is your train ride? She said, I'mma be on the train for a minute. I said, well, did you eat?

• 1:02:52Keke Palmer?

  Nisi. Now, you know what your grandmama said.

• 1:02:54Speaker 01

  I wasn't on nothing. I understand that, but this is what happened. See, some people have the sauce. Some people got the juice. Some people are Nisi Nash and have both. And I don't even know what to tell you. Because this is why I stay in a relationship, Kiki, because they will stand out in front of my house like I'm, you know what I mean?

• 1:03:14Keke Palmer?

  I need to know how. Cause they throwing rocks at mine.

• 1:03:18Speaker 01

  No, girl, get from over there. So, I don't know, I'mma, I'mma like a honeybee. I, I, I don't know. Anyway, made her some fools, sent her on her way. Still didn't think anything.

• 1:03:30Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:03:30Speaker 01

  Next thing you know, I was walking out the door to go get some crabs. She called, where you going? What you doing? What type of time you want? I said, I'm going to get some crabs. I want crabs? I said, okay, well, meet me at the spot. She was late. I was already a cluster in, okay? I'm not waiting on you.

• 1:03:49Keke Palmer?

  Cluster in is crazy.

• 1:03:50Speaker 01

  Cause it's not a date. So, when she sat down to order her crabs, and now we just talking over some crabs.

• 1:03:58Speaker 01

  I saw her with fresh eyes. It was when she was eating them crabs.

• 1:04:04Speaker 01

  That'll do it. Her time. In the words of Cardi B, her time. Uh, but no, my stomach started getting hot. And I'm like, that only happens when I like boys.

• 1:04:18Speaker 01

  Why is my stomach hot? What's going on here, guys? What's going on? And so, I had to... I was like, first of all, this is a woman and it's my friend. Right. You know, and I was like, why is my stomach hot? It was betraying me. I was like, I don't understand what's happening. So, I needed to try to figure it out, so I tried to keep it going. I didn't know she had a date that night. She was gonna go see somebody after we had dinner, but I didn't know that. And so, I said, well, I'm about to go back home and watch one of my favorite movies. You wanna come? Cause I wanted to see if the heat in my stomach was gonna die down. Girl. First of all, what did y'all watch? Sparkle, but let me clarify. Okay.

• 1:05:04Speaker 01

  Let me clarify, the original. Yeah, that's, yeah, so... Irene, Cara, Philip, Michael Thomas.

• 1:05:09Keke Palmer?

  They're dramatic.

• 1:05:11Speaker 01

  No hunching. Yeah. You know what I mean? None of that was happening in the movie. For sure. We just watched the movie. And my, my stomach was hot as a firecracker. Pop, pop, pop. Mm-hmm. And then, it was time to go. And...

• 1:05:31Keke Palmer?

  And she didn't go.

• 1:05:32Speaker 01

  Well, I walked her to the door.

• 1:05:34Keke Palmer?

  And she turned back around.

• 1:05:36Speaker 01

  And then, I hugged her, which was not unusual. I kissed her on the cheek, which was also not unusual.

• 1:05:46Speaker 01

  But my tongue slipped out a bit.

• 1:05:52Speaker 01

  And she looked at me and said, wanna go later? Kiki, I've been laying down ever since.

• 1:05:59Speaker 01

  Please. See, this is amazing. I was like, what is, what is my life?

• 1:06:05Speaker 01

  The reason, and, and the thing of it was, it wasn't a secret, but it was private because we were trying to figure it out. Because I ghosted her shortly thereafter because, fix your face. You started asking yourself, like, does this mean I'm gay type thing? No, I said, I want this person to be in my life when they throw dirt on my face. When I'm dead and gone. I want you standing right, I, that's how long I wanna know you. To the dirt, and if I did something that messed up the friendship, I will never forgive myself. Like, I, I don't want this to be something and now, you know, we not. And you had love and, and it's been, you know, over. So it's like when you've experienced.

• 1:06:50Speaker 01

  I don't ever want you to be over in my life. That's right. I want you to find me in every lifetime. That's how much I don't want it to be over. And I definitely don't wanna do something to lose you in this lifetime. Cause what if I don't find you in another one? Like, you know, and so that's why I left because I was like, I need to go back to protect the friendship. Cause I would rather have you for the rest of my life than love you right now with losing you. That's true. That's what I wanted in a moment. And I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was just no way around it. Now, was she reaching out? Every day, three times a day. And you would just kinda put wedge the distance. Good morning. Hope you have a beautiful day. Crickets. Good afternoon. Hope your day going well.

• 1:07:33Speaker 01

  Nothing. Good evening. You all right? You good? Grand Rising coming next.

• 1:07:42Speaker 01

  Okay? And I just was like, mm-mm. And then one day she texts me and said, the text simply said, I will never hurt you.

• 1:07:53Speaker 01

  And I texted back and said, come see me. And that was, that was that on that.

• 1:07:59Keke Palmer?

  Between the lines of it all.

• 1:08:00Speaker 01

  She said, I'm coming. And then she came and that was that on that. And so, when the world found out about us, it wasn't like people got a chance to see us dating or see our, you know, see how we came together. We didn't get caught out here, there and everywhere and pictures of us and da da da, na da da da. And we got married in COVID.

• 1:08:21Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:08:21Speaker 01

  So, you know, um, by the time the world found out about it, I was married.

• 1:08:28Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:08:29Speaker 01

  You know what I mean?

• 1:08:30Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:08:30Speaker 01

  And we just popped out.

• 1:08:32Keke Palmer?

  Well, I just love how you owned it because I think a lot of times, especially if no one has ever thought about, oh, am I fluid? Or am I bisexual? Or, you know, sometimes entering that new framework, it can be nerve wracking for people. But you, from the moment on, were like, love is love and I'm ready to show it. And I think that was so empowering to see.

• 1:08:48Speaker 01

  We were in a grocery store and I broke down and cried like a baby. She's like, what's wrong with you? I said, I just wanna hold your hand while we walk through the grocery store. But it would have exposed our relationship to something that, when we were still trying to figure it out.

• 1:09:05Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 1:09:05Speaker 01

  We didn't, we were like, can we, you know what I mean?

• 1:09:09Keke Palmer?

  How are we gonna deal with the fact that I'm a huge star? And now everybody's gonna be in our business? And again, you're not new to relationships and you know how that can impact it.

• 1:09:17Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:09:18Keke Palmer?

  We know how that can, when, everybody doesn't know how it feels for other people to say, you're in that person's shadow. Even though that's not the reality.

• 1:09:26Speaker 01

  No.

• 1:09:26Keke Palmer?

  That's just what the world can sometimes do because they put entertainers on this pedestal. And they act like we're the end all be all when we're not. That's not how my life exists. My family doesn't treat me like I'm, you know.

• 1:09:37Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:09:37Keke Palmer?

  Our pa, your kids don't treat you like, you're mama.

• 1:09:40Speaker 01

  And that's it.

• 1:09:41Keke Palmer?

  And so, it, it, it can be a lot for a partner.

• 1:09:44Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:09:44Keke Palmer?

  To step in too. And so, you, you're protecting them.

• 1:09:47Speaker 01

  Honestly, with this Thundercat, that was the least of my concern.

• 1:09:51Keke Palmer?

  What a blessing that was.

• 1:09:52Speaker 01

  Because she knows exactly who she is. And is flat footed in it. You know what I mean? So, that wasn't what I was worried about. And I wasn't worried about the public. Now, you have people in your life who are like, oh, Lord, you can't, you have to keep this in a dark corner. And I'm like, who? Honey, what be y'all say, say this love on top. This too good. I, I, I wouldn't wanna hide this light under a bushel. And I'm not finna live my life like that. I'm not gonna love nobody in the shadows. Baby, you gonna get this thing right out loud. And people were like, oh, you didn't act like that when you was married before. And I'm like, no, I did, just nobody cared. Now you in my business. You know what I mean?

• 1:10:29Keke Palmer?

  You've always been really open with love.

• 1:10:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, and I'm like, like, you know what I mean? I don't do anything to give you something to talk about. I do it because that's how I feel. That's what I'm committed to, and this is, this is, you know, this is my bag.

• 1:10:44Keke Palmer?

  I mean, how have you continuously been able to keep yourself open to love? I think about me and you, um, right on Rodeo. We're in, what is that place that had that good ass chicken sandwich? I wish I could say the name, remember the name. I forget the name of the spot, but it's right there on Rodeo Drive. We went there, we're eating, and we're talking about love. And you just all, you said, I don't remember everything word for word, but you always talk about envisioning the love that you want. You were always encouraging me to just, you know, cuz I've always been so career focused. And I think it was not always on my mind. I would always say, you know, it'd be great to have a partner. I'm into the vibe, but it was always so secondary. And I remember you holding my hand and say, Kiki, you have to stop talking like that.

• 1:11:23Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm, and because I tell you this, this, I know what I told you.

• 1:11:26Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:11:28Speaker 01

  Your due is not your hope, lil mama. I know exactly what I told you. What we do for a living, this, you know, I do this, I'm, I'm, I do that. I am wearing all of these hats. But we were created to love, to love and be loved and be of service. That's the primary, them the top three. The rest of this, all of this other shiny stuff we doing, great. But the greatest call on your life is to love, be loved, and be of service. And get in all the way into it.

• 1:12:05Keke Palmer?

  But how do you know that your love and be loved isn't your family and your kids? How do you know that, and this is not just for me, but this is for anybody watching, right? How do you know that it's in the cards for you to have that romance that sweeps you off your feet? How do you know?

• 1:12:22Speaker 01

  Kiki, I'mma say something.

• 1:12:26Speaker 01

  Now, you wanna, you now, now, you think about it, and you could pick any one of them.

• 1:12:32Speaker 01

  At that highest point of love, where you just look at them, and your eyes be like, that's me right there. When you feel that thing, when they call you on the phone, and your heart skip a beat. When you, when that text come through, when you down and out, and that's just exactly what you needed. That's how you know. That's how you know. And you know it's coming. And I loo- and I love my kids, I love them as they is long, but that wasn't gonna be enough. Maybe I left they daddy, I put on the tightest bank I could find, I put grease on all they face and say, "Get in the car." They said, "Where we going?" I said, "To find you a new daddy, mama got needs, get in the car."

• 1:13:13Speaker 01

  Cause I'm gonna get it. You understand what I'm saying? And now, because I've never- I really admire that. I always have believed. Now, here's the thing about the most high, there's always something you didn't see coming. Yeah. You know what I mean? And JB is my thing I did not see coming. How we feel about each other, how we express the love, how we love each other. I knew that that, that wonderment, I knew that that connective tissue was going to exist in my life. I didn't know it was going to be in that being. And let's talk about a label for a second. Because my daughter made me watch this whole thing, she's like, "Mom, what are you?" And I was like, "What?" She's, "Well, how do you identify?" And I was like, "What you talking about?" So we watched this whole program, and- J and Z.

• 1:13:56Speaker 01

  And, and they, she, they walked through all the names of the thises and the that, you, are you this, are you that? And at the end of it, she was like, "So, what are you?" And I said, "Black, and yo mama, I don't know." You know what I mean? Because I tried to see, oh, does that mean I like this type of person, this type? And I really can't see anybody else. I, I like, I literally, and so sometimes I lovingly or jokingly say, "I'm JESS sexual." J E S S, because I don't really know, cause I can't even take someone into my eye gate. You just don't do it for me. I'm not even looking at you going, "Oh, he's cute, oh, she's cute, oh, they're cute." I don't even see you cute with this Thundercat standing next to me. I live for Thundercat.

• 1:14:40Keke Palmer?

  I live for the thundercat of it all.

• 1:14:41Speaker 01

  Of it all.

• 1:14:42Keke Palmer?

  I love that, and I really do feel you because at the end of the day, I love who loves me. You know, I love who loves me and that's who I love, and that's, that's it on that.

• 1:14:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's that on that.

• 1:14:52Keke Palmer?

  That's beautiful. Now, I do want to say that, I know I have to leave soon, but I just want to say, because I live for this, and I always ask any couple this. You know, you talk about keeping the marriage spicy and playful. How do you do that? Is it like, are you into the date nights? Are you guys taking trips? Like, what in your mind keeps the longevity of a relationship?

• 1:15:10Speaker 01

  Well, first of all, you have to be intentional, okay? You have to know that keeping the connective tissue is not an option. So even for people like in our industry, I might work a 12 or a 14 hour day, and not pull up into that driveway till 10, 11, 12. It could even be later if you work a Friday. You know, like a Friday into a Saturday morning.

• 1:15:34Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 1:15:34Speaker 01

  But like, you know, I was working with the gals, um, the show that I'm doing now with Ryan, and they were like, everybody was ready to go home and so tired. I'm like, well, it's 10 o'clock. I got a date in 30 minutes. So I gotta go, you know?

• 1:15:49Keke Palmer?

  That's it.

• 1:15:50Speaker 01

  And it was like, at 10:30? I'm like, yes. So now I've worked, you know, all day, and I go home, and why my spouse did this, I have no idea. She put bubble bath or something in the jacuzzi. So we got martinis, it's bubbles everywhere, Luther Vandross is playing. I'm like, I love my life. I walk in the backyard taking my clothes off. You understand me? Let's get to it. So there is an intentional, uh, way of being, and that's not even like going outside spending money. That's just staying in the house and making sure you locked in.

• 1:16:30Keke Palmer?

  Just do something special for me.

• 1:16:31Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:16:32Keke Palmer?

  You know, thoughtful.

• 1:16:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, and the trick to it all is making the person that you love feel like their experience with you is custom and not off the rack. I'm ju- that's just the way I am. It's the biggest lie ever been told. You don't give people what you want to show them how to love you. You give them what they require and trust that they will in turn do the same. Know what I mean?

• 1:17:00Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 1:17:01Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:17:02Keke Palmer?

  That's love, definitely trust.

• 1:17:03Speaker 01

  Come on.

• 1:17:04Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:05Speaker 01

  Come on, somebody!

• 1:17:06Keke Palmer?

  It really is. I want to quickly touch on you reuniting with Cedric the Entertainer and my girl Jennifer Lewis, who's also gonna be on the show, on Big Age.

• 1:17:14Speaker 01

  Big Age.

• 1:17:14Keke Palmer?

  Congratulations.

• 1:17:15Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:17:16Keke Palmer?

  I mean, what brought you to this project?

• 1:17:17Speaker 01

  Um, Kenya Barris called.

• 1:17:20Keke Palmer?

  Oh, shout out Kenya.

• 1:17:20Speaker 01

  And was like, hey, you know, I've got this project with Seth and Jen. I would like you to be a part of it. And I'm like, I love the stuff you put out. Yeah, let's go. And I played Cedric's wife for five years.

• 1:17:31Keke Palmer?

  Yep.

• 1:17:31Speaker 01

  On a TV show, so that was a no-brainer. You know, and I've always been a dear, dear friend of Jennifer. You know, when you talk about, um, loving people in private, you know, I was one of the first people with her in her home when she had the accident where she fell and her hip and all of that stuff. You know, I, I never talked about going over there and braiding her hair, making sure this and making sure that, because at that time, she had not told her story.

• 1:17:59Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:17:59Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? So, but that's this one person who I've always just loved, had so much love for in my heart, but we never had a chance to work together.

• 1:18:07Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 1:18:07Speaker 01

  So even though this is an, um, Audible series, um, I still like being in the studio with her. She's just a hoop.

• 1:18:16Keke Palmer?

  She really is.

• 1:18:16Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:18:17Keke Palmer?

  She's just special.

• 1:18:17Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:18:18Keke Palmer?

  Again, she's like a person that I think has paved the way for so many of us.

• 1:18:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:18:22Keke Palmer?

  And so, I just live, live for her down. All right, it's about time for me to let you go, but...

• 1:18:26Speaker 01

  We could do this all day.

• 1:18:27Keke Palmer?

  All day, 'cause it ain't nothing but two girls kicking back.

• 1:18:30Speaker 01

  They better be glad this is tea and not tequila.

• 1:18:32Keke Palmer?

  (laughing).

• 1:18:33Speaker 01

  Okay?

• 1:18:33Keke Palmer?

  (laughing). We're gonna play a game called, "Nisi, What Happens Next?" Okay, I'm gonna give you a situation.

• 1:18:39Speaker 01

  Why do I feel nervous?

• 1:18:41Keke Palmer?

  Because you know you're gonna tell the truth.

• 1:18:43Speaker 01

  Ooh!

• 1:18:43Keke Palmer?

  Okay?

• 1:18:43Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 1:18:44Keke Palmer?

  Just a regular, everyday scenario, and you have to tell us what happens next.

• 1:18:47Speaker 01

  Okay, shoot.

• 1:18:48Keke Palmer?

  Here we go. You show up to brunch, and someone is already crying.

• 1:18:54Speaker 01

  What happens next is that I say, "Move back. All y'all move back. What happened? Talk to me. Huh? Uh, sir, sir, can you give us a minute? That's me talking to the waiter. (laughing). Can you give us a second?

• 1:19:09Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 1:19:10Speaker 01

  Do we need to go in the bathroom?

• 1:19:11Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 1:19:12Speaker 01

  I'ma get down to the bottom of it.

• 1:19:14Keke Palmer?

  Okay, next one.

• 1:19:17Keke Palmer?

  Someone hangs up on you mid-argument. What happens next?

• 1:19:24Speaker 01

  More than likely, if I'm in an argument with someone, it's because I love you, like as a person. So I'm passionate. I'm fighting for whatever I'm fighting for in the moment. And I'm calling you right back. And, and, don't answer it. And see what you get. Answer the phone.

• 1:19:43Keke Palmer?

  And what they gonna get?

• 1:19:45Speaker 01

  If they don't answer it, they know what they gonna get.

• 1:19:48Keke Palmer?

  Nee see. Okay.

• 1:19:51Keke Palmer?

  The group trip payment is short $500 and no one is responding.

• 1:19:58Speaker 01

  First of all, those aren't my friends. That's not my group.

• 1:20:02Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 1:20:02Speaker 01

  Cause my group is woman enough to say, I'ma have to sit this one out. Or I'm not gonna go this time. I'm not gonna, you know what I mean? I don't play games about money with, with, with friends. And if, and if, and if I love you and I got it, you got it. So what are we, what are we talking about? Use your words.

• 1:20:26Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm, yeah.

• 1:20:28Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? And I don't loan or borrow.

• 1:20:32Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 1:20:32Speaker 01

  I give because I still wanna love you and I don't want it to be a situation if you don't give it back.

• 1:20:38Keke Palmer?

  I've learned that's the hard way.

• 1:20:39Speaker 01

  We going on that damn trip. Go ahead.

• 1:20:41Keke Palmer?

  Your friend asks you to third wheel with them and their boo again.

• 1:20:48Speaker 01

  If I'm really good friends with both of them, I don't really mind it. But if I'm more, you know, if I'm really, only really locked in with one of them, I'mma say, "Have a good evening and y'all enjoy yourselves."

• 1:21:03Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, cause why don't we gotta sit up always all together like that?

• 1:21:07Speaker 01

  Cause I could be at home rubbing my feet together, watching TV.

• 1:21:09Keke Palmer?

  What y'all do, y'all? Y'all don't like doing what y'all?

• 1:21:12Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:21:13Keke Palmer?

  Okay. You send a long, thoughtful message and get Kay back.

• 1:21:19Speaker 01

  I'm picking up the phone.

• 1:21:20Keke Palmer?

  I love that you're ready to pick up the phone at all times.

• 1:21:22Speaker 01

  You know, I'm old school. People don't talk on the phone no more.

• 1:21:25Keke Palmer?

  No, I know, I know it's true.

• 1:21:26Speaker 01

  I'm not finna go back and forth with you and have my thumbs numb trying to text you. I'm not doing it. No. Hello? You good? We good? Yeah.

• 1:21:34Keke Palmer?

  It happens, it happens. Okay, the last one is, someone says, "You've changed."

• 1:21:43Keke Palmer?

  What happens next?

• 1:21:45Speaker 01

  I would say, "You haven't."

• 1:21:54Speaker 01

  And that's the problem.

• 1:21:56Keke Palmer?

  And that's the problem.

• 1:21:57Speaker 01

  We haven't elevated at the same time.

• 1:21:59Keke Palmer?

  That's so bad. I was just talking about that this morning when I was getting ready. Like, I am so uninterested in the whole recognition and in relationship building based off of the past. Who you were. You, people gotta move with you. And if that means you gotta leave them behind, well then, Si and Nara. You know what I mean? And I'm praying for you. And I look every now and then, check on your little page to see if you, have you made any, any movement? Either way, I can't deal with it.

• 1:22:28Speaker 01

  No, and it's okay. You know what I mean? Because we should both, what we should be doing is sitting up here going, "Girl, we done changed. We used to be this, we used to be that. Look at us now. Look at us now." I was just talking to my party planner about this, um, because he said, "Let's just take a look back. We used to throw your parties back in the day on a Wednesday or a Thursday because that was the night you could get the club for free because nobody was in there." And I said, "Oh," he said, "Look at you, having a party on a Friday and a Saturday night." I'm like, "You know, you should grow together." Yeah. So, I've changed. You're right, and you haven't.

• 1:23:04Keke Palmer?

  Period. Nisi, I love you so bad.

• 1:23:07Speaker 01

  I love you down.

• 1:23:08Keke Palmer?

  Thank you, my girl. I'm a star.

• 1:23:13Speaker 01

  My girl.

• 1:23:18Keke Palmer?

  Nisi, where do I even begin? You stepped into this space with that undeniable joy and let us see just how beautiful life can feel when you choose resilience, commitment to love, and have the boldness to live the life you deserve. You didn't just give us the credits, you gave us the courage behind them, and we honor you for that. Nisi Nash-Betts, thank you for stopping by the podcast. And y'all already know, we'll see you next time on Baby. This is Kiki Poma.