Keke Palmer Says ‘Nope’ Co-Star Daniel Kaluuya ‘Really Makes You Feel Safe’
Jordan Peele’s psychological horror flick Nope is set to arrive in theaters on July 22. And to celebrate the movie’s fast-approaching release, Keke Palmer opened up about her experience working on the film. She gave a sweet shoutout to co-star Daniel Kaluuya.
Who do Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya play in ‘Nope’?
While plot details remain scarce, Nope follows “the residents of a lonely gulch in inland California” as they “bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery,” per IMDb.
Palmer and Kaluuya play Emerald and OJ Haywood, two siblings living and working on their family’s ranch outside of Los Angeles. The Haywood family is known for their history of raising horses. And as explained in the trailer, they are the only Black-owned horse trainers in Hollywood.
But things start to get out of hand when a mysterious alien ship appears in the sky. It seems to possess the ability to kill earthlings who look at it. OJ and Emerald resolve to profit off of the UFO and capture footage of it. But unsurprisingly, the supernatural entities on the ship make it known that they don’t want to be seen.
Keke Palmer opens up about working with Daniel Kaluuya
Palmer recently played a round of ”Knowing Me Knowing You” for Elle UK’s YouTube channel. And she opened up about her experience working with Kaluuya on Nope.
“Working on that set, working with Daniel as well, was very much so … I was pinching myself so much I’m bruised,” Palmer said of her experience shooting Nope.
She then proceeded to give kudos to Kaluuya. And she revealed that the Academy Award-winning actor had a special way of making her feel “safe” on set.
“You know what I love about working with Daniel?” Palmer said of her co-star. “Daniel is just a very gracious actor. He’s very patient. There’s never anything that could really go weird or awry because of his temperament. So he really makes you feel safe.”
In the same interview, Palmer also praised Peele, whom she actually worked with for an episode of Key & Peele when she was just 17 years old. Palmer described herself as a “fan of his work.” And she referenced his highly praised projects such as 2017’s Get Out and 2019’s Us. She also expressed her excitement about working with the comic-turned-horror maestro on Nope 10 years later.
A look at Palmer and Kaluuya’s careers and filmographies
Audiences might recognize Palmer from her breakout film Akeelah and the Bee. It went on to catapult the then-child actor to full-blown superstardom.
Palmer progressed as a prominent performer through the early 2000s with roles in films Madea’s Family Reunion, Jump In!, The Longshots, and Shrink. She received recognition for her roles on Nickelodeon, such as portraying the title character in the sitcom True Jackson, VP.
She then made the jump to more mature roles, starring in the thriller-comedy Scream Queens, the crime-drama film Hustlers, and the series Turnt Up with the Taylors, the latter of which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2021.
Kaluuya, on the other hand, only somewhat recently rose to prominence. Before starring in Oscar-nominated films, Kaluuya got his start on the U.K. teen drama Skins. The actor appeared in other minor roles before landing his big break.
Kaluuya finally earned some well-deserved attention for his role in the Black Mirror episode “Fifteen Million Merits.” He then was cast as the character Chris in Peele’s 2017 horror-thriller flick Get Out. He garnered praise for his performance in the film and went on to win the Rising Star award at the BAFTAs. In 2018, he appeared in Black Panther.
Kaluuya didn’t take home an Oscar until 2021. His portrayal of Civil Rights activist Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah received rave critic and audience reviews, leading Kaluuya to snag the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
