Keke Palmer says she feels ‘touched’ by her viral meme status

Keke Palmer is not just a comedic legend and celebrated actress. She’s also a viral meme queen.

From her hosting duties at the 2021 Met Gala, to her hilarious press tour for Jordan Peele’s upcoming film Nope, to her iconic lie detector test when she honestly declared “I don’t know who this man is” to a picture of Dick Cheney, Palmer has been the subject of a number of viral memes.

In an interview with Vanity Fair published on 22 July, Palmer spoke candidly about her viral fame, and why it makes her feel like a “normal person”. According to Palmer, while she feels grateful she can make people laugh with her one-liners, she also feels humbled that her fans can see a more normal, relatable side to her whenever one of her talk-show appearances or red carpet interviews goes viral.

“It’s a very humbling feeling,” the 28-year-old actress said. “I’m a very noncelebrity kind of person, meaning I don’t live my life very lavishly. I have lavish moments, like we all do, but I don’t really exist in that space.”

“So when those viral moments happen and people are saying: ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s so me,’ I’m really happy that they are seeing me outside of their perception of what my life is, and just seeing me as a normal person, whether it’s somebody that reminds them of their sister, their brother, their friend,” she continued.

She added: “It really touches me. I’m just a normal person. I’m just an everyday girl.”

The Illinois-native got her start as a child actor working in several Disney Channel and Nickelodeon projects. She rose to stardom in the 2006 drama Akeelah and the Bee – playing the role of Akeelah Anderson alongside co-stars Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett – and in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson VP, from 2008 to 2011.

Prior to her already critically-acclaimed performance in Peele’s latest thriller, which hits theaters today, Palmer starred in the 2019 crime drama Hustlers.

For those who are unaware of Palmer’s ability to turn anything she says into a meme, here’s a list of some of her most iconic meme moments.

“Sorry to this man.”

When taking Vanity Fair’s lie detector test, Palmer was presented with a picture of Cheney and asked to name the man in the picture. “I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous. I dont know who this man is,” she admitted. “He could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.”

“I know this man!”

While Keke may have struggled identifying Cheney, she assured everyone that she does indeed know director John Hughes.

Palmer interviewing Megan Thee Stallion at the 2021 Met Gala

Last September, Palmer was the life of the party at the 2021 Met Gala when she hosted the Vogue red carpet livestream. In one viral moment, Palmer became overjoyed when rapper Meg Thee Stallion joined her on the red carpet, saying: “I know it ain’t the Stallion,” and launching a very popular TikTok audio.

Her hilarious interview with WIRED

Most recently, Palmer tackled WIRED’s Autocomplete Interview, where she answered some of the internet’s most searched questions about her.

Palmer gave some incredible meme-worthy moments during the interview, such as when she called out Halle Berry and gave her best Angela Bassett impression.