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It is the great Kiki Palmer. Kiki can do anything and is in everything. She's currently in the movie. I Love Boosters. And in the TV show, The Burbs.
She has her podcast, Baby, This is Kiki Palmer. And she is going to be in space ball. She hosts passwords. She's incredible. We talk about so many fun things today.
We talk about being Virgos and the No Blessableeach that comes along with that. We talk about Mary J. Blige and what it's like to get into your anger. We talk about her season of restraint and what that looks like. We have such a good time and she has to go to the bathroom in the middle of it, which has never happened before and just goes to show how comfortable she was.
That makes me so happy. But before we get into it, we always talk to somebody who knows our guest, who loves our guest, wants to speak well behind their back and ask them a question. And we have a friend of the pod, writer, actress, queen, Paula Pell, who is zooming in, who loves Kiki and wants to tell us all about it. And I'm hoping right now is zooming in from her, you know, her new Only Fans account. One can only hope.
So Paula, are you? Paula? Can you hear me, darling? You know those tiny back-to-school emergencies that somehow become your problem? That's where Uber Eats comes in.
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Select items only, availability varies. See app for details. Ta-da! What if we just do that for 10 minutes? Hey!
Oh, why? Oh, did I? Shit. No, you're on. I am?
Oh, boy. Why is my am I off now? I can see you. You can't see me. Well, they ask for all they do.
Oh, here it is. All they do is ask me for another AI thing. I know. I had such a... I know we've talked about this.
I had such PTSD about trying to sign my kids in during COVID to like various portals. That I had a portal melt down the other day. I know we all talk about it. Oh my God. There's got to be a word that's going to be made for like technological misery.
It's every single time I agree to do a Zoom and then I'll get an email like 10 seconds before. And it says, this is going to be on colander. And I'm like, I'm sorry, colander. I mean, one of the real ones is blue jeans, nothing against blue jeans. But like, I was like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, blue jeans.
Like, all you need to do is download this app and go to a portal. Now we're going to be on Word, there's originals. So if you want, but you are going to have to do a breathalyzer under your computer, you do have OS 7-8, right? Yeah, it's like, yeah, old Navy, I'm cool with you remembering my password. I'm like, bitch, I got an Apple clamshell.
I got a teal Apple clamshell. Would you like a new password? This one feels like you use it a lot. It's like, yeah, because it's the only way I can remember it. Do you think I can remember it if I don't use it for every device?
I want to plug in an outlet. I want to plug in. I tried to buy an old-fashioned alarm clock. I couldn't find one. I couldn't find a friggin alarm clock.
I tried to take my blood pressure in a new blood pressure cuff I bought, 60-3. And I was feeling a little off because I had a couple of drinks. It got real dizzy. And I was like, something's wrong. I drank two drinks in the hot, in the hot sun really quick.
I feel weird. But I got it out and it was so complicated. And so many apps and profiles to fill out. We have to know this information about you before we do this and before you do. And I'm just like, I'll be dead by then.
I know. By the way, you're making me want to get a blood pressure cuff. I'm definitely getting that. It's supposed to do all these things. And of course, when I'm on the internet, I all for every.
The funniest one lately is that during the snow this winter, I saw one that had this little fan that blows the snow off your windshield violently. And every single video was like immediate. Like snow is immediately like an eraser off your windshield. And I got them and they were like this big and they blew like this. And I got like four of them and was going to gift them to people.
And we were laughing so hard because it was like, this is the biggest fucking rip off. Oh my god, the weakest fan. The weakest fan is a good reality. The weakest fan. No one fucks.
They're just really weak. Paula Pella is here. Paula, it's so good to see you. It's so good to see you. We're talking about Kiki today.
We've got Kiki Palmer in. And I was saying this and I know you would agree. Love her. She's so good at so many things. Her hyphenates have hyphenates.
I know. Like, well, looking at her body of work, it's like Broadway and, you know, and singing and writing and podcasting and acting and also just her being herself. All of the hosting that she does, all the way that she is someone else and herself. I was trying to figure out, you know, and I was like, she's like an old school entertainer. She really is.
I wanted to talk to you today because you guys work together on the verbs. And I know, you know, I know you are this way. And I imagine maybe we'll find out Kiki is this way too. But, you know, there's no better gift than getting to do what we want with people who are professional and nice. It's like all you're hoping for.
And I remember you saying right away that like working with her was so pleasant. What was it like to work together on the verbs? Oh, it was and is. I mean, the whole we're getting ready in October to shoot the second season of it. But it it remains like such an incredible joy that there is no there's no dark side to it.
Like because she is she's so nonstop in terms of what she's creating and what she's doing in the world that like you watch her and you're just like, you know, and she's raising a little darling boy. And it's like she is so nonstop but yet so present in each thing, even when she's multitasking and getting her hair and makeup done in the trailer and she's also on a podcast and she's also talking about her music video from her album that's coming out and it's like sometimes when people are like that, you watch them and I think it's my age to where I'm just like, how do they do all that and just if you sit and talk to her about anything genuine, he's right there. Yes.
She wants to talk about it. She wants to hear what you have to say about it. She'll hold your hand. She'll, you know, we've gotten tearful together in the makeup trailer talking about our lives and fine, you know, and and what we won't tolerate anymore and love and and you know, just there's so many good things that I've derived from just being in her presence truly. I was getting my hair blown out at at a dry bar and I sat down.
By the way, congrats on your hair. I just want to point out again, most beautiful hair in the biz. Next to Tina, I'd love to see you guys fight it out. Okay, sorry. Half of it is blonde right now and half of it.
This is this is God's colorist right here. Who is this gorgeous woman, God's colorist. She's kind of almost transparent and she's just very weird. I'm in dry bar while we're doing while we're doing the verbs and I sit down and Akila in the bizan and I look up and I see baby Kiki with like braces and glasses and just like having this incredible touching scene with an adult Oscar winning actor, just like the two of them having this quiet scene together and I'm just like, she was born fully cooked. She was born Kiki Palmer that I know.
So excited to talk to her because she is exactly what you just said. It feels like she's just very good at talking and being in the moment and connecting. She's like, she's a real connector. Yeah, and she's positive in a way that's not bullshitty. Like she's positive in the way that you say, oh, cheerfulness is a choice and it's a constructive choice. It's a choice that actually changes your trajectory of your day.
If you look at it and say, grateful, cheerful, joyful, and that gratitude thing, she just lives through that all the time of like, we get to do that. And then you want that because there's nothing worse than working with people in showbiz with death eyes that don't realize how incredibly lucky they are to be doing. Oh my God. Yes. You're doing at the moment and you just want to slap my part across the page.
Or you hope that in the script you get to so you can privately have a satisfaction. Do you have a question for Kiki? You're very good at questions. What does it look like for Kiki Palmer to rest? Like not exhaustion, not I can't even see I'm so exhausted.
I have to lay down, but like her restorative rest, like for her to describe her favorite restorative rest. That is a great question. I cannot wait to ask her. I know she'll be thrilled that we talked and I know she loves you right back. Thanks, P love you.
If Kiki a big kiss for me, I will. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance, not checking whether your camera is off before the meeting. Yep. That's how your coworkers find out that you're working from home setup is more of a working from bed situation.
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Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. First of all, you look incredible. Thank you. Right back at you. It's so good to see you.
Where would a Virgo? I know. We were talking about in the earlier Kiki and I were both Virgos. And I mean, you've named an album. I mean, you go to the scene.
We have them. We have the Virgo to the scene. What are Virgo tendencies? Let's go through them. We can kind of mind.
You can kind of be know it all. It's fine. It's fine. We just see things. It's just so wide away.
We want you to know, but we got to hold it in. We are great organizers in our own way. Tell me about how you like to organize. I know you love to organize. Sorry, people have to say.
Oh my gosh. I said, tell me what your new favorite way to organize is. Oh my gosh. Is there a system? Labeling everything.
Okay, talk to me on that labeling. Like everything has a particular place and spot. Yes. Skin masks. One for hydration.
One for exploration. We're talking around the bathroom. Yeah, we're in the bathroom. Everything is organized. Even by my bedside, supplements at the top.
All my like eye masks, like getting ready to wind down and underneath is the journal. I even have written out my cycle things. You know what I need for them. I'm not sure beating up the time. I always get shocked when people tell me that they don't write out or like think about what they have to do the next day or what like I can't I can't I don't understand how people organize their days without a list.
I don't either. And I'm so weird to imagine that that's so specific to a personality. Yeah, that's right. It's me seems like the only human way to function. But I guess we're one of one or a group of one.
Well, I there are some very important Vergos in the world. You are one of them Beyonce as one of them. Um, it's a day about Kobe Bryant. Can we talk about Kobe Bryant? Kobe Bryant, a mother Teresa.
We've been having a spiritual realm. I always need people to know that because it's more than entertainment. We even have a strong trade up for go. You know, and look, I'm not gonna go there, but I heard that we celebrated all Christmas, but I heard that Jesus make was born as a criminal. I swear, swear, swear.
Capricorn is like the claim of it. But we really have him. We know the real deal. We know that Jesus kept his eye mask very separate from his employment. You can't have the cree like that.
You can't beat it. You know what I mean? You can't have that stuff. I'm a lot of people running a lot of things. You know what I'm saying?
Here's a kid you go over here. You go over here. I'll turn this to this. Orca straight. Turn this to this.
Why? I'll take care of it. The other thing I'm constantly always looking for systems. I know I like this. I love a good girl.
I love a good system. I'm like, tell me how you do it. I just found something to TikTok that I'm obsessed with, which is it's the steel container that you keep next to your stove and you're cooking. You know, you put your utensils in. There's a whole thing about like, what are the six utensils that you need next to your stove that you use every day?
And when I tell you that I have spent hours shopping for what is the best and only bachelor. Like what are the six cooking tools I want? And support and self support. That is, that to me is a day well spent. I love that kind of thing because honestly it's really about optimization.
I think we're actually fighting for ease. Even those things that we're making our life more difficult by doing these things. These things are actually on the path of ease because when it's already set up, you don't have to think about it. You don't. Well, that's actually the theme of what I want to talk to you about today is this idea of exactly that like maximizing, optimizing.
This is amazing. This is the most burgling for going session. And rest and ease. Yeah. Those two things because they are a need of both double-sided.
They're a black and white cookie. You've got to have both. And I got to tell you, Kiki, I texted you on the way. Over here, whatever I have, you're going to have a no-one deal. You're crazy.
And I had such a peaceful feeling. I had such a peaceful feeling come to talk to you. I was like, I know that whatever we talk about is going to be funny and real. And you're so easy to be around and I talk to you. Thank you for that.
I know it's not easy to be an easy person to be around sometimes. If that makes any sense. But what I know about you always is that you bring a very open and curious version of yourself all the time. And you're so talented and funny. Kiki, you are so fucking funny.
You are like an old fashioned, one of a kind entertainer who can do it all. You're like Mark, you're like any member. You're like, uh, I like, uh. Come on, Phil, I live with an old fashioned because that's how I grew up. I'm not so bald.
Yes, there it is. That's it. I'm obsessed. You are like this. I love that vibe.
You can do it. Oh, you're a Swiss army knife. Oh, nothing. You can't do Kiki. My girl.
But I think you do too many things. Okay. I do. Okay. This is also true.
You are a muggle. You are a muggle. You're a visionary. You're a muggle. By the way, I was with Rashida the other night.
And she told me that she's at your house. You stay with you. I'm going to talk about the palace. We're going to talk about, I want to know right now, like today, what was your morning like? What do you do in the morning?
What's your system in the morning? This was a great day. Okay. Let's hear about it. So last night I got to bed at a pretty good time.
Let's talk about sleep. I'm so happy about that. How much sleep do you like to get? I mean, if I can get to sleep at 1030, I'm really happy. Oh, that's a really, really happy.
That's not a good bed at 11 PM. That's still a pretty good one for me. Yeah. So I went to sleep, I had my alarm clock set at 7.15 and then 7.30 because you know I need an alarm clock or we'd talk in. I used to be, that's it.
Gotta do much. You can be nicer to yourself. So now it's like, so that's a little nicer. You know what I mean? I had it all out because I was planning to go to Pilates, which I made.
I'm so happy. I went to my favorite studios. Actually, that's a lie. It is my favorite studio for my. I love it so much.
So I went at 8 AM. They'll soak it about my life. Yes. But you know, I feel good when I get a little bit of a workout in. And Pilates is perfect because it's not too intense.
Like I'm not like trying to lose my life. I want to tell you becoming a Pilates instructor. Yes, girl. What I feel like that one clip where somebody's in person, any other girl? I think I did a sketch about that where my head grew up.
Yeah. Where my head grew up. Kiki, you are a buddy that's turned around. Girl. Because I fell so in love with it.
And it became such a big part of my life. And I'm like, I want to be a part of getting other people this feeling. Because it's really, really helped me. It's helped me too. I do Pilates.
And it is one of those things that makes me feel connected to my actual body. Because I can feel a little disembodied. Girl. Me too. I mean, I think we have a lot of similarities.
I'll try not to harp on the entire interview. But I do think we do. And one of them is like, I need to like, do you like to be smushed? Oh my gosh. Like, smushed together with a body?
Or like, just like a heavy thing on you? Like, OK. Yes. Do you like to stand a little bit like, do you put your feet under? Oh, yes.
Do you put your feet under cushions? Yes. I put my feet under cushions. I like to be smushed up against them. No, I like my jaw a lot.
Yeah. Just to feel like, oh my gosh. It's so hard. Sometimes because when you're living up here, sometimes you have to be reminded I have a body. Yes.
It's so true. Pilates really does that. Do you think that this is something about why we like comedy? Do you think that that's connected to question? That's a great question.
I mean, that's why I think I always enamored with dancers. As dancers are always like in their bodies, like thinking about their bodies, moving them. And you can see how they move. They're just inside their bodies. And I think you're right.
Comedy, a lot of it is like, woo! Yeah. Like, you're not like, what's up in that air with this? Yes. It's fun to be to this in body.
But then sometimes what I've learned with myself and what Pilates helped me to realize is that I've got to have some more balance with this. Because it's fun to be we, because sometimes you need to be we. Yeah. But then it's like you need to also really have the practices that remind you that it's safe inside too. Totally.
Let's do the hundreds really fast. By the way, it's time to work out. You know? Yeah. OK.
You're hosting an amazing podcast and have for many years. I got the pleasure of doing it. Oh my god. And you're so good at it. Oh my god.
And what have you, like, I know I'm learning a lot about, you know, even how I communicate, how I operate, what I bring to the table. What have you learned about yourself from talking to all these people? Well, you know, I felt like I always knew that I liked to talk. But I didn't know that it was something people enjoyed. You know what I mean?
So I felt like I was so surprised and delightfully surprised that people would want to hear conversations because that's what I love to have. Yeah. I felt like the podcast. I mean, you know when you're going to any podcast, that it's time to talk. And it's time to get into something interesting.
But not everyone does that. Right? Like, I feel like you and I could talk forever and ever. That's not always the case with people who come in to talk. Yeah.
And it's fascinating to sit in the talk to tolerate the silence of it too. It's hard. That's hard for me. You know, a lot of them, some people have asked me about that with the guests. Well, you know, do you enjoy every single day?
I do, but every guest is different. So the level of enjoyment is also predicated on how much they're willing. So you're right. That sometimes, you know, it's not that it's not a great time, but it's that maybe this person is not that open. And that's OK.
I'm going to meet them where they are. And still, we're going to have a great time. Well, that's what you can do so well is meet people where they are and mirror people like their energy. I find sometimes, you know, by my like codependency, it's hard for me to not fill in a silence. And then you're like in your head, you're like, quiet now quiet quiet.
And I can't I can't stop talking. That's the regulator. That's like I got to regulate this. It's like rhythm. And I think about this all the time as a performer, like I think we're constantly in rhythms.
So it's like when we hear it down, be like, oh shit, it turns into me Beth real fast. Like, why are we now? Can you say, McReath on a podcast? Is that bad luck? Like it gets, you know, but but but sometimes it's like, that's what it needs to be.
Yeah, that's right. I also want to see isn't a practicing restraint. I'm trying to put I'm when I say I'm rain and my name is Rudolph. I'm bringing in and he's in over straight. Even over strength.
OK, what does that look like? How I feel that? So God, that is so hard. It's like seeing something and knowing something and not saying it, you know, having a conversation and deciding to that reality show me instead of pulling for more asking for more, you know, if it doesn't feel good, right? If I have to contort myself or push in order for it to happen, deciding that that I should pull back.
Yeah. And I'm really happy that I'm in this season. And again, I always bring everything back to my son, but my son is really bringing out the best in me because as a mom, I feel like we had to practice restraint because we got to let our kids learn things. We can't always step in the way. And so that's teaching me that way.
I probably should be pulling back in a lot of areas in my life. And only will that actually be a better service to the things I'm a part of, but all I also have more energy. Oh, yeah. It's time for me. And it's a hard lesson for me to learn, which is actually people feel closer to you when they get to take care of you, which far, I mean, like, like, like, like, I was like, what?
What do you mean? I was like, what do you mean? I take care of people. That's my love language. And it's like, no, you want to do for me.
You're not going to do it right. I got to do it. I know I sometimes feel like you in obligation that nobody's asking for, by the way, people aren't asking you to be, but an obligation to mirror match and take care of people. And then secondly, speaking of Rashida, Kadata, her sister taught me this. She was like, you cut the cords when you get home.
Girl, when you started talking about business access, give us a story. I don't like the brain, say it to my show, my girl. These are good rituals. These are good words. Girl, I'm going to call somebody called for the last month.
Let's say it's a relationship, even a family member, whatever the thing you feel like is hooked to you. Yeah. For me, I was imagining the chord of this relationship that I felt was weighing me down. It was not good for me. I was feeling too emotionally pulled from it constantly.
So she walked me through visualizing the chord and it was like, the chord was thick. It was like the weight of a ton. It was like thick, like almost leathery. I could feel it right around my, my, my, my sacral area. You know what I mean?
It just deep rooted to my power source and I just had to say, you know what, I need it. I need it. I need it. I need it, I need to fucking axe to cut this shit. So I just started visualizing when this chord is right here in this midst and every day I was accented.
It would try to come back, it would try to rejuvenate. So we kept accented, accident, accident, and now it's gone. It's not long a there. But these visualization tools are absolutely necessary. For me, it's more about that feeling when you walk through a cobweb and you get that feeling where you've got a cobweb on you and you're like, well, and you know it's around and it's kind of sticky, I think that way sometimes when I walk through my house, which is I've got rid of other people's cobwebs and it could be like person that you walk past to the like in a shitty look or a bad conversation or even just like some version of yourself that you didn't like that day that kind of feeling of entering a threshold clean and clear whatever it takes my grandma I didn't realize this until I got older and I started to reflect back my grandma used to always do tell me and teach me to sweep in front of the porch and sweep in back of the porch and it was just like the same kind of concept of removing everything making sure you know it's clean you know cleaning your space and kind of setting the tone and setting the area I think those things getting back into that stuff and talking with other women about that kind of thing is just so empowering it's so good for the soul you know what I mean okay um you I feel like you got a lot
of this like really good sense of how to read people from Chicago where you grew up and I bet a lot of people don't assume you're from the Midwest they don't they don't but I feel like I give Midwest what's the most made-one thing about you well I love the mundane like I love simplicity yes and that's why people always like they always are interested in my dating life or you know what type of it's like I'm always interested in everyday Joe because that reminds me of where I'm from that doesn't mean that everyday Joe's not special it just means that he's not flashy he's not flamboyant he's not taking up you know he might take up space because he's awesome but he's not like that's not how he interested and I feel like that's Chicago is very blue-collar it's very like people are amazing and awesome but they're kind of like no big deal totally I love that kind of energy when people don't have to um put on too much you know what I'm saying be themselves and I can give a little jazz but it doesn't have to be like for a certain thing it's just them being a cool person totally I love like you know picnics yeah going to the like you know being in a trailer I love a trailer I love going like around a role type of situation like just things that I feel like very very salt of the earth.
This episode is brought to you by Apple Watch your heart tells the story of your health and with the new Apple Watch series 12 you can understand it better than ever it's got this new readiness score which based on your activity vitals and sleep basically tells you whether it's a let's go or do less stay I'm always trying to navigate that and it's now backed by the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable so you can trust what it's telling you visit apple.com slash apple watch series 12 to learn more iPhone 11 or later required readiness score is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use heart rate accuracy based on apple conducted study august 2026 visit apple.com slash hr accuracy this episode is brought to you by marshals fall fashion is well and truly on the way and marshals buyers are hunting down the must-have items you deserve for the right price that means every trip to marshals is a chance to find an everyday staple a show stopping hidden gem or your next obsession with new items arriving every day stop by marshals today to find more quality more style and more value than you ever expected visit marshals.ca to find a store near you this
episode is brought to you by google pixel so you're trying to catch up with your friends over drinks and all these notifications keep popping up on your phone which is so distracting but you can't just ignore them because you know what if it's the babysitter well the new google pixel 11 pro has the coolest fix for this it's called highlight you can keep your phone face down and an led light on the camera bar will glow when your favorite contacts call so you can stay focused on the good vibes ask more of your phone and try the google pixel 11 pro check it out at store.google.com this episode is presented by amex you know that move where you refresh a ticket page over and over like somehow your persistence is going to impress the internet we've all done it during meetings waiting in line while recording this maybe but that's where amex platinum comes in get access to front of the line amex pre-sale tickets and amex reserve tickets to some of the most in-demand concerts theater productions and special events often before the general public then when the big night arrives access to the amex card member entrance at select venues can help you get to where you're going a little faster there's nothing like amex tickets are subject to availability terms and conditions apply learn more at amex.ca slash y amex who is a chicago star that you saw when
you were there like bernie meck oh my god can we talk about bernie meck bernie meck maybe bernie macchicago legend love bernie meck rest in peace we love bernie he was he hosted us and he was so nice so much tell me how it why he was important to you know because he was like actually never met bernie meck oh i didn't get to meet him which is devastating you know it's devastating i have a couple of those people too where i'm like huh i didn't meet with you asten yeah god we would have loved you i was like you know 100% but i love your daughter bokestina yeah me and bokestina met on my space we would always be like a girl i love bokestina uh rest in peace about christina yes but yeah i always love bernie because he was so funny and so real and i always was able to ride the wave of like being edgy and saying something true but also steal like i think the wonderful thing about any great comedian is to be able to bring up difficult topics and make them metabolize them help the public metabolize them through entertainment i mean i think he was great with that totally um and he just was yeah he just he also seemed like a really sweet person i think everybody loved bernie too you know what i mean so he just had it seemed to have a genuine spirit and obviously a great inspiration so
i love whatever i think about uh you know anybody chicago greats you know bernie meck is what i'm doing to my mind now i'm picturing you know what any though i was singing on stage oh my gosh oh my gosh that would have been god that would have been incredible okay okay sorry but so you're a chicago and both of your parents were actors yeah i'm not professional but they did it that way they did speech and term they met actually at a speech competition in new orleans that's what he had papa as one first time they always bring that up because i guess like back then papa was like raisin canes or like chick fillet before it became national like it was only in new orleans so they always said like that was the first time we had papa's branded it's okay but they loved they always talk about that they talk about their story of falling in love through the arts when they got back to chicago my mom went to new york and she was going to be you know actress and performer my dad stayed in chicago and they would be like pin pals writing letters back and forth and talking on the phone every now and my mom couldn't afford tap shoes so my dad like spent all his money and like she had tap shoes at her door like the following week and that was so touching to her and it was so supportive of her and then one day she doesn't hear from them and she's like this motherfucker she's like piss she's like a few days have come by like who the hell where the hell and finally she gets a call and she's like angry she's
like what do you mean larry not larry got into a car he got into a big accident oh my god and his mouth has been like close to your shot so he couldn't speak she was on the next flight out and she said i knew how i felt then that i had to be with this man for the rest of my life so she goes back to chicago they do theater in chicago at the black ensemble theater started by jackie taylor steel goals on and my parents performed in this really cool musical called the other cinderella and they just started running like right right which is crazy right it's so weird to me these little life feelings and yeah and then they started having kids and they kind of was kind of a dream's deferred situation they were like oh reality hit what i love you speak all the time so beautifully about it is how your family made a big sacrifice to kind of support your dreams they moved from chicago to l.a. your siblings came to right they all picked up and moved they all picked up so we drove four days and three nights and then we got there was like oh my gosh we're so broke you know what i mean how we're gonna get pulled things together so i get an agent and we've been we have been talking and emailing and i had met some people before on a one trip that i went with my parents so we knew who i was gonna be working with and i got me an agent immediately i mean really very
quickly i got a job when i got that job was it was the job it was a movie that i did with wyam h may see i was ten years old and it was called the wool cap and like it was kind of like a play on jiggo so like he didn't talk and i was like this little girl that was like this is me and my friend you know we need this you know like the movie is so it's so old it was like a tnt film and now we did this movie and my mom and i went to matriol it was the first time that my parents had like not been around each other 24 seven you know in like since she was 19 because a lot of people don't know when you're a minor and you're on set you need an adult guardian with you at all times but then it's like they're only gonna pay for one right so my dad stayed back and this was like kind of a moment where the family experienced what we knew we never wanted to really have to experience again which we separation yeah so my dad was in l.a. making sure we had a good place to stay my sisters and my sister and my younger brother sister went back with my grandma for a little bit yeah and then when we came back after that movie we knew that it was like whatever situation we get in we need to make it to where we can be together at some point like we have to figure this out and so that was like the beginning and so that caused for a lot of sacrifices it's a lot of pressure on you too it's a lot of pressure on you for sure tons and that i couldn't really hold i think in the beginning i probably talked about it more
and then as time went on it was just like if i talk about this anymore i'm gonna break yeah because you've decided to do something that you love you're a natural at it you the family's like okay we're behind you and then of course like with that comes like an expectation that you're not you can't complain about the thing that's hard to do and you can't change your mind about the thing that's hard to do and you have to keep doing the thing that you are really naturally good i love to do because it's it's taking care of a lot of people it's a lot heavy on that last part because our lives changed tremendously yeah and once you when you're when you're in poverty you don't really know too much i mean especially at the age in which i was you know when i left i was 10 so it didn't really hit me yet that like this could be a problem now certain things did right like i had experience discrimination with my race i had experience like oh i can't get case with it pay less you know i experienced some things yeah but they weren't it wasn't so heavy yet i still felt like you know and then when you actually see it when i actually started to see what i was missing out on what my family was missing out on yeah i felt that they deserved so much more i thought we deserved so much more so then it became like how do i make sure that we get to have what i realized was like really
things at all human beings should have but that's a that's adults thinking and behavior that's adultified parentified stuff pretty early and you've talked about i love how you talk about it and we talk about it with your family like it feels like you really in a way that i think few people you know because you certainly don't have to be an actor to have that happen to you can have it can be any indication of the child is actually quite common exactly under capitalism it is tough but it's the truth and i think that's been such a big part of my healing and my family's healing because it all cost us something people judge my parents so badly they really really judge them and that was a hurt that i didn't know because i was also feeling what i was feeling in my position and so them owning what us talking about it and owning what that experience did to all of us to be so perceived to be so judged for what some things were out of our control like i mean how can you be how can you reject the reality that my parents weren't going to get the same opportunities that i was giving also they had a daughter like you and you are a very very special
person i mean i don't believe anybody's above anybody's below but you have a gift i think i realized just how much courage it took my parents to really let me go it really like let me be me because yeah it was a lot little achila and the be kiki i mean it must be wild to have your inner child so you know it is like you can go you're like i'm gonna go check out my inner child and you turn it on i mean that performance you in it and that that moment it's so tender it's so precious and so special it hits me more now do you want has leo seen it yet leo does has shown that he doesn't think i'm that dope he has yeah it has starting it started to appear yeah that uh you're not really cool i remember i was playing some i was playing some drake you know and i was like hey hey hey i was ag mommy no oh yeah don't stop it stop it no you need to stop me and silly you're like everybody loves when i get silly silly pays the bills honey everybody loves when i do the silly thing you
hang it somehow oh yeah he's like cut that shit out it's crazy how brutal they can be it's i mean his his his space for my silliness is this much he'll go he'll gag with me four minute and he's like stop he's like please cut the clowns shut up but that's so good but that's healthy that's healthy that's really set you straight and also you do not want your kid to be like you do not want your kid taking care like taking care of your ego and feelings you just don't you don't want them to be like oh i gotta make sure that mom feels funny today oh my gosh that dangerous like if your kid my my my son there was like doing back to me all my fake laughs and i was like i feel so seen he was like mom you know you didn't think it was that funny i'm like what he was like oh because you were like and i was like what and he was like you know when you go and i was like and i was like and i go stop paying attention to me it's so incredible really they're always watching oh okay um can i talk to you about a couple people that you work with because there are some people that you
work with that i i love and i know you've worked with some very very special people and they've met a lot to you and you've you have worked with so many wonderful women and i do want to ask and specifically focus on the women that you've worked with Angela Bassett okay talk about Angela Bassett hands down incredible uh working with her on a keel in the bee was the best gift that i could have coming into this industry and she taught me something that i didn't really understand well enough till later but she taught me a skill of how to get to the emotion without damaging yourself because i think for many years because i didn't have a lot of experiences as a kid it was hard for me to attach what the character was going through to something that had happened to me without damaging myself without being like my grandma died yeah and so when i was set with her i had a scene where dr Larry leaves me you know doesn't help me anymore and she she i can't cry i can't get to the emotion and she's like who helps you with everything i'm like oh you know my mom you know who takes you who helps you who relies who takes you to the auditions like my mom she's like well what if your mom said i'm not helping you anymore you can't do the thing that you love and i immediately started crying and that was like something that i now understand i do it all the time but for many years from that moment
in between i struggled with doing the wrong thing which could be really hurtful to you as an actor because your emotions don't know that your kid that's right that sometimes what helps me cry is i'm like i'm doing such a bad job in the scene i can't cry i'm not kidding queen la diffa okay dana dana is she's so remarkable she's really something she taught me what it means to be a ceo to be a business woman dana if you listen please come on oh yo have you had her in your pons yeah she's those and don't i am saying she doesn't do pons she doesn't come to me and kick his pons we'll do it yeah she's something she hasn't really talked too much so if you hear her you'll be like well she's a queen she doesn't have to and boy does she also told me how to walk i still haven't got her walk together but i'll tell you the queen is titties up back incredible i know i love the way she was i know i know back is straight yeah that just is a heart regal smart funny great sense of humor about herself which like doesn't take herself too seriously like you learned so much about somebody when they come and host us and i was like immediately you learn immediately because they're nervous you learn what people get what are like when they're nervous or stressed she was so fun and funny and i
told the story before there was a moment where me and her and my i had to sing these like jingles and it's very s and l like live show they're coming down like 10 9 8 and then the stage manager is like there's no music five four like what three she's like just saying without music two one and we're like and after she was like she just like had such a good time with that chaos chaos what did you know the pressure that people are watching even when you don't think they're watching because i remember when i'd worked with her i started working with her a couple of different times and i was like you know one on the one of the last times the director was like you know it was hard to figure out who we went to give the role to and we spoke to queen we asked who she thought was the best person for the job and she said you and so i was thanking her for like you know thank you for believing in me and she said well kiki i've actually been you know it's not just me believing you i've actually been seeing you watching you yeah and i'm like daniel was watching she was like you are professional you show up to everything that you do um and so keep keep because you know i just remember thinking in that moment like wow like my work ethic precedes me you know the way that i continue to move into the game it's going
to count for something at some point also it's not what you say it's what you do you know what i'm saying even though we like to talk you like to talk talk talk talk talk talk like my acts of service for me is a love language like the way people what people do you can say whatever you want but like what did you actually do it sounds like she was like she did things she made things happen for you continuously over time yeah yes amazing do you like to cry are you good cryer in real life yeah i think so i think i'm an easy cryer i think i'm that person that's like time to cry but do you cry about yourself or i'm actually alone quite a lot i love crying alone it's people who say i have a depression issue i love crying alone but i love to cry alone too and i and i say space and hold space for a while just because sometimes i'm like oh i'm gonna cry it is it's like i'm gonna get i'm gonna get i'm gonna get a tv show i'm gonna get under my i'm gonna get my mind i'm gonna get him i'm gonna cry i'm going to cry i'm going to cry like my life depends on it i will literally cry cry cry and it it's so because it's actually like a release yes it's a release and the sadness that you need brought out that you buried maybe it was from last yesterday maybe it was
from ten years ago but you got it in the in the ether of your mind like i never cried about that i think i also have a lot of anger a lot of anger because you know it's been it's such a thing as a black woman where it's like can't be angry oh yeah but then it's like it goes to the point where it's like bitch you should be angry for that yeah you know what i mean and so i feel like i'm dealing now with the realities of holding space for the fact that i'm allowed to be angry without wearing the weight of the perception around being an angry black woman yeah you know so i think i have a lot of work to do there where i allow myself the space to be pissed off the idea of just like i started getting into rock music a little bit more fuck yeah oh god i got a couple right rock songs that i wrote whoa oh my gosh i'm like no because i'm letting that rage out you know what i mean why i need to be like yeah because it's like i'm actually angry yeah you know i didn't let it out you know oh yeah no shit it's crazy god i love that for you kiki i love that i love that anger um i love that era for you i do like that very much yes and in a release i hate you so much right now it's important what are some good angry
angry songs that's good i love that i also love fifee dobs and i grew up loving fifee dobs and she's like oh g classic you know that's my girl um other songs that are like really good for screaming and i mean you can go to gfo a like riana back in that one that one right after good girl gone back she was pissed yeah and and bitch better have my money is not screaming but it's angry you know what i'm saying yeah also what no i just can't figure it out you remember that one i love that album because the album was like the second album was like mhm the girl gone back and the second album was like yo i'm in a dark place angry this is really i mean those albums were just so curated in a way that told us the story of a woman becoming i felt that way with mary jay but mary mary is that too mary had like a way of expressing that like um a mature anger oh my gosh mary mary and then i'm just like she showed us yeah she showed us everything i know i know it's good edit well it's not that mary i'm so i'm obsessed mary and now she's so stage like can't wait to get off also did you hear
i love dad success you know it's the minute you're on your way to your cap record energy oh she's you're so right she's gonna hear it mary please if you and i'm going to marry queen are listening listening to this together please come on please please okay J-Lo oh okay I feel like you guys have a work get me up all her okay what did you love about working with her well first I love that she's a real boss bitch she don't play yeah she's very like come on but she's again watching and she has respect for people that are showing up and getting a hundred percent yeah and so we kind of bonded because she saw me like oh my god I went like trying to be too like I'm one fan but I was like I have so much respect to you and then boom I'm going to what I gotta do and I'm focusing on my thing and she's like well how can I help you with it and how much you really liked that I was in my own bag yeah we became really close after that I've gone through things in my life yeah where it's like randomly she'll like call me if you need me I call her and she'll give me some real deal and it's like it's just like she's a real girls girl mentor you know she's a real mentor and she's like I want you to win you know I want you to win also it's I want to win in this way where it's also like you're already
winning yeah which is a really cool way to empower somebody yes you know what I mean we're like we'll be Goldberg is like that we'll be goldberg is very very like we'll be go back is like I'm in chapter 100 you are currently at chapter 30 and I see it yeah I don't think that ever at least for me that's never ended which is the women that are ahead of me like I'm just watching them like how are you doing it how are you operating what can I learn from you like and then the women younger than me constantly and like thankfully keep challenging the things I'm very certain about like every time I get certain I'm like right right there's a young person being like just before you like carve that in stone you want to give that another thought and I'm like fuck you're so right like that's like it feels like that's the I really love that because Queen actually says something Dana said something like that to me before that made me feel so good because people give you so much you want to be able to give them something and she has said something around those those lines where it's like you know it becomes recursive because there is something that you can hopefully show because of the groundwork that they laid well hey when you grow when you laid that groundwork I decided to go left and I found something new yeah maybe we can
go left together to yeah and that's very cool yeah very cool I gotta I gotta say one guy I gotta put one guy in this place Jordan Peele oh my gosh Jordan I mean you're a step we work together a kid your relationship and that fell and hope you were so incredible not making you beautiful like like such a charismatic interesting work he is so talented of course to be directed by him what's that like how does it what how do you like how he works how do you like his system he was a first director that made me realize and this is not she any other director but made me realize that my opinion was a part of being an actor mm-hmm then not just taking the orders of or just doing exactly what you know and every directors different I'm open to that I'm really think that's also why I've been working in industry as I have because I'm very moldable I'm very mallebose I guess I'll say it's the mutable qualities of Virgo where I can go where you go once I've signed on and I if I respect you that's why I mean I've only signed on if I respect you and so I'm open to where you want to take me totally but here's it my experience with him was I respect you where do you think I should take this and that was like a really enriching and empowering experience
and now I actually take to my projects even where the directors not as yeah open I say well I hold their feet to the fire on well on day one you told me the characters this way so I can go where you want me to go yeah but I want you to know that this is contradictory and so what does that mean to her at this point in time that's actually you know so having that experience with him really empowered that side of me that felt like I could be open and vocal about how to keep consistency in a character what felt most true to the role because you didn't come from an ensemble like you never had that ensemble feeling like of collaborating in that way like it's such a good point because that's probably that's Jordan yeah sketch improv like that idea that like we're all gonna try to figure that out together and it's just a little less lonely like it's a it can really at least for me anyway it was like acting is hard and lonely and can be you know everybody has their own special thing okay now as the therapist was saying I'm aware of the time but I just there's a few other thing I want to talk to you about the verbs oh my gosh don't let me look at what is the verbs okay I have to get back to you at the end of the next time this is the first time this
ever happened where I talked talk to the guests for so long that they have to go to the bathroom okay Kiki Palmer is back how was the bathroom oh my gosh that was amazing okay great it's good to be hydrated but she's yeah okay so we you're in space balls which is hilarious coming out you're in I love boosters huge film incredible cast you guys just a boot right I love him so much you and like that movie just looks so fun and original congrats on that and then the verbs another season of that which is very exciting starting to shoot in the fall yeah and so we have a question for you from miss polypaul so Paul we spoke to Paula yeah let's talk about she's the one of the most incredible humans ever she really really is first of all she's really talented skillful writer very very funny but she's the kind of person where you can know you can call her up and drive down to the mountains and just be on the couch and have fun with her and her wife and just have the best weekend like she's just really she reminds me home but she's also a Midwestern gal that's right you guys are Midwestern gals so she spoke so highly of you and so loving we have you and we talked about well behind
your back and she and she you know is on the burbs with you co-stars in that show and she had a question that I love and wanted to ask you about because it ties into the idea of rest and she her question was what does it look like for Kiki Palmer to rest you know I've learned that for me rest still is active I need to be I think that's why I like Pilates more than yoga yes am I since I can't so slow I want to die it's you know I mean there has to be yes yes you be a rest so rest looks like for me a day with my son in the yard playing it looks like you did my nails done or my hair done or both it looks like incredible yeah got him to for me rest is like a recharge and then another thing I've been doing that's kind of more typical on the nose but I've realized that it's really good for me is I've been taking naps really I started taking naps fantastic in the car you know in the bathroom now that's what I just did I've literally been to go sometimes you'll be going in between these jobs it'll be 30 minutes oh yeah could even be a 45 minute ride in LA depending on where you're going
I started napping there's a really cool one I want you to check out but you should maybe having your show doctor Sandra dr. Sandra Dalton Smith and she did a TED talk about rest and also like she talks a lot about black women and yes and the need for that specifically to your point a very specific kind of rest it's like rest is not an option rest also it it is like you could have died trying to rest that's right you know what I mean that's right and so um you know I feel like any of the any of the we think about black lineage if your family is here today y'all definitely didn't rest that's right so I you're here that's right so it's like it's a lot of undoing yet she talks about spiritual rest and creative rest and all this stuff and it's cool and I just like to hear like thank you for saying that because I also feel like my rest needs to be a little active and I don't always know where to put it and you know like puttering is a big one for me just like well I call it puttering but it's just like walking around the house like and it's not housekeeping which is different right like it's not cleaning it's just kind of like like organized it's a little bit organizing like organizing a pile or just like with no goal just like going from room to room and just kind of thinking about like you
know like maybe taking a note like I got to remember to I actually love puttering to puttering I got to remember to change I want to change the cover on that chair I should do that no expectation to do it just like observing in slow motion you know and and just touching things that's the mundane that's the mundane that's right the mundane is so that moment in between the scene and do you do puzzles you know okay I'm here to tell you I'm here to tell you I know what you think it's good I think that's gonna be the next thing for you because here's why the verb going you's gonna love a puzzle because I'm not particularly good at them by the way it's not like I can't like I don't really like have a great puzzle brain but you take the puzzle you sort the pieces which feels really nice you sort them you walk away like puzzles take forever there's no like deadline for a puzzle you get a nice puzzle board or a table you're like this is where I do my puzzle and you come back you have your coffee and you're like oh you know you're like this is never you know it's gonna take me forever do this puzzle and then you find one piece and you're like fucking hot dog you get an instant an instant boost you did one thing and then you go maybe I'll try to get one more you're like not gonna work the puzzle is this like long meditation I like puzzles you know when I was a little girl at my
grandma's house we would do puzzles mm-hmm so there's something that was in there a lot okay final final minutes speed around oh anything you have about any of this shut it out favorite old sitcom oh well this was the one that came into mind immediately so I'm gonna say this with family matters yes but but there's many more but that's just what came to me comfort comfort watch okay manicures you love them yeah how like what how long do your manicures take and what do you like hopefully no more than hour 30 minutes okay great I'd keep it pretty simple a color with maybe like a glaze or a chrome or okay you know what I mean right now I've got the friendship with a little glaze like I try to keep it like where it goes with everything I'm not the girl that's like I was a three hour no no okay stand-up comedy would you ever do it yes you do it every day no but I would totally love to do I need to find a bright and partner yeah I would know you know you have to do a stand-up you've got an hour already a material you go on the Hollywood Reporter you do that thing you talk about two girls and Quinta goes Kiki and I'm like that is it you're so I really want to do one funny day okay all right we're gonna do that if you want to do it you're gonna do it album you're listening to right now oh how am I listening to right now
you know I'm not I have a totally digested the Drake album I've listened to a few songs a lot of songs I've completely digested Don Tolliver's last project but I like listening to him a lot you know I'll be honest with you there's not many artists that I'm like if they're just gonna get the older new right now like if you were like let's start dancing like I want to get the party going what would you my love do you never be okay I'll have you to ghost I think I can tell it I never want you to leave okay I think I felt okay perfect this beautiful do you do you have a go-to baby present money money just money I'll need it come on we all can use it you know what I mean money is like my hand into the baby I do old school I wasn't in a car like a lot of things I wasn't in a car you know what I mean they're like yeah yeah oh my god okay and then lastly what's making you laugh these days like what do you a video a
show like is it a friend what are you reading so when you're like when you're when you need a laugh what do you watch read do where do you go what do you get it honestly with my friends we always have something to talk about there's something going on there's something so I'm a real like one of my good friends in we be laughing on the phone like nobody's big now see you like to talk about Ian yeah he's good okay and honestly it'll be like a 10 minute you know it's like oh that's perfect you know it's not we got you know it's not hours yeah I gotta go in the end you're not gonna go in the end it's like we are like how did you guys meet and we met my other really good friend Courtney and so Courtney introduced me to Ian and Ian is just so funny he's like that's in line dances like he line dances at the party gets us all together he's a party pumper he is he's so much fun so we can actually be kickback that's just also make me laugh like I'm so community like my people like we be laughing cutting up yeah kiki it makes perfect sense because you do that for us like I cannot tell you how many years like you know I've the pleasure
to know you now but just before I knew you like you made me you gave me such joy and you continue to do that for me all the time you're so yourself you're so real you're so fun you're so talented I just love you like I'm like so like overstim like I'm like oh thank you so much for doing this same right back I mean your kiki Palmer Lauren kiki Palmer the talent of all talents here today thanks for being here I love having you thank you so much Kiki you are oh God I could talk to you all day you're so funny and fun to be around and positive and interesting and the real deal kiki Palmer thanks for joining us and you know we talked about work and we talked about rest and for this polar plunge I just want to point everyone's attention to a very cool woman who speaks about rest the seven types of rest we mentioned her in the podcast and she has an interesting talk and books about just that her name is dr. Sandra Dalton Smith and her seven
types of rest and it just makes me think about about how important it is to find ways to do that whatever it may be like for example me I don't know going in my bedroom and sticking my feet under the mattress and putting a sweatshirt over my eyes but um let's not get specific but you know what I mean but we I hope that this I hope that this episode and good hang episodes are a way for you to rest and so rest away and we will catch you next time thanks so much bye you've been listening to good hang the executive producers for the show are Bill Simmons Jenna Weiss Berman and me Amy Poehler the show is produced by the ringer and paper kite for the ringer production by Jack Wilson cats Elaine Kaya McMullen and Elia Zanaris for paper kite production by Sam Green Joel level and Jenna Weiss Berman original music by Amy Miles my teammate says he plays pick up basketball quote for the cardio well there's more to it than that Sean like with Beth 365 I could pay the second my team goes at big with early
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