It took Keke Palmer a long time to build a friendship strong enough to ask SZA about kissing Drake and not offend her.
Chemistry is the most important part of film making, Keke Palmer and SZA weren’t friends before the making of One of Them Days, a comedy film about two best friends. Palmer wasn’t just meeting her co-star—she was laying the groundwork for on-screen chemistry that felt effortless. They bonded during rehearsals in Atlanta and shared candid moments backstage at the 2024 Grammys, just before SZA’s electrifying performance. Palmer, wearing both actor and producer hats, was intentional about building that relationship. Speaking to The Cut, she made it clear: “That wasn’t just me, Keke Palmer, the actress, making sure we had time to really connect. That was me, Keke Palmer, the producer.” The film marks SZA’s first major acting role, a leap Palmer knew she was ready for.
In One of Them Days, they play best friends, Dreux and Alyssa, scrambling to pull together rent money before eviction. Palmer first saw SZA’s comedic spark in 2022 when they both appeared on Saturday Night Live. From that moment, she was determined to bring the singer into the film world. “A lot of people assume musicians can’t act, but she’s naturally hilarious,” Palmer said. “She’s vulnerable, excitable, and eccentric, but also incredibly serious and focused.”
One Of Them Days
The film’s journey to the screen wasn’t smooth. Though now premiering in the U.K., One of Them Days spent five years in development, undergoing four full rewrites. Studios initially pushed for exaggerated humor and over-the-top action, but Palmer, as executive producer, fought to preserve the story’s depth. She wanted to highlight community struggles and the impact of gentrification rather than turn the film into mindless chaos.
“I had to be specific about what needed to change, what the jokes would say, and what story we were telling,” Palmer explained. “Wasn’t just acting. I cared about the entire project.” SZA is scheduled to hit the road with Kendrick Lamar next month on the Grand National Tour.
