Keke Palmer joins cast of 'Proud Family' reboot on Disney+, will voice teen activist
The actress will voice a new character, 14-year-old activist Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins.
The Disney+ reboot of "The Proud Family" is going to be louder and prouder and will feature some new characters. The streaming service announced Thursday morning that actress Keke Palmer will voice teen activist Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins.
"Dreams come true!" Palmer tweeted about the announcement.
Disney+ announced its revival of the groundbreaking Disney Channel series in February. Creator of the original series Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar return to develop "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" along with co-executive producer and story editor Calvin Brown Jr.
Smith and Farquhar previously said in a joint statement: "In our minds, the show never really went away, as we still had tons of stories left to tell. It's the perfect time to bring back this show, and we can't wait to take fans, old and new alike, on this journey with us."
The series will continue the story of Penny Proud and her eccentric family, with the original cast reprising their roles. Kyla Pratt will return as Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud, Jo Marie Payton as Suga Mama, Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones, Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer, Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez and Cedric the Entertainer as Uncle Bobby Proud.
See also: Keke Palmer shares powerful message with the National Guard
On Thursday, the cast and executive producers got together for a virtual reunion, moderated by Palmer, during the NAACP Arts, Culture and Entertainment Festival. The panel reminisced about the cultural impact of their series and gave audiences a sneak peek of the revival.
"The genius of the original 'Proud Family' series was that, under the guise of a family comedy, it provided a brilliant social commentary on our life and times," Disney Channels Worldwide president and chief creative officer Gary Marsh said in a statement. "With this new series, Bruce and Ralph will once again challenge everyone to think differently about the world we share."
The original series does not yet have a release date.
See also: Keke Palmer surprises the girls at Saving Our Daughters
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