With an acting debut now under her belt, SZA may think about taking more roles in Hollywood — as long as she can call One of Them Days co-star Keke Palmer as her lifeline.
“As long as Keke can coach me, then I’ll consider it,” SZA said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, in which she admitted she needs “to build my confidence as an actor.” She added she learned so much from filming her upcoming movie and thought it was cool “to look at myself from another lens that had nothing really to do with my personal expression — but still had everything to do with my personal expression.”
Despite her claim that she needs Keke’s assistance for other roles, Palmer insists SZA’s a natural who impressed her during their chemistry read.
“She’s so naturally talented. I was like, ‘Are you in drama school?’ Because she could naturally get into it,” Keke recalls. “She’s a free person. That freeness that she brings to her music was also what she brought creatively to this, and I think that’s why it turned out so good.”
One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, follows Keke’s Dreux and SZA’s Alyssa, best friends and roommates who go on a series of escapades trying to avoid eviction after Alyssa’s boyfriend steals their rent money.
It’s meant to be a love letter to South LA, in which Lamont intentionally infuses humor while highlighting changes, including the housing crisis and inflation.
Producer Issa Rae notes they wanted to make a movie that “LA could be proud of,” while Keke says they were looking to create something fun and joyous featuring two Black female leads.
“When we got that final draft, we knew this was perfect,” Keke adds.
One of Them Days arrives in theaters Friday.
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