Keke Palmer knows she can always pick up the phone when she needs Jennifer Lopez.
The two actresses became close while working together on Hustlers, and Palmer said Lopez has become “a real mentor” to her over the years.
When life has gotten tough, Palmer said she’s been able to turn to Lopez for advice.
‘A real girl’s girl’
“We became really close after that,” she told Amy Poehler on the Tuesday, August 18, episode of “Good Hang.”
Palmer said Lopez has checked in on her when she’s going through a hard time and reminded her that she’s always there if needed.
“I’ve gone through things in my life where it’s like randomly she’ll be like, ‘Call me if you need me.’ I’ll call her, and she’ll give me some real deal, and it’s just like she’s a real girl’s girl.”
Strong work ethic
The two hit it off while working on Hustlers, where Palmer said the Maid in Manhattan star noticed how seriously she took her work.
“We kind of bonded because she saw me on my grind,” the actress noted.
Palmer was a fan of Lopez, but she didn’t let that get in the way of doing her job. When Lopez saw her “focusing on my thing,” Palmer said she started rooting for her.
“She’s a real mentor, and she’s like I want you to win,” she continued.
Role models
Lopez isn’t the only star Palmer looks up to. She’s also named Whoopi Goldberg, Queen Latifah and Jordan Peele among her biggest role models.
Palmer previously opened up about being a Lopez fan, telling Entertainment Weekly that working with her was a little nerve-racking.
“My first scene in the film was with her,” she recalled during the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. “She was letting me know that she was glad I was a part of it and that she thinks we’re going to have a great time. I appreciated that she embraced me from the beginning, because it’s her movie, she’s the head of it, so it’s going to be a fun time!”
‘Mama bear’ on set
Palmer isn’t the only Hustlers star who has praised Lopez for looking out for her costars.
At the film’s premiere, Lili Reinhart also called Lopez a “mama bear” on set. She said the singer and actress had a way of making everyone around her feel comfortable.
“You could tell she has that warm energy and she’s very touchy, she wants to connect with you,” Reinhart told EW at the 2019 film screening. “It’s very sweet.”