Exclusive Interview With Kyla Pratt About Her Popular Roles, Parenthood & More
Eshika Chopra
A proud mother of two gorgeous daughters, our cover star Kyla Pratt is adored by most children for voicing their most beloved Disney character ‘Penny.’
The woman who’s had a fruitful career & is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon meet Kyla Pratt. Her journey in the industry started at the age of 14 with ‘Penny’ and she has been thriving ever since. On being asked how the role affected her personally, she replied, “Playing Penny basically kind of added to my personality as a teen. She always stood up for herself and others. She wouldn’t let anyone make her feel small.” Pratt has been a part of tremendous movies and shows and is making us proud every day. As she graces this month’s edition, we had a delightful conversation with her about her popular roles, parenthood, and what the future holds for her. Keep reading to find out all about this sensational black beauty!
I am all about the journey and not just the destination and I think that is important and the real reason I still love what I do.
Let us start by telling you how supremely talented and gorgeous you are. You started at a very young age, how has the Hollywood journey been till now?
Thank you so much. I have been working basically my entire life. And my love for acting grows more and more as the years pass. I am all about the journey and not just the destination and I think that is important and the real reason I still love what I do.
When did you first hear about “the proud family” coming back, what was your reaction?
Oh, I was thrilled. The Proud Family was a cartoon I recorded at 14 years old. It was a show that I feel the creators and the audience watched felt like it ended too soon. So being able to bring it back and get all the love from past fans and now a new generation of fans has been an amazing experience. Not a lot of artists get to revisit a character they played 20 years before, so I feel blessed to be able to do so
The Proud Family was a cartoon I recorded at 14 years old. It was a show that I feel the creators and the audience watched felt like it ended too soon.
Penny did have a great influence on a lot of people, but did it affect you in any way or do you still resonate with the character?
Playing Penny basically kind of added to my personality as a teen. She always stood up for herself and others. She wouldn’t let anyone make her feel small. She was Loud and Proud and that is definitely me.
Speaking of your adorable daughters, how do you spend time with them? What’s an off family day in your life look like?
Oh, it can be literally anything. Some days we just chill at home and play board games, paint, just put on music and dance, etc. Or we might hike or go to an amusement park. Depends on how we all feel. Sometimes we wanna rest and recharge by chilling and watching a movie – or we say I think we need some sun today. We are so chill !
Some days we just chill at home and play board games, paint, just put on music and dance, etc. Or we might hike or go to an amusement park.
If you could play any Black icon in a movie, who would it be?
That’s a good question. I’m not sure if I should let people know because they might steal my idea! There are so many amazing Black icons whose stories I would love to have the opportunity to tell. I’ll leave you with Rosa Parks and Regina King.
We’ve heard you have great fan moments. Can you recall the craziest fan story?
People who enjoy my work are hilarious and give so much love. I would have to say the first situation that pops into my mind is when someone ran up on me yelling, “Oh my God, I loooooove you KeKe Pratt!!” I said: now wait a minute. I told them they just called me two people.
You also star in the famous Sitcom, Call Me Kat! Can you spill some details about what season 3 holds for the audience?
I’m very excited about Season 3. We premiered during a global pandemic, so it wasn’t very easy to create a show or develop charters with all that was going on in the world. But now I feel like we are finally getting on track with who we are and what this show really is. To work with these amazing people and get to play with them on screen has been amazing and I feel like this year we have been able to dive deeper. Audiences can expect that same feel-good energy while getting to know more about what brings these people together.
To work with these amazing people and get to play with them on screen has been amazing and I feel like this year we have been able to dive deeper.
Time to spill some secrets! Tell us about your upcoming projects & more.
Currently filming Season 3 of Call Me Kat which airs Thursdays at 9:30pm or streaming on Hulu. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 2 begins streaming on Disney+ Feb 2023. I am also venturing into the behind-the-scenes world of this industry.
Any piece of advice for our readers?
Believe in yourself. Whatever you want to do, you can. Also remember that people will always try to project their fears onto you. Don’t take it personal and get to work!
