United Kingdom, March 5 -- Keke Palmer says being a child star felt "dehumanising".

The 32-year-old actress grew up in a poor area of Illinois with limited food, and things only improved after she shot to fame following breakout roles in Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP, (2008-2011) and the 2012 TV film Rags.

Keke told Variety: "I come from a small suburb in Illinois that is a food desert. Being an artist became a way out for my family."

However, it caused her to feel more like a "product" than a human.

She continued: "Being a kid entertainer on networks such as Disney and Nickelodeon, there's no machinery more dehumanising than that, and I say 'dehumanising' completely without sadness. It's just - you're a product.

"Once you see ...