Before the world knew her as Khloe Kardashian’s inseparable best friend or a staple of reality TV, Malika Haqq was a Disney girl. Yeah, really. If you grew up in the mid-2000s, there is a very high chance you saw her face on a DVD cover long before you saw her in a Calabasas mansion. We’re talking about the 2005 cult classic Sky High.
It’s one of those "wait, that was her?" moments that hits you like a ton of bricks when you're rewatching old movies on a rainy Sunday. Malika Haqq Sky High isn't just a random search term; it’s a legitimate piece of Y2K nostalgia that connects a modern influencer to the peak era of Disney live-action films.
Who Did Malika Play in Sky High?
In the movie, Malika and her identical twin sister, Khadijah Haqq, played the character Penny Lent.
Now, if you’re trying to remember which one was which, it’s actually a bit of a trick question. They both played her. Because Penny’s superpower was the ability to duplicate herself, the producers did the smart thing and hired real-life twins instead of relying solely on CGI. It gave the character a much more grounded feel, even when there were five of her on screen at once.
Penny wasn't just a background extra. She was a senior at the school for superheroes and part of the "popular" crowd, specifically serving as a loyal sidekick to the main antagonist, Gwen Grayson (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Penny was athletic, slightly intimidating, and basically the "mean girl" of the superhero track.
The Twin Dynamic on Set
Working with Mike Mitchell, the director, the Haqq twins brought a specific energy to the role.
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- Realism: Using twins meant they could do practical stunts where one "clone" interacted with the other without messy 2005-era green screen lines.
- The Look: They rocked those mid-2000s athletic outfits—think high-ponytails and sporty layers that screamed "I’m a cheerleader, but I can also kick your butt with physics."
- Chemistry: Since they are sisters, their synchronization was perfect.
Honestly, it's kinda wild to look back at the Sky High cast now. You’ve got Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston as the parents, a young Danielle Panabaker, and even Nicholas Braun (Cousin Greg from Succession) as the glowing kid. And right there in the mix, before the E! Network cameras ever started rolling, were Malika and Khadijah.
Why People Are Still Searching for Malika Haqq Sky High
The internet has a weird obsession with "pre-fame" celebrity roles. For Malika, Sky High represents a time when she was strictly an actress. A lot of fans who grew up watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians often feel like she just appeared out of thin air as Khloe’s friend.
But Malika and Khadijah were working actors long before the reality boom. They were in ATL with T.I. and Lauren London just a year after Sky High. They were grinding in Hollywood.
Seeing her in a Disney movie makes her feel more like a "real" person to some fans, I guess? It’s a reminder that she had her own career and her own aspirations separate from the Kardashian machine.
The Superhero Fatigue Factor
There’s also the fact that Sky High is actually a good movie.
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Unlike a lot of the cheesy Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs), this was a theatrical release with a decent budget and a script that actually holds up. It’s got a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty solid for a family superhero flick. Because the movie has become a cult favorite that people stream on Disney+, new generations are constantly "discovering" Malika for the first time.
Life After the Cape
So, what happened? Why didn't Malika stay in the superhero lane?
Well, Hollywood is tough. Especially for Black actresses in the mid-2000s, the roles were often limited to "the best friend" or "the popular girl." Ironically, Malika transitioned from being a fictional best friend in movies to being a very real, very famous best friend on television.
She hasn't completely left acting behind, but her brand shifted. She became a lifestyle influencer, a brand ambassador for Pretty Little Thing, and a mom. She and Khadijah eventually launched their own digital series, Side by Side, where they talk about their lives as twins. They often look back at their early acting days with a lot of love.
It’s interesting to see how the "duplication" theme followed them. In Sky High, Penny was all about being in two places at once. In real life, Malika and Khadijah are rarely seen apart, constantly supporting each other’s businesses and milestones.
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The Impact of the Role
Malika Haqq Sky High isn't a deep-cut trivia fact just for the sake of it. It matters because it shows the longevity of her career.
Most reality stars have a shelf life of about fifteen minutes. Malika has been in the public eye for over twenty years. Whether she’s Penny Lent duplicating herself in a high school gym or Malika Haqq navigating the complexities of celebrity life, she knows how to stay relevant.
If you’re feeling nostalgic, go back and watch the "I Melt with You" sequence in the movie. You’ll see a 22-year-old Malika having the time of her life. It’s a fun, lighthearted look at a woman who would eventually become one of the most recognizable faces in reality TV history.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to dive deeper into Malika's early career, there are a few things you can actually do right now:
- Watch Sky High on Disney+: It’s the easiest way to see her in action. Pay attention to the scenes where multiple Pennys are on screen—those are the sisters working together.
- Check out ATL: If you want to see her in a more mature, dramatic role, this 2006 film is a must-watch for 2000s cinema fans.
- Follow Side by Side: To see how the twins have evolved since their Disney days, their Kin Community series gives a lot of "behind the scenes" context on their upbringing in LA.
The "Sky High" era was just the beginning. It turns out, she was always meant to be in front of a camera.