Keegan-Michael Key Says it’s a “Tragedy” That He and Jordan Peele “Don’t See Each Other”
The actor explained why he doesn’t see his former Key & Peele co-star “that often anymore.”
Although both Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have found continued success since their days together on Key & Peele, it’s clear that Key misses his partner in comedy.
In an interview with People magazine, Key reflected on his relationship with Peele and how the pair started off on MADtv before transitioning over to leading Key & Peele, saying, “We lived together for a few months and would write and talk about comedy — who we liked and why we liked them and how that worked in the architecture of what we were trying to build comedically.”However, Key revealed that, since the show’s ending back in 2015, he and Peele “don't see each other that often anymore.”
“Which is, to me, a tragedy,” he added.
He then offered some insight into why the pair don’t get to see one another much, attributing it to the two living on opposite sides of the U.S. with their partners (Key is in New York City, while Peele resides in Los Angeles), as well as what ultimately happens when “your lives start to evolve and move in different directions.”
“Our evolution, I think, is tied to both of what our desires are,” Key continued. “His desire was to start exploring the horror genre, and my desire was to do more dramatic work like I had been trained in school.”
Following the end of the fifth and last season of Key & Peele, the pair starred in and produced the 2016 action-comedy film Keanu, as well as appeared together as the titular characters in the 2022 animated film Wendell & Wild.
Of course, they’ve also flourished by themselves, too.
Peele released his game-changing directorial debut, Get Out, in 2017, which redefined not just Black horror but contemporary horror overall. He’s since directed two other movies, 2019’s Us and 2022’s Nope, as well as produced Spike Lee’s 2018 movie BlacKkKlansman and Nia DaCosta’s 2021 movie Candyman.
Meanwhile, Key has starred in 2019’s Dolemite Is My Name alongside Eddie Murphy and Abbott Elementary, as well as lent his voice to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and this year’s Transformers One.
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