Iconic Comedian Claims He’s No Longer Close With Long-Time Partner
If you’re a fan of sketch comedy, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours watching and rewatching the classic works of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The duo, who are best known for collaborating on their Comedy Central original series Key & Peele, have graduated to a number of other projects in recent years, each finding major success along the way. Unfortunately, Keegan-Michael Key claims that he and his long-time collaborator are no longer close, and rarely make time to see each other these days.
Still Friends
This news is likely heartbreaking for many fans, since Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele tend to go together like peanut butter and jelly, dating back decades to their Mad TV days. Luckily, Key specified in his interview that the two have not had a falling out, and are not on bad terms. While Key and Peele are still friends in a sense, and will always have years of shared history, their lives have simply become too busy for frequent hangouts, especially now that they live on different coasts.
Living On Different Coasts
Since Key & Peele concluded, Jordan Peele has become the modern godfather of horror cinema, having helmed such critically acclaimed movies as Get Out and Nope. As Peele continues to keep his finger on the pulse of Hollywood trends, he has built a home for himself in Los Angeles, California, along with his wife and his young child.
Meanwhile, Keegan-Michael Key has moved to New York with his own spouse in order to focus on numerous stage and screen projects, especially those that give the well-trained performer a chance to flex his dramatic chops.
Bromance Spawning Decades
As Keegan-Michael Key explained in his interview, he and Peele became a natural pair on the set of Mad TV because of their excellent chemistry and shared comedic sensibilities, which led to a lifelong partnership.
Key and Peele even lived together for several months before splintering off to launch their own television series in 2012, strengthening their bond and inhibiting tons of hilarious sketch ideas. Key even described their lack of communication in 2024 as “a tragedy,” lamenting that their goals have taken them in different directions.
An On-Screen Reunion Is Inevitable
Of course, there’s nothing functionally preventing the dynamic duo from reuniting for a project down the line. This could entail a one-off Key & Peele reunion special, a sequel to their 2016 comedy film Keanu, or another title that sees the duo appearing together on screen, like they did in Fargo Season 1 or in Toy Story 4. Peele could even theoretically cast Keegan-Michael Key as a performer in one of his future horror films, if he finds the right part for his former partner in crime.
Distance Is (Hopefully) Only Temporary
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s most recent collaboration came in 2022, with voice roles in the Netflix original horror comedy Wendell & Wild. The film, which was co-written by Peele, saw the comedians taking on the titular roles, so we know for a fact that the chemistry between the two has not gone anywhere.
While initial reactions to Keagan-Michael Key’s People interview were quite sad at the prospect of Key and Peele growing apart, it seems inevitable that their distance is only temporary.
Source: People
