Jordan Peele | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Peele in 2019 | |
| Born | Jordan Haworth Peele (1979-02-21)February 21, 1979 (age 46) New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Sarah Lawrence College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker known for his film and television work in thecomedy andhorror genres.[1][2] He has receivedvarious accolades, including anAcademy Award and aPrimetime Emmy Award. Peele started his career incomedy before transitioning to writing and directingpsychological horror with comedic elements.
In the early 2000s, Peele began his career inimprov comedy and performed withBoom Chicago andThe Second City. His breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast member on theFoxsketch comedy seriesMad TV, where he spent five seasons, leaving the show in 2008. In the following years, Peele and his frequentMad TV collaborator,Keegan-Michael Key, created and starred in their ownComedy Central sketch comedy seriesKey & Peele (2012–2015). The series was critically acclaimed, winning twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and aPeabody Award. The two wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy filmKeanu (2016) and appeared in various projects since.
His 2017 directorial debut, the horror filmGet Out, was a critical and box office success,[3] for which he received numerous accolades, including theAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay, along with nominations forBest Picture andBest Director. He received another Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for producingSpike Lee's comedy-dramaBlacKkKlansman (2018). He directed, wrote, and produced the filmsUs (2019) andNope (2022). Critics have since frequently namedUs,Nope and in particularGet Out as among the best films of the 21st century.[4][5][6][7]
He founded the film and television production companyMonkeypaw Productions in 2012.[8] He wrote and producedCandyman (2021) andWendell and Wild (2022), co-starring in the latter. Peele has also voice acted in the animated filmsStorks (2016),Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) andToy Story 4 (2019), as well as in theadult animated sitcomBig Mouth (2017–2025). He co-created theTBS comedy seriesThe Last O.G. (2018–2022) and theYouTube Premium comedy seriesWeird City (2019). He also served as the host and producer of theCBS All Access revival of the anthology seriesThe Twilight Zone (2019–2020).
Jordan Haworth Peele[9] was born inNew York City on February 21, 1979. His mother, Lucinda Williams,[10] iswhite, from Maryland. His father, Hayward Peele Jr. (died 1999), wasAfrican American, and originally fromNorth Carolina.[11][12][13][14] Peele last saw his father when he was seven years old,[15] and was raised by his single mother onManhattan'sUpper West Side.[1][16]Peele had been acinephile ever since he was a young child and decided at 12 that he wanted to be a film director. Peele states that the moment he realized he had a gift of some sort came at a camp he attended where he told a scary campfire story, and realized his own fear had disappeared. With a new sense of power, he realized that if he created the horror, there was no reason to be scared of it, something he took with him when decided to direct film.[17] In addition, he states that citingGlory,Edward Scissorhands,Thelma & Louise, andAliens as films that had a strong effect on him.[18]He attended the Computer School in Manhattan, graduated fromThe Calhoun School on Manhattan's Upper West Side in 1997 after securing a scholarship to attend the private school, and went on toSarah Lawrence College, where he declared a major in puppetry.[19] After two years, Peele dropped out to form a comedy duo with Sarah Lawrence classmate and futureKey & Peele writerRebecca Drysdale.[1]
Peele regularly performed atBoom Chicago, an English language improv troupe based inAmsterdam[20] andThe Second City inChicago where he trained withKeegan-Michael Key.[21]
In 2003, Peele joined the cast ofMad TV for its ninth season. Around the time Keegan-Michael Key joined the cast as a featured performer, it was assumed that Key would be chosen over Peele. The two of them ultimately were cast together after showing great comedic chemistry. Peele performed celebrity impersonations, which included favoritesJa Rule,Flavor Flav,Montel Williams,Morgan Freeman,Seal,Timbaland,will.i.am, andForest Whitaker. Peele was absent from the first four episodes of his second season onMad TV. He made a cameo in"Weird Al" Yankovic's video "White & Nerdy" withMad TV co-star Keegan-Michael Key. After five seasons onMad TV, Peele left the cast at the end of the 13th season.
Peele was nominated for a 2008Emmy Award for his song "Sad Fitty Cent", a music video parody about50 Cent lamenting over his rivalry withKanye West. The lyrics were, according to the music video, written by Peele, and he was involved in arranging its music. In 2009, he appeared inLittle Fockers.[22] He appeared in a viral video titled "Hillary vs Obama" (which was shown as aMad TV sketch) where he and aHillary Clinton supporter (played by short-term cast memberLisa Donovan) argue over whether Hillary Clinton orBarack Obama would make a better president, only to get upstaged by aRudy Giuliani supporter (played by Donovan's brother, Ben). Peele auditioned to be a cast member forSaturday Night Live whenSNL producers were looking for someone to play Barack Obama (around the time whenSNL andMad TV — and other scripted shows — were put on hiatus due to the2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike).
In 2010, Peele co-starred in theFox comedy pilotThe Station,[23] and appeared with a recurring role in theAdult Swim seriesChildrens Hospital. He had a supporting role in theDavid Wain-directed comedyWanderlust, which was released in 2012. Peele and his formerMad TV castmate and friendKeegan-Michael Key starred in their ownComedy Centralsketch seriesKey & Peele, from 2012 to 2015.[24][25] The series was a success with viewers, and spawned several skits and videos that wentviral online.[26]
In 2014, Peele played an FBI agent in the first season of theFX anthology seriesFargo, inspired by the1996 film of the same name.[27]
In 2016, Peele starred in and produced, with Key, the first feature film in which the two both had leading roles,Keanu (they had previously both appeared inWanderlust).[28] The film received generally favorable reviews from critics.[29]
In February 2017, Peele's first film,Get Out, was released to critical acclaim, eventually scoring a 98% rating onRotten Tomatoes.[30] The film received universal acclaim for Peele's screenplay and direction, as well as the performance of its lead,Daniel Kaluuya,[31] and was chosen by theNational Board of Review, theAmerican Film Institute, andTime magazine as one of the top 10 films of the year.[32][33][34]The Atlantic called the film "a subversive horror masterpiece".[35]Get Out proved to be popular with audiences, and it eventually became one of the most profitable horror films, and films of 2017, and grossed over $255 million on a budget of $4.5 million.[3][36] For his work on the film, Peele received significant attention,[37] as well as numerous accolades, including theBingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award at the2017 Gotham Independent Film Awards.[38] The film also received four nominations at the90th Academy Awards:Best Picture,Best Director andBest Original Screenplay nominations for Peele, as well as aBest Actor nomination for Kaluuya.[39] Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay,[40][41] becoming the first African American screenwriter to win in this category.[42] He became the third person, afterWarren Beatty andJames L. Brooks, to be nominated for Best Picture,Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for a debut film, and the first black person to receive them for any one film.Get Out also earned him theWriters Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as nominations for aDirectors Guild of America Award and aBAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.[38] Notably, Get Out was also nominated for Best Picture in Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes, something that sparked a bit of controversy surrounding the film and exactly what genre it fit into.The success prompted his Monkeypaw Productions company to a first look deal with Universal Pictures.[43]
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In early 2018, Peele announced his intention to retire from acting, stating in an interview withCBS "Acting is just nowhere near as fun for me as directing".[44] In 2018, Peele co-created the TBS comedy seriesThe Last O.G., starringTracy Morgan andTiffany Haddish.[45] Also in 2018, Peele co-produced theSpike Lee film,BlacKkKlansman which was released to critical acclaim and was a box office success. The film received six nominations at the91st Academy Awards including theBest Picture nomination for Peele. On June 28, 2018, it was announced thatYouTube Premium would be releasingWeird City, co-created by Peele andCharlie Sanders. The show was released on February 13, 2019, to critical acclaim.[46] On April 5, 2018, it was announced thatAmazon Video had given a four-episode order forLorena, a docuseries aboutLorena Bobbitt. The series was set to be directed by Joshua Rofé who would also executive produce alongside Peele,Win Rosenfeld, Steven J. Berger, Jenna Santoianni, and Tom Lesinski. Production companies involved with the series include Monkeypaw Productions,Sonar Entertainment, and Number 19. It ultimately premiered on February 15, 2019.[47][48][49][50]
Peele's second film as director wasUs, a horror-thriller film which he also wrote and produced, starringLupita Nyong'o,Winston Duke,Elisabeth Moss, andTim Heidecker. After having its world premiere on March 8, the film was released in the United States on March 22, 2019, byUniversal Pictures,Monkeypaw Productions, and QC Entertainment.[51] Peele developed and is narrator for thescience fictionweb television seriesThe Twilight Zone, the third revival of theoriginal 1959–64 anthology series that aired onCBS, for CBS All Access. The show premiered on April 1, 2019, with Peele,Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez asexecutive producers.[52] In February 2020, Peele produced a 10-episode series about hunting downNazis calledHunters.[53][54][55] Peele produced theHBO seriesLovecraft Country written byUnderground co-creatorMisha Green.[56]
Peele co-produced and co-wrote the2021 sequel toCandyman, through his Monkeypaw Productions,[57] of whichCandyman starTony Todd stated in a 2018 interview withNightmare on Film Street, "I'd rather have him do it, someone with intelligence, who's going to be thoughtful and dig into the whole racial makeup of whoCandyman is and why he existed in the first place."[58]Universal andMGM collaborated withWin Rosenfeld to co-produce the film with Peele, andNia DaCosta directed.[59] The newCandyman serves as a "spiritual sequel", taking place back in the ChicagoCabrini Green housing projects, which subsequently underwentgentrification. After multiple delays, the film was theatrically released on August 27, 2021, to positive reviews.[60][61]
Peele's film,Nope, was released on July 22, 2022.[62][63]
On November 3, 2015, it was reported thatHenry Selick was developingWendell & Wild, a new stop-motion feature with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key based on an original story by Selick.[64] In March 2018, the film was picked up byNetflix.[65]Wendell & Wild was released on Netflix in 2022.
There have been several films floated based on Peele's sketch comedy seriesKey & Peele. In March 2015, it was announced that Key would reprise the role of Mr. Garvey in a feature-length filmSubstitute Teacher with Peele portraying a rival teacher.[66] In March 2017 in a Reddit AMA, Peele expressed interest in developing a film around hisKey & Peele character Wendell Sanders based on the music video "The Power of Wings". The film, titledWendell Meets Middle-Earth, would follow Wendell's existence in the fantasy world that he likes to see his life in.[67]
In October 2020, Rosenfeld and Peele signed on to produce the remake ofWes Craven's 1991 comedy horror filmThe People Under the Stairs.[68] It was reported in September 2021 that his Monkeypaw Productions company had struck a deal with Universal Television.[69] Peele approachedWalt Disney Pictures with a proposal for a live-action remake of theircult favorite animated property,Gargoyles, but was declined.[70]
At theGame Awards 2023, Peele announced his collaboration with video game designerHideo Kojima on his next game,OD, an experimental horror title.[71]
Peele's next directorial effort was set to be released on December 25, 2024, before being quietly pulled from Universal's release schedule following the impact of the2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[72][73] Universal later reinstated the film with a new release date of October 23, 2026, which would mark the longest gap between Peele's films to date.[74] In September 2025, the movie was removed from Universal's release schedule, with no new announced release date.[75]
In February 2017, Peele curated theBrooklyn Academy of Music film series "The Art of the Social Thriller", comprising 12 films that inspired the making ofGet Out, including the horror filmsRosemary's Baby,Night of the Living Dead,The Shining,Candyman,The People Under the Stairs,Scream,The Silence of the Lambs,Funny Games,Misery, the thrillersRear Window andThe 'Burbs, and thecomedy dramaGuess Who's Coming to Dinner.[76]
As a filmmaker, Peele has cited his influences as beingSteven Spielberg,Alfred Hitchcock,Stanley Kubrick,David Fincher,John Carpenter andM. Night Shyamalan.[77]
As a comedian, Peele counts among his influencesIn Living Color,andRichard Pryor[78],both of which included a token white character, while most shows and movies would showcase a token black character.[17] He also has listedSteve Martin andMartin Lawrence as arguably his two biggest influences.[79]
Through his mother, Lucinda Williams, Peele is descended from thecolonial Woodhull family, whose members include Brigadier GeneralNathaniel Woodhull andCulper Ring SpyAbraham Woodhull (the latter of whom is his first cousin, eight times removed).[80]
Peele began datingChelsea Peretti in 2013.[81] They became engaged in November 2015,[82] and Peretti announced in April 2016 that she and Peele hadeloped.[83] They have a son (b. 2017).[84]
Jordan Peele showcases many political issues through his main "Looking Trilogy" of work such as racism, politics and history. The three main pieces Peele produced, wrote and directed on his own account areGet Out, Nope, and Us, all grouped together now as a trilogy of work that through modern horror, helps Peele address social issues.[85] In 2017, Peele was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people list.
As filmmaker
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Distribution | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Keanu | No | Yes | Yes | Warner Bros. Pictures | Also acted in a starring role |
| 2017 | Get Out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Universal Pictures | Also made acameo (voice) appearance |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | No | No | Yes | Focus Features | |
| 2019 | Us | Yes | Yes | Yes | Universal Pictures | Also made a cameo (voice) appearance |
| 2021 | Candyman | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2022 | Nope | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Wendell & Wild | No | Yes | Yes | Netflix | Also voiced a leading role | |
| 2024 | Monkey Man | No | No | Yes | Universal Pictures | |
| 2025 | Him | No | No | Yes |
Peele has been nominated for fourAcademy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay forGet Out (2017), winning the latter,[15] and another Best Picture nomination forBlacKkKlansman (2018). He has also been nominated for twoBritish Academy Film Awards, twoGolden Globe Awards, and won onePrimetime Emmy Award.
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