Keegan-Michael Key | |
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 Key in 2024 | |
| Born | (1971-03-22)March 22, 1971 (age 54) Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
| Other names | Keegan Key |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives |
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Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American actor, producer, and writer. He andJordan Peele co-created and co-starred in the sketch seriesKey & Peele (2012–2015) for which he received onePrimetime Emmy Award from ten nominations. He also acted in the sketch seriesMad TV (2004–2009), sitcomPlaying House (2014–2017), the comedy seriesFriends from College (2017–2019) and the seriesReboot (2022). He also appeared alongside Peele in thefirst season of the seriesFargo in 2014, and had a recurring role onParks and Recreation from 2013 to 2015. Key later starred in the musical comedy seriesSchmigadoon! (2021–2023).
Key has had supporting roles in several films, includingHorrible Bosses 2 (2014),Pitch Perfect 2 (2015),Don't Think Twice (2016),Dolemite Is My Name (2019),The Prom (2020), andWonka (2023). He has provided voice-work forThe Lego Movie (2014), the subsequent films of theHotel Transylvania franchise (2015–2022),Storks,The Angry Birds Movie (both 2016),The Star (2017),Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers,Wendell & Wild (both 2022),The Super Mario Bros. Movie,Migration (both 2023),IF, andTransformers One (both in 2024). He has also voiced roles inDisney'sToy Story 4 (2019) and the live-action remakes ofThe Lion King (2019), andPinocchio (2022).
In 2015, he appeared at theWhite House Correspondents' Dinner as theKey & Peele character Luther, PresidentBarack Obama's anger translator. Key and Peele produced and starred in the 2016 action-comedy filmKeanu. In 2017, Key made hisBroadway debut in the comic playMeteor Shower. He hostedThe Planet's Funniest Animals onAnimal Planet (2005–2008), and hostedGame On! in 2020.
Key was born inSouthfield, Michigan, on March 22, 1971,[1][2] the son of anAfrican-American father, Leroy McDuffie, and Carrie Herr, a woman ofPolish andFlemish descent.[3][4] He was adopted at a young age by a couple from Detroit, Michael Key and Patricia Walsh, who were both social workers. Like his birth parents, his adoptive parents were a black man and a white woman.[5][4] Through his biological father, Key had two half-brothers, one of whom was comic book writerDwayne McDuffie.[6][7] Key discovered the existence of his half-siblings only after both had died.[8]
RaisedCatholic, Key attended theUniversity of Detroit Mercy as an undergraduate, earning aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater in 1993,[9][10] followed by aMaster of Fine Arts in theater atPennsylvania State University in 1996.[11] While at theUniversity of Detroit Mercy, he was a brother ofPhi Kappa Theta.[12]
In 2004, Key joined the cast ofMad TV midway into the ninth season. He andJordan Peele were cast against each other, but both ended up being picked after demonstrating great comedic chemistry. Key played many characters on the show. One of his most famous characters is "Coach Hines", a high school sports coach who frequently disrupts and threatens students and faculty members. On the penultimate episode ofMad TV, Hines revealed that he is the long-lost heir to theHeinz Ketchup company and only became a Catholic school coach to help delinquent teenagers like Yamanashi (Bobby Lee). During seasons 9 and 10, Key appeared as "Dr. Funkenstein" inblaxploitation parodies, with Peele playing the monster. Key also portrayed various guests onReal **********ing Talk like the strong African Rollo Johnson and blind victim Stevie Wonder Washington. He often went "backstage" as Eugene Struthers, an ecstatic water-or-flower delivery man who accosts celebrities. There was also "Jovan Muskatelle", a shirtless man with ajheri curl and a shower cap who interrupts live news broadcasts by a reporter (always played byIke Barinholtz), annoying him with rapid-fire accounts of events that have happened frequently exclaiming "It was crazy as hell!" Celebrities that Key impersonated on the show includeLudacris,Snoop Dogg,Al Roker,Terrell Owens,Tyler Perry,Eddie Murphy,Tyson Beckford,Barack Obama,John Legend,Kobe Bryant, andRobin Antin.
Key and hisMad TV castmateJordan Peele starred in their ownComedy Central sketch seriesKey & Peele, which began airing on January 31, 2012, and ran for five seasons until September 9, 2015.[13]
Key was introduced by PresidentBarack Obama at the 2015White House Correspondents' Dinner as Luther, Obama's Anger Translator, one of Key's characters fromKey & Peele.[14]
Key played the most prominent male character, Ethan Turner, on the Netflix ensemble comedyFriends from College, about a group of Harvard University graduates and friends now in their late 30s living in New York City. He plays an award-winning fiction writer who is being encouraged to start writing for young adult fiction audiences.
Key was one of the founders ofHamtramck, Michigan'sPlanet Ant Theatre, and was a member of theSecond City Detroit's mainstage cast before joining the Second City e.t.c. theater in Chicago. Key co-founded the Detroit Creativity Project along with Beth Hagenlocker,Marc Evan Jackson, Margaret Edwartowski, andLarry Joe Campbell.[15] The Detroit Creativity Project teaches students in Detroit improvization as a way to improve their communication skills. Key performed with The 313, an improv group formed with other members of Second City Hollywood that appears around the country.[16][17] The 313 is made up primarily of former Detroit residents and is named for Detroit's area code.[18]
He made a cameo in"Weird Al" Yankovic's video "White & Nerdy" with Peele. Key also hostedAnimal Planet'sThe Planet's Funniest Animals.[19] In 2009, Key hostedGSN's "Big Saturday Night", and has co-starred inGary Unmarried on CBS. Key was a panelist on the NPR comedy quiz showWait Wait, Don't Tell Me... on March 27 and July 24, 2010. Key has been in several episodes ofReno 911! as the "Hypothetical Criminal".
Key and Peele were featured on the cover and in a series of full-page comic photos illustratingThe New York Times Magazine article "Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead?" on March 31, 2013. A live-action video version was also featured on theTimes' website.[20] Key co-stars in the horror-comedyHell Baby. Key is one of the rotating "fourth chair" performers in the 2013 revival ofWhose Line Is It Anyway?.
In addition toKey & Peele, he also co-starred in theUSA Network comedy seriesPlaying House, which began airing in April 2014.
Together with Peele, Key played an FBI agent in a recurring role in the 2014 FX crime dramaFargo.
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Key and Peele starred in an episode ofEpic Rap Battles of History, with Key playingMahatma Gandhi and Peele playingMartin Luther King Jr.[21] The pair returned toEpic Rap Battles of History with the "Muhammad Ali versusMichael Jordan" battle, with Key portraying Jordan.[22]
Key was involved in audio episodes for the marketing campaign, "Hunt the Truth" on the website for the video gameHalo 5: Guardians, voicing a fictional journalist and war photographer named Benjamin Giraud, who investigates theMaster Chief's background.[23]
Key has had roles in numerous films, including 2014'sHorrible Bosses 2,Let's Be Cops and the animatedThe Lego Movie, as well asPitch Perfect 2,Tomorrowland, andWonka in 2023.[24]
Key is one of several hosts of the podcastHistorically Black byAmerican Public Media andThe Washington Post.[25]
Key voices the characterMurray the Mummy inHotel Transylvania 2,Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation andHotel Transylvania: Transformania. The character was originally voiced by rapperCeeLo Green inthe first movie.
In the summer of 2017 Key returned to the theater after what he characterized as a "19-year detour into sketch comedy" for a production ofHamlet at New York'sPublic Theater, playingHoratio oppositeOscar Isaac in the title role.[26] Key, who is a Shakespearean-trained actor, fulfilled his lifelong dream to play Horatio and received rave reviews for his performance.[27]The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney noted that Key's comedic skills were on full display, "...but his ease with the verse and stirring sensitivity [was] a revelation."[28]
Key voice acted inThe Star, the animated film based on theNativity of Jesus.[29] He later went on to voice Ducky inToy Story 4 and Kamari inThe Lion King.[30][31] Key voiced"Honest John" Worthington Foulfellow in thelive-action film adaptation of Disney'sPinocchio, which starsTom Hanks,Cynthia Erivo andLuke Evans, as well asToad inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, withChris Pratt,Jack Black,Anya Taylor-Joy,Charlie Day andSeth Rogen, and a scarlet macaw Delroy inMigration both fromIllumination.[32][33][34] In 2024, Key voicedB-127 / Bumblebee in the animated prequel filmTransformers One, sharing cast withChris Hemsworth,Scarlett Johansson,Brian Tyree Henry andJon Hamm.[35]
In 2017, Key made hisBroadway debut[36] inSteve Martin's comedyMeteor Shower.[37][38] His hosting stint onSaturday Night Live on May 15, 2021, marked the first time aMADtv cast member has hostedSNL.
Key hosted the science showBrain Games onNational Geographic for its eighth season.[39]
On May 14, 2020, he hosted an online event by theJazz Foundation of America to support its emergency fund forCOVID-19.[40]
In 2026, Key will reprise the voice of Toad inThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.[41]
Key was married to actress anddialect coach Cynthia Blaise from 1998 until 2017. They were legally separated in November 2015, with Key filing for divorce the following month.[42][43] He married producer and director Elisa "Elle" Pugliese in New York City on June 8, 2018.[44][45]
Key is a Christian and has practicedBuddhism,Catholicism, andEvangelicalism in the past.[46][10] Being biracial has been a source of comedic material for Key, who toldTerry Gross in an interview forNPR, "I think the reasonJordan and I became actors is because we did a fair amount ofcode-switching growing up and still do."[47][48]
Key is a keensoccer fan and an avid supporter ofEnglish Premier League clubLiverpool[49] and theBelgian national team because of his roots there.[50] He is a big fan of Penn State football (his alma mater) and he has been known to regularly impersonate Penn State's former head coachJames Franklin because of their similar physical appearance. He is also a fan of theNFL'sDetroit Lions.[51]
Key has worked with theYoung Storytellers Foundation as an actor for their annual fundraiser alongsideMax Greenfield,Jack Black andJudy Greer.[52]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Get the Hell Out of Hamtown | J | |
| 2000 | Garage: A Rock Saga | TV Studio Manager | |
| 2003 | Uncle Nino | Airport Stranger | |
| 2004 | Mr. 3000 | Reporter | |
| 2006 | Alleyball | Curt Braunschweib | |
| Grounds Zero | Arch | Short film | |
| 2007 | Sucker For Shelley | Michael | |
| 2008 | Yoga Matt | Matt | |
| Role Models | Duane | ||
| Land of Arabia | Dwayne | Short film | |
| 2010 | Welcome to the Jungle Gym | Mike McKenzie | |
| Due Date | New Father | ||
| 2011 | Just Go with It | Ernesto | |
| Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star | Guinness Man | ||
| 2012 | Wanderlust | Marcys Flunkie | |
| 2013 | Hell Baby | F'Resnel | |
| Afternoon Delight | Bo | ||
| 2014 | The Lego Movie | Frank the Foreman (voice) | |
| Teacher of the Year | Ronald Douche | ||
| Let's Be Cops | Pupa | ||
| Horrible Bosses 2 | Mike | ||
| 2015 | Pitch Perfect 2 | Sammy | |
| Welcome to Happiness | Proctor | ||
| Tomorrowland | Hugo Gernsback | ||
| Vacation | Jack Peterson | ||
| Hotel Transylvania 2 | Murray the Mummy (voice) | ||
| Freaks of Nature | Mr. Keller | ||
| 2016 | Keanu | Clarence, Smoke Dresden | Also producer |
| The Angry Birds Movie | Judge Peckinpah (voice) | ||
| Don't Think Twice | Jack | ||
| Storks | Alpha Wolf (voice) | ||
| Why Him? | Gustav | ||
| 2017 | Get Out | NCAA Prospect | Uncredited cameo |
| Win It All | Gene | ||
| The Disaster Artist | Himself | Cameo | |
| The Star | Dave (voice) | ||
| 2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | Murray (voice) | |
| The Predator | Coyle | ||
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | Ducky (voice) | |
| The Lion King | Kamari (voice) | ||
| Dolemite Is My Name | Jerry Jones | ||
| Playing with Fire | Mark Rogers | ||
| 2020 | All the Bright Places | Embry | |
| Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | Gustafson | ||
| The Prom | Tom Hawkins | ||
| 2022 | Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | Murray (voice) | [53] |
| The Bubble | Sean Knox/Colt Rockwell | ||
| Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | Bjornson the Cheesemonger / Frog co-worker (voice) | ||
| Pinocchio | Honest John (voice) | ||
| Wendell & Wild[54] | Wendell (voice)[54] | ||
| 2023 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Toad (voice) | |
| Wonka | Police Chief | ||
| Migration | Delroy (voice) | ||
| 2024 | IF | Slime (voice) | |
| Transformers One | B-127 (voice) | [55] | |
| Dear Santa | Dr. Finklman | ||
| 2025 | Play Dirty | Ed Mackey | |
| 2026 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie † | Toad (voice) | Voice; in production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | ER | Witkowski | Episode: "Quo Vadis?" |
| 2004 | I'm With Her | Orderly | Episode: "Poison Ivy" |
| 2004–2009 | Mad TV | Various | 107 episodes; also writer |
| 2005–2008 | The Planet's Funniest Animals | Host | 30 episodes |
| 2007 | Frangela | DeShawn | Television film |
| 2008 | Chocolate News | Woodsy | 1 episode |
| 2008–2009 | Reno 911! | Hypothetical Criminal | 8 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Gary Unmarried | Curtis | 17 episodes |
| 2010 | Sons of Tucson | Eric | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010–2015 | Childrens Hospital | Cop, Captain Tripper | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | A Series of Unfortunate People | Ted | Episode: "Family Secret" |
| Love Bites | Drew | 2 episodes | |
| Wilfred | Dick Barbian | Episode: "Identity" | |
| The League | Steve / Carmenjello | Episode: "Carmenjello" | |
| 2012–2015 | Key & Peele | Himself, Various | 54 episodes; also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
| 2013 | How I Met Your Mother | Calvin | Episode: "Something New" |
| Super Fun Night | Slade | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2013–2021 | Whose Line is it Anyway? | Himself / Fourth Seater | 11 episodes |
| 2014 | The Middle | Reverend Deveaux | Episode: "Hungry Games" |
| Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Guest diner; Season 13 Episode 14: "5 Chefs Compete" | |
| Fargo | FBI Special Agent Bill Budge | 4 episodes | |
| 2014–2015 | Parks and Recreation | Joe | 5 episodes |
| BoJack Horseman | Sebastian St. Clair (voice) | 4 episodes | |
| 2014, 2016 | Robot Chicken | Various (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | Bob's Burgers | Various (voices) | 5 episodes |
| 2014–2017 | Playing House | Mark Rodriguez | 21 episodes |
| 2015 | The Hotwives | Ace | 7 episodes |
| TripTank | King Lhoga (voice) | Episode: "Dirty Talk" | |
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Grant Anderson | Episode: "The Gang Goes on Family Fight" | |
| White House Correspondents' Dinner | Luther | Television special | |
| W/ Bob & David | Traffic Cop | Episode: "Episode 3" | |
| 2015, 2019 | Rick and Morty | Fourth Dimensional Being (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | SuperMansion | American Ranger, Sgt. Agony, Blue Menace (voices) | 38 episodes |
| 2016 | Modern Family | Tom Delaney | Episode: "Playdates" |
| Angie Tribeca | Helmut Fröntbüt | Episode: "Ferret Royale" | |
| The Muppets | Himself | Episode: "Swine Song" | |
| House of Lies | Devin Townsend | Episode: "Johari Window" | |
| American Dad! | E-Money (voice) | Episode: "Criss-Cross Applesauce: The Ballad of Billy Jesusworth" | |
| Mack & Moxy | Admirable Keegan | Episode: "Buckle, Buckle, Seatbelts and Chuckle" | |
| 2016–2017 | Archer | Detective Diedrich, Floyd (voices) | 6 episodes |
| 2016, 2018 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Crazy Jimmy, Faux BitConnect Carlos | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | The Simpsons | Jazzy James (voice) | Episode: "The Great Phatsby" |
| Son of Zorn | Grobos the Great (voice) | Episode: "All Hail Son of Zorn" | |
| Detroiters | Smilin' Jack | Episode: "Smilin' Jack" | |
| Samurai Jack | Da' Samurai (voice) | Episode: "XCVII" | |
| 2017–2019 | Friends from College | Ethan Turner | 16 episodes |
| 2018 | Impulse | Michael Pearce | 2 episodes |
| Sesame Street | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | Veep | Jordan Thomas Jr. | Episode: "South Carolina" |
| The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | The Ritual-Master (skekZok) (voice) | 9 episodes | |
| No Activity | Charles Brock | 2 episodes | |
| 2019–2022 | Green Eggs and Ham | Narrator | 23 episodes |
| 2020 | Brain Games | Host | 8 episodes |
| Game On! | Host | 8 episodes | |
| Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Inigo Montoya | Episode: "Chapter Eight: Ultimate Suffering"[56] | |
| 2021 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Keegan-Michael Key/Olivia Rodrigo" |
| 2021–2023 | Schmigadoon! | Josh Skinner | 12 episodes |
| 2022 | The Pentaverate | Dr. Hobart Clark | 3 episodes |
| Reboot | Reed Sterling | Main cast | |
| 2024 | Abbott Elementary | Superintendent John Reynolds | 3 episodes |
| Elsbeth | Ashton Hayes | Episode: "Something Blue" | |
| 2025 | Only Murders in the Building | Mayor Tillman | Recurring guest star |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The People vs. Friar Laurence[57] | Romeo | Chicago, Second City |
| 2017 | Hamlet | Horatio | Off-Broadway |
| 2017–2018 | Meteor Shower | Gerald | Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | NFL Blitz Pro | Commentary/Additional Voices | [58] |
| 2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard | Murray the Mummy | [59] |
| Year | Title | Role | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "White & Nerdy" | Black Gangster | "Weird Al" Yankovic |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 13 Days of Halloween | The Caretaker | Season 1 |
| 2021 | The History of Sketch Comedy | Host |
| Year | Title | Authors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey through the Art and Craft of Humor | Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key | Based on the podcast with new contributions from Mel Brooks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Myers, John Oliver, Tracy Morgan, Carol Burnett, Jordan Peele and more; as well as illustrations and photos.[60] |
We have a new one coming out after Thanksgiving. Muhammad Ali versus Michael Jordan
