What Were Key And Peele Like Before They Were Famous?

Published on April 28, 2019

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are today’s most popular comedians. They are favorites of Barack Obama, who invited Key to perform at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Peele has directed several of his own movies, including the horror flick Us which broke records in the box office. Together, they are a dynamite comedy duo, but it hasn’t always been that way. Here’s what Key and Peele were like before they were famous.

Key Has A Convoluted Family Tree

Keegan-Michael Key was raised in Michigan by adoptive parents. His father was married to another woman when Key was born, so they put him up for a closed adoption. Key never met his biological parents but decided to do some searching and find out about his family history. He discovered that he had a famous half-brother, Dwayne McDuffie, who founded Milestone Media and wrote Justice League Unlimited. McDuffie is a renown comic book writer and even has an award named after him. it’s unfortunate that the two were never able to meet and share their creative energy.

Peele Dropped Out Of College

Jordan Peele is a self-proclaimed nerd who went to several prestigious schools in New York City as a child. However, his progressive education early on did not transfer to college, where he dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College after two years. Peele at the time was studying creative arts including puppeteering, of all things. He left school to gain hands-on experience in the comedy arts and was glad he made the decision to do so.

They Worked Many Odd Jobs Before Collaborating

Key and Peele worked together before they collaborated on their own. They were both a part of Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy” music video but didn’t get back together until more recently. Between then and now, Peele made appearances on such T.V. shows as Children’s Hospital, Fargo, and the movie Wanderlust. Key was in Reno 911!, Playing House, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? Today still they experiment in theatre, film, and other creative arts.