Keegan-Michael Key
Highest Rated: 100% Teacher of the Year (2014)
Lowest Rated: 0% Freaks of Nature (2015)
Birthday: Mar 22, 1971
Birthplace: Southfield, Michigan, USA
Though many comedy fans were first introduced to Keegan-Michael Key as a cast member on "MADtv" (Fox, 1995-2016), he truly became a household name thanks to his sketch comedy series "Key and Peele" (Comedy Central, 2012-15). Born in Southfield, Michigan in 1971 to an African American father and white mother, Key was adopted by parents who, by chance, reflected the same racial makeup. Key would later cite the regular "code switching" he engaged in between the two cultures within his family as contributing to his interest in playing different characters. Key eventually earned a bachelor's degree in theater from the University of Detroit Mercy as well as a master's from Pennsylvania State University. He was a mainstage cast member at Detroit's Second City improv theater before relocating to Chicago to join that city's even more prestigious Second City location. After a few years, he made the move to Los Angeles to pursue a career on screen, where he slowly began to accrue credits with appearances on "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009) and in the film "Uncle Nino" (2002). In 2004, Key was cast on the sketch comedy series "MADtv" along with another up-and-coming comedy performer named Jordan Peele. Key played a number of beloved recurring characters on the show such as Eugene Struthers and Coach Hines, and when he left the show in 2009, he and castmate Peele opted to pitch their own series to Comedy Central. "Key and Peele" proved both a critical and commercial hit, with Key's regular characters like Luther the Anger Translator becoming pop culture sensations. Key also appeared in recurring roles on "Fargo" (FX, 2014-) and "Parks and Recreation" (NBC, 2009-2015) at this time, in addition to co-starring with Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair on the largely improvised series "Playing House" (USA, 2014-17) and making a small but hilariously memorable appearance in the comedy "Let's Be Cops" (2014). When "Key and Peele" wrapped in 2015, he appeared in the feature film "Tomorrowland" (2015) and began providing the voice of American Ranger on the animated series "SuperMansion" (Crackle, 2015- ). The next year, Key re-teamed with Peele for the absurdist comedy film "Keanu" (2016) and honored his roots as an improvisor with the sleeper hit "Don't Think Twice" (2016). Then in 2017, Key began starring on the comedy-drama series "Friends from College" (Netflix, 2017-19). Though the show lasted only two seasons, it was a major critical hit, increasing Key's reputation as not just a gifted comedian but a talented actor. He quickly moved forward, co-starring with Eddie Murphy in "Dolemite is My Name" (2019) as well as with John Cena in the family comedy "Playing with Fire" (2019), as well as reteaming with Peele as a double act in "Toy Story 4."
Photos
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Transformers One | B-127 (Voice) | - | 2024 |
73% |
|
Migration | Delroy (Voice) | $127.3M | 2023 |
82% |
|
Wonka | Chief of Police (Character) | $218.4M | 2023 |
59% |
|
The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Toad (Voice) | $574.9M | 2023 |
81% |
|
Wendell & Wild |
Wendell (Voice), Screenwriter |
- | 2022 |
28% |
|
Pinocchio | Honest John (Voice) | - | 2022 |
80% |
|
Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers | Unknown (Character) | - | 2022 |
20% |
|
The Bubble | Unknown (Character) | - | 2022 |
47% |
|
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | Murray (Voice) | - | 2022 |
54% |
|
The Prom | Mr. Hawkins (Character) | - | 2020 |
90% |
|
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | Gustofson (Character) | - | 2020 |
65% |
|
All the Bright Places | Embry (Character) | - | 2020 |
23% |
|
Playing With Fire | Mark (Character) | $20.5M | 2019 |
97% |
|
Dolemite Is My Name | Jerry Jones (Character) | - | 2019 |
52% |
|
The Lion King | Kamari (Voice) | $543.6M | 2019 |
97% |
|
Toy Story 4 | Ducky (Voice) | $434.0M | 2019 |
34% |
|
The Predator | Coyle (Character) | $51.0M | 2018 |
62% |
|
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | Murray (Voice) | $167.5M | 2018 |
44% |
|
The Star | Dave (Voice) | $40.4M | 2017 |
85% |
|
Win It All | Gene (Character) | - | 2017 |
39% |
|
Why Him? | Gustav (Character) | $60.2M | 2016 |
65% |
|
Storks | Alpha Wolf (Voice) | $72.7M | 2016 |
98% |
|
Don't Think Twice | Jack (Character) | $4.4M | 2016 |
44% |
|
The Angry Birds Movie | Judge Peckinpah (Voice) | $107.5M | 2016 |
78% |
|
Keanu |
Clarence Goobril/ Producer |
$20.6M | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Storks | Unknown (Voice) | - | 2016 |
31% |
|
Welcome to Happiness | Proctor (Character) | - | 2015 |
0% |
|
Freaks of Nature | Mr. Keller (Character) | - | 2015 |
57% |
|
Hotel Transylvania 2 | Murray (Voice) | - | 2015 |
27% |
|
Vacation | Jack Peterson (Character) | $58.9M | 2015 |
50% |
|
Tomorrowland | Hugo (Character) | $93.4M | 2015 |
100% |
|
Teacher of the Year | Ronald Douche (Character) | - | 2014 |
35% |
|
Horrible Bosses 2 | Mike (Character) | $54.4M | 2014 |
18% |
|
Let's Be Cops | Pupa (Character) | $82.4M | 2014 |
33% |
|
Hell Baby | F'Resnel (Character) | $5.0K | 2013 |
67% |
|
Afternoon Delight | Bo (Character) | $174.5K | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alleyball | Curt Braunschweib (Character) | - | 2006 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
91% | 73% | Elsbeth | Ashton Hayes (Guest Star) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 44% | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023-2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2016 2020 2024 |
No Score Yet | 36% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Guest | 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022-2023 |
No Score Yet | 24% | The Drew Barrymore Show |
Guest, Self |
2023 |
No Score Yet | 6% | The View | Guest | 2016-2017 2021 2023 |
No Score Yet | 49% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2016-2017 2019-2021 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Real Time With Bill Maher | Guest | 2023 |
93% | 86% | Schmigadoon! | Josh Skinner (Character) | 2021 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Whose Line Is It Anyway? |
Unknown (Guest Star), Guest |
2013-2016 2018 2021 2023 |
No Score Yet | 62% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2019-2023 |
84% | 70% | Reboot | Reed Sterling (Character) | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 19% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2016 2018-2020 2022 |
27% | 61% | The Pentaverate | Dr. Hobart Clark (Character) | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Green Eggs and Ham | Narrator | 2019 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Shop | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 58% | Saturday Night Live | Host | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Running Wild With Bear Grylls | Self | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 48% | Pixar Popcorn | Ducky (Voice) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2012-2014 2016-2018 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brain Games: Bonus Round | Host | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brain Games | Host | 2020 |
100% | 43% | Impulse | Michael Pearce (Character) | 2018-2019 |
No Score Yet | 81% | No Activity | Brock (Guest Star) | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Guest | 2019 |
89% | 94% | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | The Ritual Master (Voice) | 2019 |
94% | 56% | 2 Dope Queens | Guest | 2019 |
26% | 87% | Friends From College | Ethan (Character) | 2017 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sesame Street | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2018 |
No Score Yet | 86% | SuperMansion | American Ranger (Voice) | 2015 2017-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Planet's Funniest Animals | Host | 1999-2003 2006-2008 2016 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The History of Comedy | Self | 2017 |
90% | 98% | Playing House | Mark Rodriguez (Character) | 2014-2015 2017 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Bob's Burgers | Beefersutherland (Guest Voice) | 2014 2016-2017 |
91% | 85% | Archer | Floyd (Guest Voice) | 2016-2017 |
95% | 87% | Detroiters | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Funny or Die's Billy on the Street | Guest | 2017 |
85% | 76% | The Simpsons | Jazzy James (Guest Voice) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Harry | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | 80% | Last Week Tonight With John Oliver | Crazy Jimmy (Guest Star) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2015-2016 |
No Score Yet | 91% | American Dad! | E-Money (Guest Voice) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | 85% | Robot Chicken | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2014 2016 |
64% | 73% | The Muppets | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2016 |
96% | 74% | Angie Tribeca | Helmut FröntBüt (Guest Star) | 2016 |
85% | 90% | Modern Family | Tom Delaney (Guest Star) | 2016 |
97% | 91% | Key & Peele |
Various Characters (Character), Writer, Creator, Executive Producer |
2012-2015 |
90% | 83% | Rick and Morty | Fourth-Dimensional Being (Guest Voice) | 2015 |
94% | 92% | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Grant Anderson (Guest Star) | 2015 |
93% | 90% | Parks and Recreation | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2014-2015 |
100% | 90% | Late Show With David Letterman | Guest | 2014 |
93% | 85% | Fargo | FBI Agent Budge (Guest Star) | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Inside Comedy | Unknown (Character) | 2014 |
No Score Yet | 88% | The Middle | Reverend Deveaux (Guest Star) | 2014 |
32% | 61% | Super Fun Night | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2013 |
84% | 84% | How I Met Your Mother | Calvin (Guest Star) | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2012 |
81% | 82% | The League | Carmenjello (Guest Star) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Love Bites | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2011 |
24% | 40% | Gary Unmarried | Curtis (Character) | 2009-2010 |
86% | 84% | RENO 911! | Theoretical Criminal (Guest Star) | 2008-2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | MADtv | Unknown (Character) | 2004-2009 |
58% | No Score Yet | I'm With Her | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2004 |