Keegan-Michael Key Says He and Jordan Peele Maintain ‘Good’ Friendship Despite Distancing

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele maintain a strong bond despite their busy schedules.

In a recent interview with People, Key shared insights into his ongoing friendship with his former Key & Peele collaborator, even though they don’t see each other as often as they’d like.

“Whenever we have an opportunity to see each other, we do. Whenever we have an opportunity,” Key said.

“I certainly enjoy spending time with him, so when my travels take me to Los Angeles, he’s usually one of the first calls that I make. I land, and I go, ‘Hey buddy, we’re in town,’ and often we get to have dinner,” he explained.

Describing their dynamic, Key added, “Our relationship is like a good friend’s relationship, where you pick up where you left off, or the little things that you shared in the past, you just go right back into it again. I look forward to seeing him in 2025.”

Key and Peele first began working together in the mid-2000s during their time on Fox’s MADtv. Their partnership eventually led to the creation of their hit sketch comedy series, which aired from 2012 to 2015.

The pair also collaborated on the 2016 action-comedy Keanu, appeared together in the first season of FX’s Fargo, and voiced characters in both Toy Story 4 (2019) and Wendell & Wild (2022).

However, as Key noted in a September 2024 interview, their professional and personal time together has lessened over the years as their careers have taken them in different directions. “Your lives start to evolve and move in different directions,” he shared.

“Our evolution, I think, is tied to both of what our desires are,” Key continued. “His desire was to start exploring the horror genre, and my desire was to do more dramatic work like I had been trained in school.”

Currently, Key has a packed schedule, including a partnership with Jim Beam for their “7 Stages of Defeat” care package. Meanwhile, Peele is focused on directing his fourth feature film.