Keegan-Michael Key

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Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key 2012.jpg
Key in 2012
Born (1971-03-22) March 22, 1971 (age 42)
Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation Actor/Comedian
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s) Cynthia Blaise

Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American actor and comedian best known for starring in the Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele and for his six seasons as a cast member on MADtv.

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Early life [edit]

Key "Spanish - Keegan" was born in Southfield, Michigan and raised in Detroit. His father is African-American and his mother is Caucasian. He was adopted as a child.[1] He is a graduate of Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak, Michigan (class of 1989). Key attended the University of Detroit as an undergraduate and earned his Master of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania State University School of Theatre.

Career [edit]

MADtv [edit]

Keegan joined the cast of MADtv midway into the ninth season. Both he and Jordan Peele were cast against each other so that FOX could pick one black cast member, but both ended up being picked after demonstrating great comedic chemistry.

Keegan's characters include the semi-psychotic Coach Hines, who threatens students and others at school assemblies. On the penultimate episode of MADtv, Hines revealed that he is the long-lost heir to the Heinz 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" in blaxploitation parodies, with Jordan Peele playing the monster.

Key also portrayed various guests on Real **********ing Talk like the strong African Rollo Johnson and blind victim Stevie Wonder Washington. He often goes "backstage" as Eugene Struthers, an always-ecstatic water- or flower-delivery man who accosts celebrities.

There is also "Jovan Muskatelle", a shirtless man with a jheri curl and a shower cap. He interrupts live news broadcasts by a reporter (always played by Ike 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 include Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Matthew Lillard, Bill Cosby, Al Roker, Terrell Owens, Tyler Perry, Robin Antin, Keith Richards, Eddie Murphy (as his character James "Early" Thunder from the movie Dreamgirls), Sherman Hemsley (as his character George Jefferson on The Jeffersons), Charles Barkley, Sendhil Ramamurthy (as Mohinder Suresh), Tyson Beckford, Seal (originally played by Jordan Peele until Peele left the show at the end of season 13), Sidney Poitier, Lionel Richie, Barack Obama, and Kobe Bryant.

He also played female characters, including Eva Longoria (as Gabrielle Solis on a "Desperate Housewives" parody), Rihanna (on Key and Peele), and Phylicia Rashād.

MADtv characters [edit]

  • Coach Sandoval "Sandy" Heinz / Hines (Coach Hines), a hyper, angry Catholic school gym coach who regularly threatens to kill his students (including Bobby Lee's Yamanashi and Matt Braunger's Cericho). In the penultimate episode, it's revealed that Coach Hines is actually the heir to the Heinz Ketchup company, but gave up his rich life so he can give back to the community.
  • Carlton "Carl" Hall (Superstitious Knights)
  • Chad Bascar (Holly Meadow Estates)
  • Caress
  • Dr. Funkenstein
  • Eugene Struthers
  • Gordon Robinson (Sesame Street)
  • Jorge (Taco Hell), a melodramatic fast food worker who protests against the gross Americanization of Mexican food
  • Businessman (Bae Sung)
  • Bon Qui Qui's Boyfriend (King Burger)
  • Jovan Muskatelle
  • Knee High (Condi Comes to Harlem)
  • Mandigo Babafume (Real **********ing Talk)
  • Rollo Johnson (Real **********ing Talk)
  • Gangster #1 (Gangster Fight)
  • Midnight (Abercrombie & Fitch Employees)
  • Galvadahl (The Blind Kung Fu Master)
  • Rudolph Poozer (The Lillian Verner Game Show)
  • Steven Wonder "Stevie" Washington (Real **********ing Talk)
  • Eddie Thundercloud, a Plains Native American from South Dakota trying to speak out against the media stereotypes of American Indians, but isn't taken seriously by anyone
  • Razzle Dazzle, a homeless man with tips and solutions on how to live in a recessionary America

Other work [edit]

Keegan was one of the founders of Hamtramck, Michigan's Planet Ant Theatre, and was a member of the Second City Detroit's mainstage cast before joining the Second City e.t.c. theater in Chicago.

Keegan co-founded the Detroit Creativity Project along with Beth Hagenlocker, Marc Evan Jackson, Margaret Edwartowski, and Larry Joe Campbell.[2] The Detroit Creativity Project teaches students in Detroit improvisation as a way to improv their communication skills.

Keegan performs with The 313, an improv group formed with other members of Second City Hollywood that appears around the country.[3][4] The 313 is made up primarily of former Detroit residents and named for Detroit's area code.[5]

Keegan also hosted Animal Planet's The Planet's Funniest Animals. He made a cameo in "Weird Al" Yankovic's video "White & Nerdy" with fellow MADtv co-star Jordan Peele.[6]

During the 2008 NBA finals, Keegan was featured in a series of GMC Denali commercials playing an overzealous attendant in a parking garage.

In 2009, Keegan hosted GSN's "Big Saturday Night", and has co-starred in Gary Unmarried on CBS.

Keegan was a panelist on the NPR comedy quiz show Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me... on March 27 and July 24, 2010.

Keegan has been in several episodes of Reno 911! as the "Theoretical Criminal".[7]

Key and his former MADtv castmate Jordan Peele star in their own Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele, which began airing on January 31, 2012 It has been renewed for a 3rd season.[8]

Key and his comedy partner Jordan Peele starred in an episode of Epic Rap Battles of History, with Key playing Mahatma Gandhi and Peele playing Martin Luther King Jr.[9]

Key guest starred on an episode of 'Talking Dead' on March 10th 2013.

Both he and partner Peele were dramatically featured on the cover and in a series of full-page comic photos illustrating The 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 the Times' website. [10]

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2013 How I Met Your Mother Obnoxious Couple Cameo
Afternoon Delight Bo
Hell Baby TBA
Epic Rap Battles of History Mahatma Gandhi Guest rapper
2012 Key & Peele Various Characters
Wanderlust Marcy's Flunkie
Equals Three Guest Host
Wilfred Lawyer
2011 Just Go with It Ernesto cameo
The League Carmenjello
2010 Due Date New Father cameo
The Wild Bunch Grape Vine In Production
2008 MADtv Himself-Various 2004–2009
Chocolate News Woodsy guest
Role Models Duane
Reno 911! Theoretical Criminal
Talkshow with Spike Feresten Himself Guest-starred
2007 Sucker For Shelley Michael
Frangela Deshawn
2006 Al TV segment 'White & Nerdy'
Grounds Zero Arch
Alleyball Curt Braunschweib
2005 The Planet's Funniest Animals Himself-Host Host 2005–2008
2004 I'm With Her Orderly
2003 Uncle Nino Airport Stranger
2001 ER Witkowski
2000 Garage: A Rock Saga TV Studio Manager
1999 Get the Hell Out of Hamtown J

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Siek, Stephanie (February 24, 2012). "'Key & Peele': The color of funny". CNN. Retrieved March 3, 2012. 
  2. ^ Kuras, Amy (4 April 2012). "Actors Reach Out to Local Teens". Y Community Impact. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  3. ^ Calamia, Donald (20 July 2006). "Detroiter Keegan-Michael is 'key' to The 313". Pride Source. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  4. ^ "Schedule announced: Detroit Improv Festival". Encore Michigan. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  5. ^ "The 313". SF Sketchfest. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  6. ^ School of Theatre (2005). "Penn State Alum, Keegan-Michael Key, Lands Starring Role as Host of Planet's Funniest Animals". Penn State. Archived from the original on November 20, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2008. 
  7. ^ "Theoretical criminal (Character) from "Reno 911!"". The Internet Movie Database. 2008. Retrieved January 18, 2009. 
  8. ^ Shira Lazar (November 28, 2012). "Keegan-Michael Key Talks Key & Peele Season 3 and Bringing Sketch Comedy to YouTube". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2013. 
  9. ^ Sam Gutelle (February 25, 2013). "Key And Peele Bring Gandhi, MLK To Epic Rap Battles Of History". Tubefilter. Retrieved February 25, 2013. 
  10. ^ Streiber, Art (27 March 2013). "The Saintly Way to Succeed". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2013. 

External links [edit]