The Truth About Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele's Friendship

While it's been nearly six years since the eponymous sketch comedy show "Key & Peele" made its final bow in 2015, it's hard to think of Keegan-Michael Key without thinking of his writing and acting partner Jordan Peele. Though both have since focused on respective projects since "Key & Peele" wrapped after five seasons — Peele for his movies "Get Out" and "Us," horror films which thematically explore the Black experience in a racist world, and Key for his acting work in the Netflix series "Friends from College" — both industry polymaths, it seems, will be intrinsically tied to one another for the long run in the eyes of the public.

But while Peele, 42, and Key, 50, might not be the household names they are today without the popularity and acclaim of the Comedy Central series that launched them into the stratosphere, does it mean that both of them still foster the close friendship they purportedly had since when they first met? And, for that matter, how did they team up in the first place? Keep on scrolling to find out the story behind Key and Peele's friendship.

Though Jordan Peele might have quit acting for good in lieu of pursuing his vision as a directorial auteur, that doesn't mean he's quit his longtime creative partner, Keegan-Michael Key. By all appearances, the two are still as close as ever — or presumably are, considering news of a rift hasn't surfaced as of the time of this writing. And considering the longevity of their friendship thus far, paired with how they describe each other, we're guessing a Key/Peele schism isn't in the cards any time soon, if ever. 

As many a fan of Key and Peele (or "Key & Peele") might already know, the iconic comedy duo first met in Chicago in 2002, two years before they both scored their first writing gig together as part of the team for Comedy Central's "Mad TV" in 2004. "It was creative love at first sight, recalled Key in a 2015 interview with Cosmopolitan magazine. "A mutual friend, ['K&P' producer/writer] Rebecca Drysdale, introduced us. We all went out to a diner. Then I went home and told my wife I was in love."

The evolution of their friendship then seemed to spur the creation of the show that made them famous. After "Mad TV" wrapped in 2007, the manager who represented both Peele and Key suggested the two team up and collaborate on a show all their own — a move that ultimately made TV history (via The Things).