Jordan Peele

Background

Jordan Haworth Peele is a revered name in Hollywood. He’s a talented actor, comedian, and filmmaker, born on February 21, 1979, in New York City. His mother, Lucinda Williams, is Caucasian, while his father, Hayward Peele Jr, is of African-American descent. He was raised by his single mother in Manhattan, where he attended computer school. In 1997, he graduated from The Calhoun School and enrolled in Sarah Lawrence College. However, he dropped out to form a comedy duo with his classmate, Rebecca Drysdale, who later became a writer for “Key & Peele.”

Peele was performing stand-up in Chicago, and he was known for his musical duets with Nicole Parker. In 2003, he joined Mad T.V. as a cast in its ninth season. By that time, Keegan-Michael Key joined the cast and they built comedic chemistry. Peele was big on performing celebrity impersonations. In 2008, he got nominated for an Emmy for his “Sad Fifty Cent” music video parody.

Peele remained on Mad T.V. for five seasons, leaving at the end of its 13th season. In 2010, Peele landed a recurring role in Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital.” In 2012, he and Keegan-Michael Key starred in their eponymous sketch series for Comedy Central, “Key & Peele,” which ran from 2012 to 2015.

In 2017, Peele made his directorial debut in “Get Out,” which received universal acclaim, having a 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating. “Time” magazine named “Get Out” one of the top 10 films that year, and it grossed $255 million on a $4.5 million budget. The film received four nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, for which Peele won Best Original Screenplay in 2018.

In the same year, he co-created “The Last O.G.” and co-produced “BlacKkKlansman,” for which he got nominated for a Best Picture award at the 91st Academy Awards. In 2019, Peele made his second film as a director, “Us,” which featured blockbuster actresses like Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. In 2021, he co-produced and co-wrote “Candyman,” and his next film, “Nope,” was released in July 2022.

Peele is an exceptional actor, screenwriter, and director. He’s also a fantastic comedian whose accolades are endless. He married actress Chelsea Peretti from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” in 2016. Peele and his wife have a son whom they adore.