Jordan Peele is, without a doubt, one of the greatest Hollywood sensations in recent years. Since the release of his 2017 horror movie “Get Out!”, he has become one of the American dream factory’s sweethearts, maybe because he approaches various social issues with an unusual flair. A few years ago, though, he was seen by little more than a comedian. The odds of him becoming such a major sensation were longer than anything you’ll find at Betway today. Yet against all odds, he has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers today. Here is everything you need to know about Hollywood’s latest sensation, Jordan Peele.
The humble beginnings
Jordan Peele started his career as a comedian during his years at college – her first serious act was a duo with Rebecca Drysdale, a comedian who later became a writer for his show. After graduating, he performed at a sketch group in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, before joining Mad TV, a long-running sketch comedy show. There, he met Keegan-Michael Key, a performer with whom he later formed the comedy group “Key & Peele”. After a series of brief stints with Fox, peele joined the cast of Comedy Central together with Key to form the now-famous duo. The two performed together for three years before the series ended in 2015.
From comedy to horror
The first movie written and directed by Jordan Peele was “Get Out!”, telling the story of a young black man being mixed up in his white girlfriend’s family – the story involves hypnosis, ignorance, hubris, and slavery. The movie was disturbing, filled with interracial tension (and tension of many other kinds) while being depressingly realistic at the same time. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017, then it was released in theaters, becoming a major success. It was loved by critics and audiences alike, won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and was nominated for pretty much every major (and minor) award in the industry. And it prompted Peele to give up acting and continue his career as a director.
Since then, Peele worked as a producer on Spike Lee’s successful “BlacKkKlansman”, he co-created the YouTube Premium show “Weird City” with Charlie Sanders, and released his second film, “Us”, with Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o and Tobagonian actor Winston Duke in the lead roles, once again becoming a major success.
Jordan Peele apparently gave up acting for good – although it’s not impossible that we’ll see him on screen in the future, considering the rumors about a potential “Key & Peele” feature film – and has dived deep into the world of filmmaking. He is currently working as a producer on a remake of the classic horror movie “Candyman” and an HBO series called “Lovecraft Country”, along with an Amazon series about hunting Nazis.
