Keegan-Michael Key Movies and TV Shows: Complete List

If you’ve ever laughed at a sketch about a substitute teacher who takes the class hostage—or found yourself rewinding a scene in Wonka just to catch a familiar face—you’ve already got a feel for Keegan-Michael Key’s range. The comedian went from ensemble sketch work on Mad TV to leading roles alongside Jordan Peele, and today he pops up everywhere from animated blockbusters to prestige TV. This guide maps out the full picture: every major film, key TV gig, and the voice work that fills out his resume.

Known Movie Roles: Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), Wonka (Chief of Police), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Toad voice), Keanu · Known TV Roles: Mad TV (2004–2009), Key & Peele · Film Ratings (IMDb): Wonka 6.9, Super Mario Bros. Movie 7.0, Let’s Be Cops 6.4 · Top Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes

Keegan-Michael Key TV Shows

Key’s TV career traces a clear arc from sketch ensemble player to leading man in his own comedies. He spent five seasons sharpening his timing on Mad TV before co-creating one of the most acclaimed sketch series of the decade.

Mad TV (2004–2009)

Key logged five seasons on the long-running sketch series Mad TV, where he developed characters alongside an ensemble cast (Wikipedia). The show gave him the platform to transition into film and, eventually, the partnership with Jordan Peele that would define his career.

Playing House (2014–2017)

Key starred alongside Jessica St. Clair in this sitcom about two friends navigating new motherhood and friendship (Wikipedia). The show ran for three seasons and built a small but devoted following.

Friends from College (2017–2019)

A Netflix comedy series featuring Key as one of a group of college friends trying to maintain relationships into adulthood (Wikipedia). The show ran for two seasons before cancellation.

Keegan-Michael Key Movies

From indie darlings to blockbuster voice work, Key’s filmography runs wider than most casual viewers realize. The sweet spot is his 2016 collaborators’ vehicle Keanu, which scores 78% on Rotten Tomatoes (Collider), but his recent appearances in family features have introduced him to entirely new audiences.

Wonka

• Key plays Chief of Police in Paul King’s prequel to the Willy Wonka franchise (IMDb). The film earned a 6.9 rating on IMDb and found Key working alongside Timothée Chalamet in a period fantasy context.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Key voiced Toad in this 2023 animated adaptation, which scored 7.0 on IMDb (IMDb). The film grossed over $200 million domestically, introducing Key’s voice to millions of younger viewers.

Keanu

• Key and Jordan Peele co-star as two cousins who infiltrate a gang war to recover a stolen kitten (Collider). The film holds 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and plays like an extended sketch premise executed with genuine heart.

Let’s Be Cops

• Key played Pupa in this 2014 comedy where two friends pose as police officers, scoring 6.4 on IMDb (IMDb).

Keegan-Michael Key Movies and TV Shows Substitute Teacher

One of Key’s most replayed sketches from his Mad TV era involved a substitute teacher scenario, though the specific details of that particular sketch appear less documented in public filmography sources. What is clear is that Key built his early career on character work that blended absurdity with relatable tension—a template he and Peele would perfect in their later partnership.

Key & Peele Sketch Context

While the substitute teacher sketch itself sits in Key’s earlier body of work, Key & Peele carried forward that sensibility into sketches about authority figures, misunderstandings, and cultural commentary (Rotten Tomatoes). The sketch series satirized everything from presidential meetings to everyday social friction.

Keegan-Michael Key Directed Movies

As of available research, Key has primarily focused on acting rather than directing, though his IMDb profile indicates production credits that may extend behind the camera on smaller projects. The most directorial presence in his career actually comes through his collaborators—Jordan Peele’s shift into directing with Get Out and Nope positions Peele as the filmmaking partner in their duo.

Directorial Credits

Key’s primary credits remain acting roles, though he has produced and executive produced several projects. His IMDb profile lists production involvement, but no feature-length directorial credits appear in the major filmography databases reviewed for this article.

Keegan-Michael Key Movies and TV Shows Specific Roles

Beyond the headline titles, Key has accumulated a dense filmography of supporting roles and guest appearances that reveal just how present he remains across mediums.

Pitch Perfect

• Key appeared in Pitch Perfect 2 in 2015, adding his voice work to the franchise’s ensemble musical comedy (Wikipedia).

Get Out

Key does not appear in Jordan Peele’s Get Out—his former partner carried that project solo, starring in the 2017 horror-comedy that launched Peele’s directorial career.

Abbott Elementary

Based on current filmography records, Key has not appeared in Abbott Elementary through its initial seasons. His television appearances in recent years have centered on Schmigadoon! and guest roles rather than this particular mockumentary series.

With John Cena

Key appeared alongside John Cena in playing roles that have not been prominently catalogued in major sources reviewed for this article. Both have worked in the animated space—Cena in cartoons like Bumblebee-adjacent projects, Key in features like Super Mario Bros.—making future collaboration plausible.

How I Met Your Mother

No verified appearance links Key to How I Met Your Mother in major sources. His TV guest appearances during that era include Parks and Recreation, Reno 911!, and his own projects rather than this particular sitcom.

Key’s Voice Acting Career

Voice work has become a significant portion of Key’s output, particularly in the 2010s and 2020s. His animated credits span franchises, original features, and family films.

• The Lego Movie (2014) — Key provided voice work for this Warner Bros. animated feature (Wikipedia).
• Hotel Transylvania franchise (2015–2022) — He voiced across multiple entries in this Sony animated series (Wikipedia).
• Storks (2016) — Key appeared in this animated comedy about a courier service that accidentally delivers a baby (Wikipedia).
• The Angry Birds Movie (2016) — He contributed voice work to this Rovio adaptation (Wikipedia).
• The Star (2017) — Key voiced in this Sony Pictures Animation religious comedy (Wikipedia).
• Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) — Key voiced Jerry Jones in this Disney+ hybrid animated/live-action revival (Collider).
• Wendell & Wild (2022) — He appeared in this Netflix stop-motion feature from Key & Peele’s own production company (Wikipedia).

Famous Collaborations

Key’s career is inseparable from his collaborations, particularly with Jordan Peele. The partnership shaped both their careers and produced some of the most recognizable comedy of the past two decades.

Key & Peele

Co-created and co-starred in the sketch comedy series Key & Peele, which ran from 2012 to 2015 (Rotten Tomatoes). The show became a cultural touchstone for its sketches on race, authority, and everyday absurdity. Rotten Tomatoes hosts reviews and synopsis data confirming the show’s critical standing.

Fargo (Season 1, 2014)

Key and Peele both appeared in the first season of FX’s Fargo anthology, playing roles in the Coen Brothers-inspired crime drama (Wikipedia). Their appearance marked one of the first times the comedy partners appeared together in a prestige television project.

Parks and Recreation

Key had a recurring role on Parks and Recreation from 2013 to 2015, playing a government employee alongside the ensemble cast (Wikipedia).

How to Find Key’s Work

Streaming availability for Key’s projects varies by platform and region. Key & Peele seasons have moved between streaming services; some films rotate through Peacock, Netflix, or premium cable On Demand depending on licensing cycles.

For the most current availability, IMDb provides the most reliable index of where films and shows can be streamed or rented. Rotten Tomatoes also maintains review pages that sometimes include streaming links. His recent films like Wonka and The Super Mario Bros. Movie tend to appear on premium streaming services within months of theatrical release, then migrate to regular rental platforms.

Highest-Rated Films

Collider’s analysis of Key’s Rotten Tomatoes scores reveals a clear hierarchy among his filmography. Teacher of the Year holds a perfect 100% score, making it his best-reviewed film despite lower public visibility compared to blockbuster appearances.

Essentially a supersized Key & Peele episode, Keanu is a must-watch for cat lovers and Key and Peele enthusiasts alike.

— Collider

Fresh faces Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele star in this 30-minute sketch comedy series, leaving no stone unturned.

— Rotten Tomatoes

Don’t Think Twice, Key’s 2016 indie about a struggling improv troupe, ranks among his best-reviewed dramatic-adjacent work and demonstrates his willingness to take projects outside standard comedy parameters.

Summary

Keegan-Michael Key has built a career that rewards digging deeper. Casual viewers know him from Mad TV or his Peele partnership, but his filmography extends from perfect-RT indie comedies to family blockbuster voice roles in franchises grossing hundreds of millions. The pattern is consistent: Key chooses projects where his comic timing can carry character work, whether that’s a kitten-heist action comedy, a musical streaming series, or a Timothée Chalamet fantasy prequel. For viewers deciding where to start, Keanu offers the most complete snapshot of what Key does best—high-concept premise, strong ensemble, genuine heart underneath the absurdity.

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Keegan-Michael Key’s roles from Mad TV through Wonka and Super Mario Bros. receive thorough treatment in Poplixs filmography guide, echoing this compilation’s scope.

Frequently asked questions