Jordan Peele Is Probably Done With Sketch Comedy After ‘Get Out’

Jordan Peele is still raking in the accolades and offers after Get Out, and if you’re worried the former Key & Peele comic will stay behind camera, there’s good cause. A new interview sees Peele suggesting his sketch comedy career is over, leaving only a bleak future of unimaginable directorial success. Life is hard!

Peele spoke to The Hollywood Reporter (h/t Vulture) of the breakout success behind Get Out, and what it might mean for his own future projects, as well as the industry as a whole. The onetime MADtv star previously made a career of sketch comedy alongside Keegan-Michael Key, upsetting Dave Chappelle with the success of their five-season Comedy Central series, though Peele now believes his future lies primarily offscreen.

Asked about his near-SNL casting, Peele explained that the days of wigs and accents were likely behind him:

I had to turn it down because of contractual reasons [with MADtv]. That was brutal. But it was also a great lesson for me: During the lowest times, the best things can be born. That’s when I started asking myself questions that led to writing Get Out.

Have you practiced impersonating Donald Trump?

No. I’m sure I’d have a fun time doing it if I did, but I’m happy to not be in sketch comedy right now.

Is your sketch comedy career over?

Yes. I want to focus on writing, directing and producing.

That shift in Peele’s output has already named him director of the year at CinemaCon, and potentially placed him as a frontrunner to direct a live-action Akira, if not other projects. Keegan-Michael Key had suggested a possible return to Key & Peele in the future, though one imagines the two would likely pair for another movie project, rather than any kind of sketch comedy.

In the meantime, all of Key & Peele is available at its online hub, so stay tuned for the latest on Peele’s next projects.