Keegan-Michael Key's net worth and career: From Key & Peele to Hollywood success
Keegan-Michael Key's net worth, estimated at $12 million, is largely attributed to his successful acting and comedy career. Alongside Jordan Peele, he created and starred in the sketch series Key & Peele.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Keegan earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1993.
- In 2015, he portrayed the Key & Peele character Luther (President Barack Obama's anger translator) during the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
- Key has won one Primetime Emmy Award from 10 nominations for his role in Key & Peele.
- He paid his ex-wife, Cynthia Blaise, $655,649 following their divorce to "equalise the division of their assets".
Keegan-Michael Key's profile summary
Full name | Keegan-Michael Key |
Date of birth | 22 March 1971 |
Age | 54 years old (As of February 2026) |
Birthplace | Southfield, Michigan, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed (African-American, Polish and Flemish) |
Education | Pennsylvania State University |
Marital status | Married |
Wife | Elisa Pugliese |
Parents | Leroy McDuffie and Carrie Herr (Biological), Michael Key and Patricia Walsh (Adoptive) |
Profession | Actor, comedian, producer |
Years active | 1999-present |
Social media |
What is Keegan-Michael Key's net worth in 2026?
According to Celebrity Net Worth and Wealthy Gorilla, Keegan has an estimated net worth of $12 million. His career in the entertainment industry spans over two decades.
He made his acting debut playing J in the 1999 film Get the Hell Out of Hamtown, before joining the cast of Mad TV in 2004. In a 2016 interview with NYLON, Key shared insights into his profession, saying:
There are projects I take on because they offer me money and long-term financial security. However, there are some that I do because they fulfil me artistically. The secret is to make the most when the sun is shining.
Source: Original
Keegan worked several odd jobs to make ends meet
Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2016, Keegan revealed that before becoming an actor and comedian, he worked in a graveyard.
I worked at a cemetery, planting flowers.
He added:
Later, I did singing telegrams for a company called Eastern Onion. I had to dress up as a Grim Reaper, a Caveman and Mr. Wonderful, who sang for women on their 50th birthdays.
He launched his comedy career in his late 20s
At 26, Keegan made his professional comedy debut, joining the Second City Detroit troupe. In 2004, he was cast opposite Jordan Peele on Mad TV due to their strong comedic chemistry.
Celebrities that Key impersonated on the show include Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, John Legend and Kobe Bryant. From 2012 to 2015, Peele and Keegan starred in their own Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele. He later portrayed Ethan Turner in the Netflix comedy series Friends from College.
Source: Getty Images
A closer look at Keegan Key's acting, voicing and hosting career
In 2014, Keegan appeared alongside Jordan in the FX crime drama Fargo. He made his Broadway debut three years later in Steve Martin's comedy Meteor Shower. Below are some of Key's other acting credits:
Year | Project | Role |
2016 | Keanu | Smoke Dresden, Clarence |
2019 | No Activity | Charles Brock |
2020 | The Prom | Tom Hawkins |
2023 | Wonka | Police Chief |
2025 | Only Murders in the Building | Mayor Tillman |
He has provided voice work for films, including The Angry Birds Movie, Transformers One, Storks, The Star, Migration, The Super Mario Bros., IF, Wendell & Wild and the Hotel Transylvania franchise. In 2009, Keegan hosted GSN's Big Saturday Night. Additionally, he became the first Mad TV cast member to host SNL in 2021.
Part of Keegan Key's income goes to his ex-wife
Keegan married dialect coach Cynthia Blaise in 1998 but legally separated in 2015. According to court documents obtained by People, after their divorce was finalised in 2017, Key was ordered to pay Blaise $34,000 monthly as well as 21 per cent of his "gross annual income from all sources in excess of $2,153,846".
Source: Getty Images
However, "the total spousal support payable from Keegan to Cynthia annually shall not exceed $700,000 gross." The actor is obligated to pay Blaise spousal support until the death of either party or the latter's remarriage. She keeps the pair's timeshare and their 2016 Subaru Crosstrek.
Keegan owns an apartment in Manhattan's affluent Jenga Tower
Following his divorce, Keegan sold his 2,600-square-foot home in Los Angeles for $1.48 million. In 2018, he paid $5.2 million for a two-bedroom unit in the famous Jenga Tower. Key sold the apartment for $5 million in 2021. The actor and his wife, Elle Pugliese, reportedly own a $4.2 million apartment in New York's Carl Fischer Building.
Are Key and Peele still friends?
Although Jordan and Keegan are still good friends, they are not as close as they were during their Key & Peele show. The latter told People in 2024 that they do not see each other often because their careers evolved differently.
I desired to do more dramatic work, while he started exploring the horror genre.
Source: Getty Images
Key lives in New York, while Peele resides in Los Angeles. In a 2025 interview with the magazine, the former revealed that he calls his friend whenever he is in town.
Whenever my travels take me to Los Angeles, I call Jordan, and we grab dinner. Our relationship is like a good friend's relationship, where you pick up where you left off.
Wrapping up
Keegan-Michael Key's net worth reflects his illustrious career in the entertainment industry. However, the actor's wealth was significantly affected by his 2017 divorce from Cynthia Blaise and the financial obligations that followed.
READ MORE: Ethan Slater's net worth: how much did he earn for Wicked
Briefly.co.za highlighted facts about Ethan Slater's fortune. The actor landed his first major onscreen role as Boq Woodsman/The Tin Man in the blockbuster film adaptation of Wicked.
Ethan Slater is also a veteran in musical theatre. He is best known for his Tony-nominated role as SpongeBob in the Broadway production of SpongeBob SquarePants.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
