Jordan Peele Confirms He Has Retired From Acting; Keegan-Michael Key To Star In 'August Snow' For ABC

After the brilliant Comedy Central sketch series Key and Peele went off the air in 2015, the show's two leads embarked on different career paths. Keegan-Michael Key shifted his focus almost entirely to acting, while Jordan Peele quickly became one of Hollywood's go-to horror directors thanks to Get Out and Us.

Here are the latest updates about this formerly dynamic duo: Peele recently confirmed that he has retired from acting on camera, and Key has secured the lead role in August Snow, an ABC drama based on a series of popular crime novels.

Jordan Peele has retired from acting – well, at least in front of the camera. "I like watching my movies," he explained to his Get Out star Bradley Whitford during a recent fundraising event (via THR). "I can watch the films I direct [but] watching me perform just feels like, it's a bad kind of masturbatory. It's masturbation you don't enjoy. I feel like I got to do so much and it is a great feeling. When I think about those great moments when you're basking in something you said that feels funny. When I think about all that, I think I got enough."

I wouldn't be surprised if Peele continued to do voiceover work (like he did for Toy Story 4, or does for Big Mouth) or maybe even serve as an occasional figurehead like he did on The Twilight Zone reboot. But it sounds like he's done acting on screen for now, which, as anyone who has seen Key & Peele can attest, is a loss for anyone who enjoys great comedic performances.

Meanwhile, Key is still going strong in front of the camera. Deadline reports that Key will executive produce and star in August Snow, a drama from Godfather of Harlem's Paul Eckstein that is based on Stephen Mack Jones' novels. Here's how they describe the plot:

August Snow (Key) is a biracial former detective who grew up in Detroit's Mexicantown. After a distinguished military career, he joined the force like his father, only to be drummed out by a conspiracy led by corrupt cops and politicians. August hit back, winning an $18 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit, then packed his bags to travel the world. The series will open with August returning home to the city he has deep affection for in search of himself and reconnecting with his roots while also facing enemies on both sides of the law. August becomes a private investigator, a Robin Hood from the hood, gathering a group of unexpectedly talented misfits to help him solve cases, invests his money to help reinvigorate his city in despair, and save himself along the way.

Key is biracial and from Michigan, so this should have special resonance for him.