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Jordan Haworth Peele was born in New York on February 21, 1979. His white mother, Lucinda Williams, raised him as an only child in Manhattan's Upper West Side. -
Jordan decided he wanted to pursue a career in film directing after being inspired by his favorite movies. -
He graduated from a computer school in Manhattan and secured a scholarship to attend Sarah Lawrence College, initially majoring in puppetry. -
After two years, he dropped out and later collaborated with a classmate from Sarah Lawrence, forming the comedy duo Key Peele. (no known old photos together) -
Jordan moved to Chicago to pursue improv and sketch comedy, training at The Second City. -
He joined the touring improv troupe Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, where he spent three years. -
Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key met around 2002 through a Chicago improv scene. Forming a friendship that will still be in 2025. -
He was hired for Mad TV and moved to Los Angeles. -
Peele founded his production company, MonkeyPaw Productions, named after the short story “The Monkey’s Paw,” to reflect the idea of being careful what you wish for. -
Jordan met his future wife, Chelsea Peretti, through Twitter. Peretti said, “Me and Jordan also met on the internet, on Twitter. He was very complimentary of the web series I once did” (Parade.com). -
Jordan produced, co-wrote, and acted in Keanu (Rated R), a comedy about two best friends trying to rescue a kitten from gangsters. -
Jordan married Chelsea Peretti in a private ceremony. Peretti posted a photo of their dog wearing a Hawaiian shirt, noting it was their only witness (E! Online). -
Jordan wrote, directed, and co-produced Get Out (Rated R), about a Black man meeting his white girlfriend’s parents. The film was made on a $4.5 million budget, grossed $255 million worldwide, and received a 98% rating (RottenTomatoes.com). -
He stated that horror films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives inspired him, and The Twilight Zone influenced his comedy and racial commentary. -
Beaumont Gino Peele was born on July 1; he is the couple’s only child -
Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Get Out and used his speech to criticize Donald Trump. -
Jordan produced BlacKkKlansman (Rated R), about an undercover Black cop infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan; the film won Best Picture. -
Jordan wrote, directed, and produced Us (Rated R), about humanoid doppelgängers attacking their counterparts. The film grossed $256 million worldwide and holds a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating (RottenTomatoes.com). -
Jordan co-wrote and produced Candyman (Rated R), a sequel/reimagining of the 1992 original, emphasizing social themes. -
Jordan wrote, directed, and produced Nope (Rated R), about siblings attempting to capture a UFO. The film grossed $171.1 million worldwide and holds an 83% Rotten Tomatoes rating (RottenTomatoes.com). -
Jordan Peele's production company has produced "Monkey Man," a film about a masked man's quest for revenge against those who destroyed his village and killed his mother. -
Jordan Peele's production company has produced Him, a psychological horror story about a young football star who enters an elite training program and uncovers disturbing secrets about the mentor shaping his future.