Sketch Show ‘In Living Color’ Praised as ‘Nasty, Catty’ by Comedic Actor

An icon of American TV sketch comedy has compared some of the genre’s most-famous shows.

Keegan-Michael Key, best known for his work alongside Jordan Peele on their sketch comedy series, Key & Peele, opened up on how he got his start in the industry and the different shows that shaped his style during an appearance on Monday’s episode of the podcast Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard.

One of the shows he spoke about was In Living Color, which helped launch the careers of a number of A-listers, including many of the Wayans brothers, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez and Jamie Foxx.

It aired from 1990 to 1994 and was seen as a peer to other, more-established comedy sketch shows such as Saturday Night Live and Mad TV, which Key starred on and served as a writer for five years.

“Jordan Peele always says that the best thing about In Living Color was how mischievous it was, and I think that’s a great way of describing it could be really naughty … they were nasty and catty,” Key said during the podcast interview.

“There was a danger to it … it [had] a dark underbelly,” Key continued. He added how In Living Color had reputation for making sketches concerning topics not many people were talking about.

“It was calling out truths that needed to be told in the absolute funniest way possible,” Key said.

Key & Peele wrapped in 2015 and, since then, Key has enjoyed a successful Hollywood career, including a role in the box-office-smashing Wonka movie in 2023. He also voiced Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and was the voice of Bumblebee in this year’s Transformers One feature film.

Key’s TV credits include hosting Saturday Night Live in 2021 and costarring in the musical fantasy series Schmigadoon!

One of his standout roles was playing Luther, the anger translator for Barack Obama; he made an appearance alongside the former president at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Outside of acting, Key has opened up about his love for playing daily puzzle Wordle.

The Emmy award-winner teamed up with The New York Times, which owns the word game, in 2023 to invite players to compete against him in their game group chats.

“There’s a fun sense of accomplishment that comes with starting the day solving a New York Times game,” Key said in 2023. “It’s also a great reason to have a quick check-in with a few of my friends (and get in a little friendly competition). I’ve always been a fan of words and language and any game that can test my acumen.”