15 for 40: The accomplishments of Jordan Peele

As a regular performer at BOOM Chicago as well as the world-famous Second City, Peele would become known for a number of musical duets with fellow BOOM talent (and future "Mad TV" cast member Nicole Parker), leading to him snagging a gig as host of MTV's Comedy Weekend, giving viewers a first look at a talent in the making.

For the ninth season of the Fox sketch comedy hit, Peele joined alongside his future comedy partner, Keegan Michael-Key. Some believed that Key would stick around instead of Peele, but it wasn't long before the pair's comedic chemistry proved to make both valuable assets to the show, starting what would be a fruitful partnership for both, with Peele leaving the show in 2009 after five strong seasons.

As Key and Peele became more popular on "Mad TV," their exposure grew. The pair were cast in a cameo at the beginning of the video, a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin," as gangsters frightened by Yankovic's character. While it was only a minor appearance, it was another indication that the pair were destined for greater things as their appearances outside of "Mad TV" continued.

Leaning on his days as a breakout performer in Chicago, Peele found himself receiving his first Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Original Song and Lyrics" for his parody on rapper 50 Cent in "Sad Fitty Cent" for "Mad T." The sketch was completely masterminded by Peele, who crafted both lyrics and music, and it found instant success as an early viral hit.

Peele's post-"Mad TV" career kicked off with his first film appearance in 2010's "Little Fockers" as an EMT who deals with the irascible Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro) who had a heart attack following a fight with his son-in-law, Greg (Ben Stiller). While Peele's role was brief, it served as the first of a number of film appearances, leading toward an eventual starring gig.

Both now free of "Mad TV," Key and Peele caught the eye of Comedy Central, which offered the pair a chance to shine in a sketch comedy show with the launch of "Key & Peele" in 2012. The show became an instant hit with audiences, yielding a number of sketches that would find viral success. But all that burns brightly, burns briefly, as the success of the show meant the two would set their sights toward other projects, with "Key & Peele" ending in 2015.

Key & Peele stepped away from their successful Comedy Central show to appear on FX's "Fargo" as a pair of FBI agents, Pepper and Budge, demoted to file clerks after making a career-altering mistake.

Even though "Key & Peele" came to an end in 2015, the partnership hadn't, as the duo released stoner comedy "Keanu", a tale about a pair of "best buds" who go on the hunt for their missing kitten, sending them on an adventure full of hijinks (still a thing in 2016). Critics and audiences were more than kind to "Keanu," believing it could be the first in a series of films starring Key and Peele, but Peele had something else in mind.

Coming in hot on the heels of the successful "Keanu," when the trailer for "Get Out" premiered, audiences were understandably confused. Up until now, Peele was strictly known for comedy, so to release a horror film; and doing so as his directorial debut, certainly threw audiences for a loop. However, "Get Out" turned out to be an enormous hit, using horror to frame a discussion on race relations in America rarely covered in any format. As a reward, Peele would surprise further as the film garnered critical acclaim and a bevy of nominations and awards.

In 2008, Jordan Peele got his first taste of award prestige when his "Sad Fitty Cent" received an Emmy nomination. Ten years later, thanks to the runaway success and acclaim of "Get Out," Peele found himself in heavy competition at the Academy Awards, as his debut film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. Peele was only the third, after James L. Brooks and Warren Beatty, to receive such honors for a debut film. While "Get Out" was considered a favorite in the Best Picture and Best Director categories, Peele came away with the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, which was certainly more than a consolation prize.

While Peele's acting days seem to be behind him, his knack for comedy is still alive and well as co-creator of TBS' "The Last O.G." starring Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish. The series follows a recently released convict (Morgan) as his life outside is turned upside down when he returns to a gentrified Brooklyn and an ex (Haddish) who now raises his children with a white man (Ryan Gaul). "The Last O.G." found both critical acclaim and solid ratings, with a second season set to debut in 2019.

Peele spread his wings even further in 2018, using his new-found clout to serve as a producer for Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," which chronicles the true-life tale of a black Colorado police officer (John David Washington) as he infiltrated a Ku Klux Klan chapter, taking his deception all the way to its leadership. A giant success with critics and viewers, "BlacKkKlansman" earned Lee a pair of long-awaited Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, meaning Peele once again has a potential date with Oscar for the second consecutive year.

Because Peele clearly doesn't have enough to do, in the midst of all his success, he teamed with former "Key & Peele" writer Charlie Sanders on "Weird City," a comedic sci-fi anthology for YouTube. Premiering in February, "Weird City" seems to be doing well among YouTube's audiences, with critics praising the series for its balance of humor and fantasy, adding up to yet another win for Peele.

It seems a bit much to call Peele's follow-up directorial effort "long-awaited" just two short years after the release of "Get Out," but after seeing the first trailer for "Us," a psychological horror film featuring a family facing its dopplegangers and starring "Black Panther" alums Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke, it might be the right term. Set for release in March, the film already has high expectations, with critics and audiences waiting with bated breath to see just what Peele has up his sleeve.

Despite announcing his "retirement" from acting in 2018, Peele is returning to television in April, filling the huge shoes of Rod Serling as presenter and executive producer of the latest iteration of "The Twilight Zone" for CBS All-Access. With a first season commitment of 10 episodes and a number of popular actors, including John Cho, Adam Scott, Greg Kinnear and Sanaa Lathan, set to make appearances, it seems, with "The Twilight Zone" in addition to his other numerous efforts, Peele stands to have even greater success into his 40s and beyond.