There are two modes for Jordan Peele. There’s Actor Peele, the guy that makes you cry from laughing so hard in skits from “Key & Peele” and his various film appearances. But in recent years, we’ve seen more of Director Peele, a filmmaker that has back-to-back hit directorial efforts (“Get Out” and “Us”) and has produced a number of hits through his Monkeypaw production company. And according to Jordan Peele, for the future, you can expect to see 100% Director Peele and no more Actor Peele.
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Speaking to Bradley Whitford, who co-starred in “Get Out,” as part of a THR interview, Peele was asked about his future in the industry, specifically when it comes to whether or not we’ll see him in front of the camera again. And according to the actor-turned-filmmaker, his career is now primarily focused on his behind-the-camera work.
“I like watching my movies. I can watch the films I direct [but] watching me perform just feels like… a bad kind of masturbatory,” Peele said. “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.”
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And that fear of masturbation (ummm, maybe not the best metaphor) also translates to his directing style. You see, Peele is a huge fan of collaboration and doesn’t see his scripts or films as projects that he has 100% dictatorial control over, even if his name is all over the credits. Instead, he enjoys checking his ego at the door and working with other people.
“I’m always trying to figure out ways to keep my ego in check because when that sneaks in there, it fucks shit up — almost always,” said the director. “I submit to this idea that the film, the movie, the story is important. I’m less important. It frees me up to be competent. It’s not about me and I just have to execute this thing.”
He added, “Part of what gives me a certain power as a director and as a screenwriter as well, is the same script can be done an infinite amount of ways and be great. There’s an infinite amount of ways you can blow it, too. If I was one of the type of directors that was like, ‘No, no, no, there’s one way and there’s one vision — it’s mine. If anything goes off that rail then it’s done.’ Like, that would be too stressful.”
As mentioned, Peele has already directed two acclaimed box office hits. But apparently, he’s already hard at work on a third, though we have almost no idea what that film is about or who will star in it (though recent rumors place Jesse Plemons and Daniel Kaluuya in major roles). We do know that Universal plans on releasing the film in July 2022, so we should be learning more about the particulars soon enough, as filming begins later this year.
