Timing is everything. Especially in the world of comedy. It’s even more of a factor when you pit two people who are funny AF together and charge them with making us laugh. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, are about as in sync as it gets when it comes to comedy duos out right now. The twosome, better known as Key & Peele, are going to attempt to make the jump from the success of their hilarious sketch comedy show on Comedy Central to the big screen when their debut film, Keanu, hit theaters today.
Key & Peele are hardly the first comedy act to test the Hollywood waters after huge wins on the small screen. With some success at the box office they could join a list of Black stars who shined together in buddy comedy films. From Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in Friday to Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America, their some stars are perfect together.
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1 Coming to America Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall
Paramount PicturesThis Black cult classic film is how we were introduced to this hilarious duo. IRL BFFs, Murphy and Hall totally sold us in their roles as the looking-for-love prince and his trusted yet troublesome sidekick, respectively. -
2 Ride Along Ice Cube & Kevin Hart
Universal PicturesKevin Hart’s usual clowning around shtick would feel tired without Ice Cube’s no nonsense style offering balance to this action comedy. Cube is believable as a bad ass cop while Hart delivers in his role as a screw up. The winning formula led to an equally impressive (some might say better) sequel. -
3 Booty Call Jamie Foxx & Tommy Davidson
Columbia PicturesTwo of the better physical comedians of their time teamed up to make a Netflix and chill staple. Jamie Foxx was the friend with no chill, while Davidson was the friend who was committed to achieving the goal. From their quest to get some, we got a whole lot of laughs. -
4 Bad Boy Will Smith & Martin Lawrence
Columbia PicturesMike Lowrey’s (Smith) charisma in tandem with Marcus Burnett’s (Lawrence) crankiness produced a testy on screen partnership that won big at the box office. What’s good with Bad Boys 3 though? -
5 Friday Ice Cube & Chris Tucker
New Line CinemaOne of the most influential movies in the history of pop culture is nothing without Ice Cube ditching his gangster rap persona for a PG-13 friendly look that allowed Chris Tucker’s comedic brilliance to shine. The payoff for the sacrifice made the duo two of Hollywood’s most bankable stars throughout the ’90s. -
6 House Party Kid N Play
New Line CinemaIt was easy for rappers Kid N Play to transition their in studio chemistry to the big screen. Especially in a movie that featured a LIT AF party and what else of course, Kid N Play rapping. -
7 Let’s Do It Again Sydney Poitier & Bill Cosby
Warner Bros.We’re leveling up to icon status here. This blaxploitation classic helped assure Hollywood that they could successfully cast two Black actors as leads. It doesn’t hurt that the two stars were comic genius Bill Cosby and Oscar winner Sydney Poitier. -
8 How High Method Man & Redman
Universal PicturesHere’s another example of when being in your element wins. Meth and Red made hit songs about getting high, so making a movie about it was light work. -
9 White Chicks Shawn and Marlon Wayans
Revolution StudiosTogether these Wayans brothers are very hit or miss, tbh. But they definitely hit on this one playing undercover white girls. -
10 Life Martin Lawrence & Eddie Murphy
Universal PicturesHollywood snatched up mad coins when they teamed an 80s blockbuster star (Murphy) with a 90s box office star (Lawrence) in this jailhouse comedy. The tandem did a great job of switching in and out of the roles of straight man and funny man. -
11 A Low Down Dirty Shame Keenan Ivory Wayans & Jada Pinkett-Smith
Buena Vista PicturesPeaches (Pinkett-Smith) brought the ratchet and Shame (Wayans) was the sexy eye candy with a gun in this hilarious action comedy. The odd couple pairing worked to perfection to make the film a low-key Black cult classic.