Jordan Peele Announces Retirement From Acting: "I Think I Got Enough"

He joked that watching himself perform is like "masturbation you don't enjoy."

BYErika Marie
Link Copied to Clipboard!
4.8K Views
FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor / Getty Images

He's settling in well behind the camera as Jordan Peele's thriller and horror-centered projects like Get OutUs, and Twilight Zone earn him awards and acclaim. The comedian-turned-filmmaker has enjoyed a longstanding career in the entertainment industry, but during the "Get Out the Vote" virtual event, Peele shared that he may just be hanging up his acting hat to focus on other areas of production.

Phillip Faraone / Stringer / Getty Images

With the successes of his film and television efforts, Peele was reportedly asked if his acting career was a thing of the past. “I like watching my movies. I can watch the films I direct [but] watching me perform just feels like… a bad kind of masturbatory,” joked Peele. “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.”

While this doesn't read like an official retirement, it wasn't the first time that Peele expressed his desire to step away from performing. He made a quip about it back in 2018 when he joked that it was time for him to look at other avenues after he was offered the role as the Poop Emoji in The Emoji Movie

[via]


  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.