Fireside Chat with Keegan-Michael Key Brings Chapman Students Center Stage Homecoming weekend kicked off with an appearance by the actor and comedian, who chatted with students and President Parlow, sharing life lessons as a part of his journey.

Students packed Musco Center for the Arts on Oct. 3 for a special fireside chat featuring Emmy, Peabody and Webby Award-winning actor, writer and producer Keegan-Michael Key. The event, part of this year’s campus homecoming festivities and Inauguration Week, gave students a chance to get up close and personal with one of Hollywood’s leading talents.

Key captivated a packed Musco Center for the Arts audience with an evening of laughter, reflection and candid storytelling. In conversation with Chapman President Matt Parlow, Student Government Association President Cintya Felix and University Program Board Chair Elyse Tran, Key spoke about the principles that have shaped his life and career.

Best known as co-creator and co-star, alongside Jordan Peele, of Comedy Central’s groundbreaking series Key & Peele, Key has gone on to star in projects ranging from The Super Mario Bros. to the animated sci-fi film Transformers One. Yet he was quick to point out that the most important choice he ever made came before the breakout success: when he and Peele turned down a restrictive studio holding deal to take a chance on making their own pilot. “I believe in us,” Peele told him.

Asked how humor helps people connect across differences, Key explained, “Humor is at its best when it’s universal. If you find a universal idea that almost all humans can identify with, then you find common ground.”

Education, he noted, played a defining role in his own path. Both his adoptive parents valued higher learning, so college was expected. He called it a shortcut, “the place where they hand you the toolbox and show you how to use every tool.”

Leadership, too, came into focus. He described his guiding principle as the “servant king,” a leader who puts others first, creating safety and empowerment. “Don’t do something at another,” he said. “Do something for another.”

For Key, the most rewarding experiences haven’t been awards or marquee roles, but moments of growth. He recalled being pushed at Second City to play challenging characters for his style of acting, a challenge that felt deeply uncomfortable but ultimately transformative. “Miracles happen outside the comfort zone,” he said. That principle has guided him since.

True to his reputation for genuine connection, Key stayed after the discussion to greet students and take photos, giving each person in line a moment with him.

The program opened with a welcome from Dean of Students and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Jerry Price, followed by students Lydia Yu, Chloe Hataishi, Kylie Seppala and Camille DeWilde introducing the Four Pillars that form the foundation of a Chapman education: the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual dimensions of life. Those ideals set the tone for the conversation that followed, as Key’s reflections on education, leadership and resilience brought the Pillars to life in ways that were both deeply personal and universally inspiring.