There's a moment in the new Netflix series Friends from College where Keegan-Michael Key, playing one such college friend, breaks out into a brief President Barack Obama impression. Though the honor of portraying Obama during the Key & Peele days went to Jordan Peele, the Friends from College moment still (inevitably) reminded me of the recurring skit, specifically the thrill of watching Key speak for all of us as Obama's anger-prone anger translator Luther.
During an appearance on The Late Show Tuesday night, Key was asked by host Stephen Colbert about the person who's currently in the White House, a person who isn't worth mentioning by name. "You know, it’s very difficult for us because it's hard when a person is the most ideal comic version of themselves," Key said. "It's really tough to go, 'You know what would be funny? Oh, he just did that? But, you know what he would never do? Oh, he just did that as well?' It's really hard to catch up . . . it's hard to leap-frog the comedy cavalcade that is him on a moment's basis."
Of course, this discussion resulted in an invitation from Colbert for Key to launch into some Luther. As the Late Show host read off some of Obama's recent quotes on the state of the White House, Key generously translated them into the language of anger. Key—with full hilarity in tow—then offered Luther's thoughts on the sinister DumpCare, as well as walls both literal and metaphorical.
"I thought I was on a forced retirement, y'all," Key's Luther said. "But it looks like Obama still needs me, so I am back."
Key also discussed his role in the Public Theater's production of Hamlet, starring Oscar Isaac:
