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Interview: Keegan-Michael Key Talks Voicing Bumblebee in ‘Transformers One’ and Why This Origin Story is More Than Meets the Eye
September 18, 2024Ben MK
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Best known for being one half of the cult classic comedy duo Key and Peele, Keegan-Michael Key is an actor who's made a name for himself by playing his fair share of roles, both in front of the camera and also by lending only his voice. Whether it's starring opposite the likes of the iconic Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name and playing the chocolate-obsessed Chief of Police in Wonka or voicing the helpful sidekick Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and taking on the part of the all-important narrator in Green Eggs and Ham, the 53-year-old Key has virtually done it all. But although he’s played everything from a fourth-dimensional being to a scarlet macaw, there's one type of character that has eluded him — that is, until now. I caught up with Keegan-Michael Key to chat about his experience voicing the heroic Bumblebee in Transformers One, the comedic tone of this origin story, and his favorite Transformers character, as well as to find out what he would transform into if he could transform into anything in real life. The Transformers are such a pop culture icon, especially for those who grew up in the '80s. Have you always been a fan of the franchise? And what drew you to playing Bumblebee in particular? Key: I was always a fan of the franchise. I am an old-school, original cartoon, everyday-after-school-3:30-pm watcher. And I wanted all of the toys. I did not get all of them, but I wanted all of them. And part of what made me want to play Bumblebee was that the director of the film, Josh Cooley, and I had worked together on Toy Story 4. I think he's an exceptional storyteller. And I think that now is the perfect time — after the world that's been built — for us to see the Transformers' origin story. Where did these two iconic characters come from, what was the beginning of their relationship, how did they get to where they are now? All of that interests me in such a thorough and deep way that I was looking forward to being a part of the project in general. 
Do you have a favorite Transformers character, whether it's Autobot or Decepticon?Key: My favorite character is Soundwave. Soundwave was an Autobot and turned into a Decepticon. And I think something that's interesting about Soundwave is that he's one of the few Transformers that does not transform into a vehicle. When he's on Earth, he transforms into a boombox. So his weapon, or his power, is literally invoked in his name — it's sound waves. So that's my favorite Transformer. The live-action movies had their share of comedy, but Transformers One takes that comedy to another level. Can you talk about that aspect of the film, and do you have a favorite line that you improvised? Key: The film is pretty dark, and in a manner of speaking, it's almost a buddy cop film, in a way, or like a romantic comedy with a horrible break-up. That's what this movie is at its core. So I think we needed the comedy for the levity in the film, and Bumblebee is the right character to play that, given the history that we've seen throughout the years. And my favorite line that I improvise is probably about the cave having teeth, cuz just watching the animatics and looking at it, I'm just like, "Okay, we're just gonna walk in there?" I had no idea that it would stay in the movie, but there were days where we'd would just do take after take after take, and they'd let me say what I wanted. And that came out, and Josh put it in the movie. I really enjoyed that one. 
What about the "Badassatron" line? Was that originally in the script, or was that improvised?Key: They had written Badassatron. What I was doing when I [say] "Badassatron" is actually an homage to Soundwave, since Soundwave is the only Transformer who doesn't have a regular voice. He's the only one that has that robot voice. So we kind of played with it a little bit, and then we did that. Was there a scene in the movie that was your favorite or most memorable? Key: I don't actually have a favorite scene in the movie. I think the movie is so well-paced that it has this nice kind of domino effect, where each scene leads to the next, to the next, to the next. What I like, visually, I think the most, is seeing the surfaces of Cybertron, which is something we've never seen. So the fact that we're given the opportunity to see the surface of this organic, metal planet — what an interesting thing to try to bring to fruition, visually. And Josh and the whole animation team did an excellent job at doing that. 
Last but not least, if you had the ability to transform into something in real life — whether it be a vehicle, some piece of technology or whatnot — what would it be?Key: If I could transform into anything, it would be a boat. I don't think I've ever seen a boat Transformer. So it'd be like a speed boat. I'd wanna be a speed boat. That'd be cool. |
Transformers One is in theaters September 20th.
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