Fact Check: Did Jordan Peele Quit Acting and Launch His Directorial Career Because of a Poop Emoji?

Jordan Peele's oft-repeated story about a poop emoji helping to reshape his career has taken on a life of its own, but the facts show a more nuanced reality than the headline suggests. The anecdote resurfaced recently when a post retelling how The Emoji Movie changed the trajectory of Jordan Peele's career spread online, sparking equal measure of humour and derision.

The question remains: Did Jordan Peele quit acting and focus on directing because of the poop emoji, or is the story more symbolic than literal? The answer lies somewhere in between, blending Peele's own words with the broader context of his career choices.

From Get Out to the Poop Emoji Offer

In 2018, Jordan Peele was enjoying major recognition as a filmmaker following the success of Get Out. His debut feature earned three Academy Award nominations, and he won best first-time director at the Directors Guild of America Awards. During his acceptance speech, Peele explained that an unexpected offer had influenced his thinking about acting, saying, 'The Emoji Movie actually helped me quit acting. I was offered the role of Poop.'

Peele stressed that the anecdote was genuine, adding, 'This is true. I would not make this up.' He recalled reacting strongly to the offer and deciding to take a night to think it over before responding. The following day, he contacted his manager to ask about the pay, only to be told the role had already been given to Sir Patrick Stewart, prompting him to say, 'Fuck this.'

At the time, the contrast between the two films was striking. The Emoji Movie went on to be widely criticised, while Get Out was praised as one of the standout films of the year. Peele's remarks were widely interpreted as confirmation that he had decided to stop acting altogether in favour of directing.

Did Jordan Peele Actually Quit Acting?

While Peele himself had used the phrase 'quit acting' when telling the poop emoji story, his later career does not fully support that claim. Instead, it shows a shift in the type of acting work he has taken on rather than a complete exit.

After declining The Emoji Movie, Peele continued to appear on screen. He acted in every episode of CBS's The Twilight Zone, where he appeared as a narrator delivering scripted lines. Although some viewers assumed his presence was linked to a creative leadership role, he was performing an acting role rather than overseeing the series.

Voice Roles Beyond the Emoji

Beyond television, Peele also continued to act in films. He appeared in Toy Story 4, another animated project, this time in a comic relief voice role. While different in tone, this was still comparable in format to the voice work he would have done as the Poop Emoji.

He has since taken on several voice roles in films released after The Emoji Movie, including projects he also directed. All of these roles have involved voice acting rather than live-action performances. However, the Poop Emoji role itself would also have been voice work.

Fact Check

Peele did move away from pursuing traditional on-screen acting roles and focused more heavily on directing and producing. At the same time, he continued to accept voice acting parts, including in major studio films.

So, did Jordan Peele quit acting and launch his directing career because of a poop emoji? The answer is partly yes and partly no. The offer from The Emoji Movie did play a role in shaping his decision to prioritise directing, but he did not stop acting altogether. Instead, Peele adjusted his acting career while building one of the most successful directing runs of the past decade.