Julie Hinds

Detroit Free Press Pop Culture Critic

Keegan-Michael Key is coming home for Thanksgiving.

The versatile comic actor will share grand marshal duties for Detroit's 90th America's Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 24.

Key will be co-starring, so to speak, with civil rights legend Judge Damon Keith, who was announced in August as a parade leader.

A Second City Detroit alum who hails from the Motor City, Key was one-half of the pop culture-shaping sketch comedy hit "Key & Peele," which ended its run on Comedy Central in 2015.

He recently was critically acclaimed for his leading role in "Don't Think Twice," the 2016 dramedy from Mike Birbiglia that focused on an improvisational comedy troupe. Key was in metro Detroit in July for a preview screening and Q&A session with Birbiglia in Royal Oak.

Next up for the multi-talented performer? He'll co-star in "Why Him?," the comedy with James Franco and Bryan Cranston opening Dec. 23.

Key also is part of the cast of the upcoming "Friends from College," a Netflix ensemble comedy that will include Cobie Smulders of "How I Met Your Mother" and was created by husband-and-wife team Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco (the daughter of author and University of Michigan professor Nicholas Delbanco).

Co-grand marshal Key and Keith will be joined by other celebrity guests at the annual Motor City tradition, including three Olympic athletes (swimmer Allison Schmitt, gymnast Aly Raisman and volleyball player April Ross), "Cooler Than Me" singer-songwriter Mike Posner, Motown great Martha Reeves and the Broadway cast of "Motown the Musical."

Also part of the celebration? The Yankee Air Museum Rosie the Riveter Tribute Corp, which includes two original riveters from the World War II era, Iva Davie and Laura Eglinsdoerfer.

For more on America's Thanksgiving Parade and events preceding it, go to the Parade Company website.