Cynthia Blaise is an American voice, speech, and dialect coach who has worked in film, television, theatre, and education. She is also an actress and is widely known as the first wife of actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key.
Blaise has worked as a dialect coach since the late 1980s. Her credits include 8 Mile, Miami Vice, Bad Teacher, and The Tiger Hunter. She married Key in 1998, separated from him in 2015, and their divorce was finalized in 2017.
Cynthia Blaise’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cynthia Blaise |
| Reported date of birth | April 6, 1958 |
| Birthplace | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Voice, speech and dialect coach, actress |
| Education | University of Oregon; University of California, Irvine |
| Degree | BA in Theatre; MFA |
| Career began | Around 1987 as a dialect coach |
| Former husband | Keegan-Michael Key |
| Marriage date | December 27, 1998 |
| Separation | November 15, 2015 |
| Divorce finalized | November 2017 |
| Children | None |
| Net worth | Not confirmed; estimated by some sources at $1 million |
| Social media | LinkedIn has been reported |
Cynthia Blaise’s Age and Early Life
Cynthia Blaise was reportedly born on April 6, 1958, in the United States.
If this reported date is correct, she is 68 years old in 2026.
Her exact place of birth has not been publicly confirmed in the information available.
Little is known about her childhood. She has kept most details about her early personal life private.
Cynthia Blaise’s Parents and Siblings
Reliable information about Cynthia’s parents is not available. Their names and professions have not been confirmed in the supplied information.
There is also little public information about whether she has brothers or sisters.
Cynthia Blaise’s Education
Cynthia studied theatre at the University of Oregon, where she reportedly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre.
She later studied at the University of California, Irvine and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree.
One published profile connects her time at UC Irvine with 1984, although it is unclear whether that was the year she started or completed her graduate studies.
Her theatre education prepared her for later work in acting, speech, voice, and dialect coaching.
Cynthia Blaise’s Career as a Dialect Coach
Cynthia is best known professionally as a voice, speech, and dialect coach.
She reportedly began working professionally in this field around 1987 and developed a career lasting more than three decades.
A dialect coach helps actors learn how to speak with the accent, pronunciation, rhythm, or speech style needed for a particular character.
Cynthia has worked with actors on movies, television productions, and theatre projects.
Cindylou, Inc.
One published profile reports that Cynthia began working at Cindylou, Inc. in 1987.
Public information about her exact position and work at the company is limited.
Cynthia Blaise’s Teaching Career
Cynthia also used her experience in academic settings.
She reportedly taught speech and dialect at Temple University for four years.
She worked in the MFA program at Wayne State University for about six years.
She also had teaching or professional experience connected with the University of Illinois Chicago.
Other institutions mentioned in published profiles include the University of New Hampshire and Western Kentucky University.
She also taught workshops and provided speech and dialect coaching for theatre.
Cynthia Blaise and 8 Mile
One of Cynthia’s better-known film credits is 8 Mile, the 2002 drama starring Eminem.
She worked as a dialect coach on the film.
Published profiles also connect her work on the movie with actor Mekhi Phifer, who played Future.
Cynthia Blaise’s Movies and TV Shows
Cynthia’s entertainment career includes both acting and behind-the-scenes coaching work.
Her reported credits include:
| Project | Year | Role or work |
|---|---|---|
| Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | 1989 | Amanda |
| The Spitfire Grill | 1996 | Dialect coach |
| Polish Wedding | 1998 | Dialect coach |
| Timequest | 2000 | Teacher |
| The Affair of the Necklace | 2001 | Dialect coach |
| 8 Mile | 2002 | Dialect coach |
| Timeline | 2003 | Dialect coach |
| Bad Apple | 2004 | Dialect coach |
| Iron Jawed Angels | 2004 | Dialect coach |
| Daltry Calhoun | 2005 | Dialect coach |
| Justice | 2006 | Dialect coach |
| Sea of Dreams | 2006 | Dialect coach |
| Miami Vice | 2006 | Dialogue coach/acting credit |
| Bandidas | 2006 | Dialect coach |
| 6 Souls | 2010 | Dialect coach |
| Faster | 2010 | Dialect coach |
| Bad Teacher | 2011 | Dialect coach |
| LOL | 2012 | Dialect coach |
| The Truth About Emanuel | 2013 | Dialect coach |
| Beautiful & Twisted | 2015 | Dialect coach |
| Hardcore Henry | 2015 | Dialect coach |
| Robot Chicken | 2016 | Glynnis |
| The Tiger Hunter | 2016 | Dialect coach |
Some of these credits come from secondary biographical profiles and have not been independently verified here.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Cynthia’s first listed screen role was in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 1989.
She is credited in published profiles as playing Amanda.
Acting, however, remained a smaller part of her professional work compared with dialect coaching.
Miami Vice
Cynthia was involved with the 2006 film Miami Vice.
Published profiles list her as a dialogue coach and also connect her with the acting role of Ms. Li.
The movie starred Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.
Key & Peele
Cynthia reportedly appeared in episodes of Key & Peele, the sketch comedy series starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
The Comedy Central series ran from 2012 to 2015.
The supplied information does not provide a complete list of Cynthia’s episodes or characters.
Robot Chicken
Cynthia was also credited in Robot Chicken in 2016.
Published profiles list her character as Glynnis.
This is among her later reported acting credits.
The Tiger Hunter
Cynthia worked as a dialect coach on The Tiger Hunter, released in 2016.
One source describes this as her last film dialect-coaching job before she stepped away from this type of work.
There is limited public information about her professional activities after 2016.
How Did Cynthia Blaise Meet Keegan-Michael Key?
Cynthia met Keegan-Michael Key through theatre.
They reportedly met while working at the Detroit Repertory Theatre.
One source says they worked together on a production called Hamtown.
Their professional connection later developed into a relationship.
One profile says they dated for around four years before getting married.
Cynthia Blaise and Keegan-Michael Key’s Marriage
Cynthia and Keegan reportedly married on December 27, 1998.
They shared a strong connection to theatre and acting. During their marriage, both continued working in entertainment.
Published reports often describe Cynthia as around 14 years older than Key. However, their reported birth dates place the difference closer to 13 years.
Did Cynthia Blaise and Keegan-Michael Key Have Children?
No. Cynthia Blaise and Keegan-Michael Key did not have children together.
There are also no publicly confirmed reports that Cynthia has children from another relationship.
Cynthia Blaise and Keegan-Michael Key’s Separation
Cynthia and Keegan reportedly separated on November 15, 2015.
Keegan filed for divorce in December 2015.
They had been married for around 17 years when they separated.
The legal divorce process continued until 2017.
When Did Cynthia Blaise and Keegan-Michael Key Divorce?
Their divorce was finalized in November 2017.
Although they had been separated since 2015, their legal marriage lasted from December 1998 until the divorce was completed in 2017.
Cynthia Blaise’s Divorce Settlement
Published reports say Keegan was ordered to pay Cynthia $34,000 per month in spousal support.
One report says she was also entitled to 21% of his gross annual income above $2.15 million.
The total annual spousal support was reportedly capped at $700,000.
Cynthia was also reportedly awarded a settlement of approximately $655,000.
Another source describes the amount more generally as over $600,000.
She was also reportedly awarded the couple’s timeshare and a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek.
These figures come from secondary reports about the divorce proceedings.
Cynthia Blaise’s Reported Health Problems After the Separation
Published reports citing divorce-related claims say Cynthia experienced serious health problems after the end of her marriage.
She reportedly described experiencing depression, anxiety, PTSD, weight loss, and hair loss.
Reports also said she had been taking medication following the separation.
These details come from Cynthia’s reported claims during the divorce period and should not be treated as independent medical diagnoses.
Cynthia Said She Supported the Marriage Financially
During the divorce proceedings, Cynthia reportedly said she had been the main breadwinner during the earlier part of their marriage.
Her work as a dialect coach helped support the household while Keegan was developing his entertainment career.
By the later years of their marriage, Keegan’s career had become much more financially successful.
One report says he had a $1.2 million Toyota endorsement deal during this period.
Who Is Keegan-Michael Key?
Keegan-Michael Key is an American actor, comedian, writer, and performer.
He was born on March 22, 1971, in Southfield, Michigan, and grew up in the Detroit area.
He studied theatre at the University of Detroit Mercy and later earned a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.
Keegan-Michael Key’s Career
Keegan became widely known through the sketch comedy series MADtv, where he appeared from 2004 to 2009.
He later starred with Jordan Peele in Key & Peele.
The sketch comedy series became one of his best-known television projects.
His other television work mentioned in published profiles includes Playing House, Friends from College, and Schmigadoon!.
Who Is Keegan-Michael Key Married to Now?
Keegan later married producer and director Elisa “Elle” Pugliese.
The couple announced their engagement in November 2017.
They married in June 2018 in New York City.
Their marriage took place several months after his divorce from Cynthia was finalized.
Is Cynthia Blaise Married Today?
No later marriage has been confirmed for Cynthia in the information available.
There is also no reliable public information identifying a current partner.
She has kept her personal life largely private since her divorce.
Where Is Cynthia Blaise Now?
Cynthia has maintained a low public profile in recent years.
Her last film dialect-coaching credit mentioned by the supplied sources was The Tiger Hunter in 2016.
Reliable information about her current professional projects is limited.
Cynthia Blaise’s Social Media
Cynthia has been associated with a LinkedIn profile related to her professional career.
The supplied sources do not identify verified public Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or X accounts belonging to her.
Cynthia Blaise’s Net Worth
Cynthia Blaise’s personal net worth is not publicly confirmed.
Some secondary sources estimated her net worth at approximately $1 million in 2023. The estimate has been linked to her long career and divorce settlement.
No reliable financial records have been provided to confirm that figure.
Facts About Cynthia Blaise
- Cynthia Blaise is an American voice, speech, and dialect coach.
- She has also worked as an actress.
- She was reportedly born on April 6, 1958.
- She studied theatre at the University of Oregon.
- She earned an MFA from the University of California, Irvine.
- Her dialect-coaching career reportedly began around 1987.
- She has taught speech and dialect at university level.
- Her film credits include 8 Mile, Miami Vice, Bad Teacher, and The Tiger Hunter.
- She appeared in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 1989.
- She met Keegan-Michael Key through theatre work.
- They married on December 27, 1998.
- They separated in November 2015.
- Their divorce was finalized in November 2017.
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