LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield is a rare kind of movie star, as unique and enigmatic a presence off the screen as on. He possesses a striking authenticity that radiates through each one of wildly varied roles, from lackadaisical philosopher-poet Darius in TV series Atlanta, to the surreal telemarketer Cash in Boots Riley’s workplace satire Sorry To Bother You, to a victim of a racist body possession in Jordan Peele’s horror parable Get Out. This year he reunites with his Get Out co-stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lil Rel Howery for Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, playing William O’Neal, an FBI informant responsible for the assassination of prominent Black Panther Fred Hampton.

LWLies: You’re such a chameleon of an actor. What do you look for in a role? Stanfield: It’s hard to say. What can people look for? I’d say keep your expectations open. I don’t really ever know what I’m going to do next or what might move me as I grow. I love to have fun – sometimes too much fun – but that might be a problem of mine. I love to tell stories that are deeply entrenched in emotional exploration.

Absolutely. We all start somewhere and there’s a whole wealth of potential