# LaKeith Stanfield
**LaKeith Stanfield** (born 1991) is an American actor and rapper from [Victorville, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/victorville-california), known for playing Darius on the FX series *[Atlanta](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-tv-series)* and for film roles in *Get Out*, *Sorry to Bother You*, and *Judas and the Black Messiah*, the last of which brought him an Academy Award nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021) He also records music under the pseudonym Moors.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, San Bernardino, California; grew up in Riverside and Victorville[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) |
| Breakthrough | Cast as Mark in the 2008 short film *Short Term 12*; reprised the role in the 2013 feature, performing a rap he composed himself[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) |
| Signature TV role | Darius, the oddball stoner of Donald Glover's *Atlanta* (FX, 2016–)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/) |
| Oscar nomination | Actor in a Supporting Role at the 93rd Academy Awards (2021) for playing William O'Neal in *Judas and the Black Messiah*[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021) |
| First leading role | Colin Warner in *Crown Heights* (2017), which won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance[4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/) |
| Music | Vocalist and rapper recording under the pseudonym Moors[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html) |
| Later work | Clarence in *The Book of Clarence* (2023); Grofield in Shane Black's *Play Dirty* (2025)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) |
## Early life and start in acting
Stanfield was born in San Bernardino in 1991 and grew up in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Victorville, California.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [5](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/discovery-keith-stanfield) He became interested in acting at 14, when he joined his high school drama club, and has described himself in those years as alternately a weirdo in drama class, a cool kid when he had new shoes, and a dweeb when the shoes wore out.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/)
**Short Term 12.** After finding few audition opportunities in the Mojave area, he enrolled at Los Angeles' John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center, which led to commercial auditions that gave him little inspiration.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) His break came when he was cast as Mark in the 2008 short film *Short Term 12*, written and directed by Destin Cretton; after an audition in Cretton's living room, Stanfield was the only actor from the short asked to reprise his role in the 2013 feature adaptation, in which he performed a rap he composed himself.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [6](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.filmtrackonline.com/mongrelmedia/starcm_vault_root/images%2Ffiles%2F32%2F3218a029-8226-4914-b7d6-579a81b6aa7c.pdf) The performance earned him a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award and caught the eye of [Donald Glover](https://www.edgepedia.org/donald-glover), who later cast him in *Atlanta*.[4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/)
## Atlanta and screen persona
As Darius on *Atlanta*, Stanfield attracted a devoted following for the character's poetic, left-field observations delivered with unflinching sincerity; in one episode he asks, apropos of nothing, if he can measure someone's tree, and in another he weighs the benefits of using a rat as a cell phone.[4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/) The Guardian has described the qualities he brings to the role, and to films such as [Jordan Peele](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-peele)'s *Get Out* and the 2019 whodunnit *Knives Out*, as an uncanny knack to provoke and confound.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/28/lakeith-stanfield-i-dont-hold-anything-back) In *Get Out* (2017) he played Andre, the victim of the film's racially motivated body-snatching twist, a role Vanity Fair calls probably the movie most responsible for putting Stanfield on the map.[8](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lakeith-stanfield-interview)
His early film career also included Jimmie Lee Jackson in the civil rights drama *Selma* (2014), a co-starring role in the indie hit *Dope* (2015), [Don Cheadle](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-cheadle)'s Miles Davis biopic *Miles Ahead* (2016), and an uncanny young [Snoop Dogg](https://www.edgepedia.org/snoop-dogg) in *Straight Outta Compton* (2015).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/)
## Leading roles
**Crown Heights.** Stanfield's first role as a leading man came in the fact-based drama *Crown Heights* (2017), written and directed by Matt Ruskin, which won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance. He played Colin Warner, a Trinidadian immigrant who spent 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit and was exonerated in 2001; in preparation, Stanfield spent several days with the real Warner.[4](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/) Critics described the performance as quietly riveting and heartbreaking, capturing Warner's warmth, strength of character, and philosophical nature.[9](https://theindependentcritic.com/crown_heights) • [10](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/interview-lakeith-stanfield-talks-crown-heights-get-out-and-atlanta/)
**Sorry to Bother You.** In Boots Riley's 2018 debut comedy, Stanfield played Cassius Green, a broke telemarketer who fakes a "white voice" (dubbed by [David Cross](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cross)) to sell encyclopedias, then faces a choice between selling his heritage and selling his humanity.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html) To promote the film, Stanfield bought wigs from a Los Angeles vintage store, hid free tickets inside them outside Hollywood cinemas, and sent people on a wild goose hunt to find them.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/28/lakeith-stanfield-i-dont-hold-anything-back)
**Judas and the Black Messiah.** In Shaka King's 2021 film, [Daniel Kaluuya](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-kaluuya) played Illinois Black Panther chairman [Fred Hampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/fred-hampton) while Stanfield played William O'Neal, a party member who headed Hampton's security detail and was also an FBI informant.[11](https://time.com/5936563/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/) As O'Neal, Stanfield played a natural seducer, smart and seemingly sincere, who longs to truly be one of the Panthers even as he prepares to betray the man he most respects; Time called him the film's agonized soul.[11](https://time.com/5936563/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/) Both actors received Academy Award nominations in the supporting category, and Kaluuya won.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021)
## Range and later work
Stanfield's filmography spans romance, western, horror, and heist genres. He played Manhattan journalist Michael opposite [Issa Rae](https://www.edgepedia.org/issa-rae) in the romantic drama *[The Photograph](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-photograph-2020-film)* (2020), with critics noting the loose, soft chemistry between the two stars.[12](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-photograph-review-lakeith-stanfield-issa-rae-stella-meghie-uk-release-date-a9373056.html) He played the outlaw Cherokee Bill in Jeymes Samuel's Netflix western *The Harder They Fall* (2021), whose character names are borrowed from real historical figures though the story is western fantasy.[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-harder-they-fall-review-idris-elba-b1942555.html) On television he starred in the eight-part horror fantasy series *[The Changeling](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changeling-tv-series)* on Apple TV+.[14](https://apnews.com/article/4d99b16dbae022b3b0c8c4ba9d2e5bc3)
In 2023 he took the title role in Samuel's *The Book of Clarence*, and his recent films include [Lynne Ramsay](https://www.edgepedia.org/lynne-ramsay)'s *Die My Love* (2025), the secret-identity role of Steve in *Roofman* (2025), and Grofield, a thespian-turned-criminal, in [Shane Black](https://www.edgepedia.org/shane-black)'s *Play Dirty* (2025).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield) • [15](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/play-dirty-review) He has also narrated projects outside film, including Duckwrth's Grammy-nominated audio drama album, and voiced the photographer [Ernest Cole](https://www.edgepedia.org/ernest-cole) in the 2024 documentary *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found*.[16](https://apnews.com/article/cf781a72d87f64728c2662bfa33948d5) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield)
## Music and public persona
Stanfield doubles as a musician, recording electronic spoken-word albums under the pseudonym Moors, and has at times paused acting to record.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html) His public appearances and interviews are known for unpredictability: he has worn a captain's hat and other unconventional outfits on red carpets, once took the stage at the 2016 Critics' Choice Awards to thank the audience on behalf of *Silicon Valley* after *Atlanta* lost to it, and has done interviews entirely in an English accent.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/28/lakeith-stanfield-i-dont-hold-anything-back) He has spoken openly about anxiety, alluding in a 2020 Instagram post to the "crippling anxiety" he experienced while making *The Harder They Fall*, and has said he went through extensive therapy to adjust to life as a rising star after his Oscar-nominated performance.[17](https://www.gq.com/story/gq-hype-lakeith-stanfield) • [8](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lakeith-stanfield-interview)
## References
1. [LaKeith Stanfield Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lakeith_stanfield)
2. [The 93rd Academy Awards | 2021, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021)
3. [Is Hollywood ready for the brilliant weirdness of Lakeith Stanfield?, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/is-hollywood-ready-for-the-brilliant-weirdness-of-lakeith-stanfield/2018/06/29/f82910d4-795e-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html)
4. [Lakeith Stanfield, Contemporary Chameleon, Time](https://time.com/4904273/lakeith-stanfield-contemporary-chameleon/)
5. [Discovery: Lakeith Stanfield, Interview Magazine](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/discovery-keith-stanfield)
6. [Lakeith Lee Stanfield press biography, Mongrel Media](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.filmtrackonline.com/mongrelmedia/starcm_vault_root/images%2Ffiles%2F32%2F3218a029-8226-4914-b7d6-579a81b6aa7c.pdf)
7. [Lakeith Stanfield: 'I don't hold anything back', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/28/lakeith-stanfield-i-dont-hold-anything-back)
8. [Just Try to Pin Down LaKeith Stanfield, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lakeith-stanfield-interview)
9. [The Independent Critic: Crown Heights review](https://theindependentcritic.com/crown_heights)
10. [Interview: Lakeith Stanfield Talks Crown Heights, Get Out, & Atlanta, Slant Magazine](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/interview-lakeith-stanfield-talks-crown-heights-get-out-and-atlanta/)
11. [Judas and the Black Messiah Tells a Tragic, Real-Life Story of Revolution and Betrayal, Time](https://time.com/5936563/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/)
12. [The Photograph review, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-photograph-review-lakeith-stanfield-issa-rae-stella-meghie-uk-release-date-a9373056.html)
13. [The Harder They Fall review, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-harder-they-fall-review-idris-elba-b1942555.html)
14. [What's streaming now: Olivia Rodrigo, LaKeith Stanfield, NBA 2K24 and 'The Little Mermaid', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/4d99b16dbae022b3b0c8c4ba9d2e5bc3)
15. [Prime Video's Play Dirty Review, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/play-dirty-review)
16. [How Duckwrth's imaginary Grammy button led to a real Grammy nomination, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/cf781a72d87f64728c2662bfa33948d5)
17. [LaKeith Stanfield on 'Atlanta' Season 3, Getting Sober, and Mastering Hollywood, GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/gq-hype-lakeith-stanfield)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Sp to S*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license