LaKeith Stanfield

Biography

LaKeith Lee Stanfield (born August 12, 1991) is an American actor and musician celebrated for his striking versatility and ability to embody deeply complex, often unsettling, characters across both independent cinema and major studio projects.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Stanfield was born in San Bernardino, California, and grew up in Southern California in an environment he described as “very poor in a fractured family.”He discovered his passion for acting at the age of 14 after joining his high school's drama club. Following graduation, he pursued studies at the John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center.

His true acting debut came in the 2013 independent drama Short Term 12, where he reprised a role from the original 2009 short film. His work in this feature earned him a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award.

Notable Roles and Breakout Success

Stanfield quickly became known for his ability to seamlessly transition between genres and high-profile ensemble casts.

Category

Notable Roles and Films

Biographical

Civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson in Selma (2014); Snoop Dogg in Straight Outta Compton (2015).

Horror/Thriller

The unforgettable early scene in Jordan Peele's Get Out (2017), a detective in The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018).

Comedy/Sci-Fi

The lead role of Cassius "Cash" Green in the surreal corporate satire Sorry to Bother You (2018); the eccentric Darius Epps in the critically acclaimed FX comedy-drama series Atlanta (2016–2022).

Prestige/Drama

Detective Lieutenant Elliot in Knives Out (2019), and his Oscar-nominated performance as FBI informant William O'Neal in the historical drama Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).

His performance in Judas and the Black Messiah earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.7 He has also received a BAFTA EE Rising Star Award (2019) and a Black Reel Award for Television for his work in Atlanta.8