LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Lee Stanfield is an American actor and musician born in San Bernardino, California, on August 12, 1991. Raised in Riverside and Victorville, he grew up in a poor and dysfunctional family environment. He attended middle school with Dijon Duenas, whom he defeated in a rap battle. Stanfield developed an interest in acting at the age of 14 after joining his high school's drama club. He later attended the John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center in Los Angeles, where he signed with a talent agency and began auditioning for commercial roles.

Stanfield made his acting debut in the short film Short Term 12, a thesis project by Destin Daniel Cretton that won an award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. After appearing in the short film Gimme Grace in 2010, Stanfield worked various jobs in roofing, gardening, at AT&T, and at a legal marijuana dispensary. Cretton later contacted him to star in the feature-length adaptation of Short Term 12 in 2013, which served as his feature film debut. Stanfield was the only actor to appear in both versions, and his performance earned him a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Following his feature debut, Stanfield appeared in The Purge: Anarchy and portrayed civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson in Selma in 2014. In 2015, he played Snoop Dogg in Straight Outta Compton, and appeared in Memoria, Miles Ahead, and the fantasy horror thriller short film King Ripple. He also appeared in the music video for Run the Jewels' song "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)".

In 2017, Stanfield gained wider recognition with roles in Crown Heights, Netflix's Death Note adaptation, and the horror film Get Out. From 2016 to 2022, he starred in the television series Atlanta, winning a Black Reel Award for Television. He starred as Cassius "Cash" Green in the dark comedy film Sorry to Bother You in 2018, and appeared in the music video for Michael Kiwanuka's "Cold Little Heart".

Stanfield continued taking on high-profile film projects, appearing in Someone Great, Uncut Gems, and Knives Out in 2019. He starred in The Photograph in 2020, followed by his portrayal of FBI informant William O'Neal in the 2021 drama Judas and the Black Messiah. His performance in Judas and the Black Messiah was critically acclaimed and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In 2021, Stanfield starred in the film The Harder They Fall, followed by roles in Haunted Mansion and The Book of Clarence in 2023. He also starred in the television horror series The Changeling in 2023.

Beyond acting, Stanfield performs music under the stage name Htiekal and is a member of the band Moors with Hrishikesh Hirway. He signed to Def Jam in 2025 and worked on his debut album, Self Control. Stanfield resides in Los Angeles and has three children.