LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Lee Stanfield, yeah, you know him—dude’s got that energy you just can’t fake. Born out in Victorville, California (not exactly Hollywood, but hey, everyone starts somewhere), he didn’t exactly waltz into acting like some star kid. Nah, at fifteen, he’s rolling up to the John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center out in Orange County, probably thinking, “Why not?” Fast forward a couple years, and he’s hustling for a spot in Destin Daniel Cretton’s college project—Short Term 12. The original was a tiny indie, but the 2013 remake? That’s where LaKeith really showed up, announcing himself to the world with a debut that had everyone paying attention. From there, doors started flying open. He scored a part in Selma, that Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, which, let’s be real, isn’t exactly a low-key gig. Then things just kept snowballing; he popped up in Get Out (if you’ve seen it, you remember his scene—hard to forget), then Knives Out, The Photograph, and, of course, Atlanta on FX. Atlanta’s where he gets to go wild, honestly—his character Darius is weird, hilarious, and somehow manages to steal every scene without even trying. LaKeith isn’t just sticking to one box either. He raps, he acts, he’s got his own rhythm. Not many can jump from indie darlings to blockbuster flicks to surrealist TV and still make it all feel effortless. The guy’s a chameleon, but with way more style.