LaKeith Stanfield is ready to show audiences a different side of himself. Known for his nuanced performances in films like Sorry to Bother You and Judas and the Black Messiah, the actor is stepping into the action spotlight with Prime Video’s Play Dirty.
The film, directed by Shane Black (The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), follows Parker (Mark Wahlberg), an expert thief rolling out the biggest heist of his life. Alongside him are Grofield (Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar), and a skilled crew whose daring score puts them face-to-face with the New York mob.
The cast also includes Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nat Wolff, Thomas Jane, and Tony Shalhoub.
For Stanfield, the shift into action was as intentional as it was refreshing. Coming out on the other side of something emotionally heavy, he was ready for something different. “It was fun, man,” he shared with us in our interview. “I wanted to counterbalance what I’d just done with something a little bit more lightweight, and also an opportunity to move more into the action space.”
That “action space,” as he puts it, is something he’s been drawn to since his earliest days as a movie fan. He says that The Matrix is his all-time favorite movie.
“I’ve always had a real strong love for action movies, and one of my favorite movies of all time probably is The Matrix. I just always loved those elaborate action scenes,” he said.
For Stanfield, the Wachowskis’ vision of cinematic chaos mixed with big ideas set the bar. “The original for sure [is my favorite]. It had the biggest ideas. Oftentimes, what can happen is when you sometimes make a franchise, what can happen if it’s not handled right is it can become diluted.”
That love of adrenaline and spectacle is exactly what pulled him to Play Dirty. “I wanted to be a part of something that had that spark of excitement and movement and explosion and real intense forward momentum,” he explained.
And the chance to work with Black only sealed the deal. “An opportunity to work with Shane Black was something I thought was quite interesting. And I also would be able to work with Mark [Wahlberg], who I’ve been a fan of for a long time.”
Still, Stanfield didn’t just want to punch, shoot, and run. He gravitated toward Grofield because he wasn’t a one-note action archetype. The character, a criminal with a surprising passion for the arts, gave him layers to play with.
“Grofield was pretty fun because he was a performer… although he’s a criminal and has this criminal element that didn’t seem too dissimilar from some people I see in Hollywood frequenting some of these Hollywood parties and events,” Stanfield said. He even compared Grofield’s duality to the mysterious figures he’s seen moving through Hollywood. “Not to say I know for sure they’re criminals,” he laughed, “but there’s always this mystery surrounding people in the business. Like, ‘how did you get here? What do you really do? How did you get in this position.’”
For Stanfield, that kind of contrast makes a character come alive. “I always try to find dichotomy in characters that I play. It’s like, yeah, this dude saved the cat, but also he’s addicted to cigarettes. There’s always this give and take, this polarity, and I like to play with that.”
With Play Dirty, Stanfield isn’t just testing his action chops; he’s expanding the range of what audiences can expect from him.
Check out the full interview. Play Dirty hits Prime Video October 1.
Photo Credit: Jasin Boland/Prime
