REVOLT caught up with Lakeith Stanfield to talk about his role in Play Dirty, the crime drama where survival, loyalty, and ambition take center stage. Stanfield stars as Grofield, a man caught between his love for performing and his ties to a life of crime. Alongside Mark Wahlberg, he brings depth to a story about navigating temptation, keeping your word, and building a future despite difficult choices.
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In this exclusive chat, Stanfield opened up about the parallels between Grofield’s struggles and his own journey in entertainment. “He’s an entertainer at heart, but he also needs to survive. If he didn’t have to do all the criminal elements, he wouldn’t. He would just be the artist that he wants to be,” he explained. Comparing it to Hollywood, he added, “This business… you can be talking to someone and they have intentions that you don’t understand. It’s flashy, there’s makeup and wigs, but over time you learn to spot who’s genuine.”
Stanfield also reflected on the aspects of Grofield that felt closest to him. “I guess I could be kind of witty sometimes… I find myself to be a little charming every now and again. But really, it’s his undying passion. He just really wants to be expressive. And I am very much that way as well. I love performing, too.” That relentless drive carried into his own projects. He explained, “Since doing this movie, I’ve endeavored to create a few things. Number one is I’m moving more into my music and I’m actually releasing music for the first time.”
He dropped his first single with Def Jam on September 26, 2025. Titled “Fast Life” and featuring Kid Cudi, it served as a lead-in to his debut album, Do Better. So, consider Stanfield an actor/artist who can excel in either lane thanks to his expressive side.
Trust and integrity are at the heart of Play Dirty — themes Stanfield says guide him personally. “It’s very important. It’s a foundational thing. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you can’t, then say that. It’s really simple. And if things change, then communicate that they’ve changed.” For him, keeping your word is not only the baseline for relationships but also a necessity in life and career.
When reflecting on the highlight of filming, Stanfield credited his co-star. “A lot of them had to do with just working with Mark Wahlberg and just being inspired by him as an artist and as a businessman. People were wearing his clothes during the filming. We were eating Wahlburgers… it was just like this ecosystem that he creates around him that I found very inspiring and cool.”
For the actor, Play Dirty also brought his career full circle. “Before I was really booking anything, I used to watch ‘Entourage’ all the time. That show was inspiring for me. And I end up being in a movie with the guy whose life that’s based on. If my younger self could see me now, he’d know that dreams can manifest into reality.”
With Play Dirty, Lakeith Stanfield delivers another layered performance, blurring the lines between grit and artistry. The film, which has an Amazon Prime Video premiere date of Oct. 1, 2025, is a reminder that passion, integrity, and resilience are just as crucial off-screen as they are on it. Watch our exclusive interview below to hear everything the actor-turned-artist had to say.
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