REVOLT caught up with Lakeith Stanfield<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Trending<\/strong><\/p>\n In this exclusive chat, Stanfield opened up about the parallels between Grofield\u2019s struggles and his own journey in entertainment. \u201cHe\u2019s an entertainer at heart, but he also needs to survive. If he didn\u2019t have to do all the criminal elements, he wouldn\u2019t. He would just be the artist that he wants to be,\u201d he explained. Comparing it to Hollywood, he added, \u201cThis business\u2026 you can be talking to someone and they have intentions that you don\u2019t understand. It\u2019s flashy, there\u2019s makeup and wigs, but over time you learn to spot who\u2019s genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n Stanfield also reflected on the aspects of Grofield that felt closest to him. \u201cI guess I could be kind of witty sometimes\u2026 I find myself to be a little charming every now and again. But really, it\u2019s his undying passion. He just really wants to be expressive. And I am very much that way as well. I love performing, too.\u201d That relentless drive carried into his own projects. He explained, \u201cSince doing this movie, I\u2019ve endeavored to create a few things. Number one is I\u2019m moving more into my music and I\u2019m actually releasing music for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n He dropped his first single with Def Jam on September 26, 2025. Titled \u201cFast Life\u201d and featuring Kid Cudi, it served as a lead-in to his debut album, Do Better<\/a>. So, consider Stanfield an actor\/artist who can excel in either lane thanks to his expressive side.<\/p>\n Trust and integrity are at the heart of Play Dirty \u2014 themes Stanfield says guide him personally. \u201cIt\u2019s very important. It\u2019s a foundational thing. If you say you\u2019re going to do something, do it. If you can\u2019t, then say that. It\u2019s really simple. And if things change, then communicate that they\u2019ve changed.\u201d For him, keeping your word is not only the baseline for relationships but also a necessity in life and career.<\/p>\n When reflecting on the highlight of filming, Stanfield credited his co-star. \u201cA 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\u2026 it was just like this ecosystem that he creates around him that I found very inspiring and cool.\u201d<\/p>\n For the actor, Play Dirty also brought his career full circle. \u201cBefore I was really booking anything, I used to watch \u2018Entourage\u2019 all the time. That show was inspiring for me. And I end up being in a movie with the guy whose life that\u2019s based on. If my younger self could see me now, he\u2019d know that dreams can manifest into reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n