LaKeith Stanfield has a wonderful support system in “Knives Out” co-star Jamie Lee Curtis.
Stanfield speaks candidly in a new feature for GQ HYPE. The “Get Out” star reveals how he took time between seasons of “Atlanta” to work on his mental health. He opened up about his experience, something Stanfield believes he needs to start doing more.
“This is something I never really had talked about before, but I think it’s something that I need to talk about, because I want people to understand that it’s something that you can get through, that it’s something that you can get past,” he says. “And I want people to feel empowered by the fact that the person they’re looking at on that screen has gone through addiction and survived it.”
Stanfield worked to quit drinking and was encouraged by Curtis to put down the cigarettes as well.
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“I probably said something to the effect of ‘You’re a gorgeous, talented, smart, young father with huge opportunities ahead of you: Don’t f*** it up by dying of cancer that you can prevent,'” Curtis told the publication.
“My experience is that when you feel you are alone, that’s a very scary feeling,” she tells the magazine. “So what I was trying to say to him was, ‘You are not alone. And if I can be a source of comfort or understanding, then I hope you will allow me to do that.'”
Stanfield remembers the conversation well.
“She asked me, ‘How old are you?'” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Uh, about to be 30.’ And she said, ‘No, how old are you from when you became sober?'” He gave a much different answer: “‘Oh, I’m about seven months.’ And she goes, ‘You’re seven months old. I am 23 years old.'”
Stanfield also dissected the online experience and how he needs to be more mindful of how he gets his messaging across.
“I need to move smarter, I need to watch what I say, I need to be more strategic,” Stanfield says. “There are things that I feel strongly about and I need to find ways that are more creative and artistic to get those points across.”
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Stanfield is currently revving for the season three premiere of “Atlanta” on March 24.
“You all got a lot of s[**t] coming in your direction,” Standfield says. “Now it’s the blackest, the most surreal, the most hilarious. I say this s with no fear, because I already know what it’s going to be: the most unexpected thing you have ever seen. But the truth is, it’s becoming hard to make s up, because the actual reality is crazier than the s you could come up with.
“But, luckily, we have a team of dedicated writers who are intent on creating things that are interesting and funny and particularly Black.”
Stanfield can also be seen in the upcoming “Haunted Mansion” remake, scheduled to premiere in 2023.
