I've always been super expressive, and I've always liked to express myself any way I can. Lakeith Stanfield More Quotes by Lakeith Stanfield More Quotes From Lakeith Stanfield I think prejudice has gotten to a point where a lot of people hold biases in their mind and don't even realize that they're doing it, because it's deeply ingrained in the fabric of what it means to be an American. Lakeith Stanfield doing think mind people I'm from Victorville - it's about an hour-and-a-half away from Los Angeles, up in the desert. They call it Victimville because it's kind of violent. It's a beautiful place, though. It's quiet. Lakeith Stanfield beautiful-place away desert beautiful When you're talking about an authority figure oppressing against people, it's the people that hold that authority figure up. If you want to get free of this bondage, then we need to think about ways to free ourselves rather than looking to the oppressors to free us. Lakeith Stanfield looking think you people I'm a little baby in a barrel just taking everything in. I'm just so fortunate to do whatever I'm doing. Lakeith Stanfield whatever doing everything baby I'm influenced a lot by my family. I have a big family. Lakeith Stanfield big-family lot big family Although rap is about boasting, it's also about honesty and expressing your emotions. Lakeith Stanfield emotions your rap honesty I'm in this music duo called Moors. Lakeith Stanfield duo music That was like my safe place with great teachers where everyone could let down their guard and not feel judged. As soon as we walk outside, it was like, 'Look at these weird drama club kids.' But we all had our own agreement that we were cool in our own way. Lakeith Stanfield walk great look cool It's been constant grinding and trying to secure work that I care about, tireless auditions and meetings. I've been fortunate that a lot of cool doors have opened to me, chiefly meeting great people who were inspired by what I've done and what they feel I could bring to their projects. Lakeith Stanfield cool me work people It's a hard thing when you've got guns pointed at you, to still stand up for what you believe in. Jimmie Lee and his family did that, and several others. Lakeith Stanfield stand-up you family believe The prison industrial system, things like that are cleverly put in place to attempt to marginalize a certain group of people - and it's not only black, it's replete across the American society. Lakeith Stanfield place black society people I was born in San Bernardino in summer of '91 and grew up in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Victorville. Lakeith Stanfield i-was-born up born summer Have you ever heard of 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?' I would like to play Sidney Poitier's role - I love that role. Lakeith Stanfield you dinner play love We used to do sock puppet shows for my auntie back in the day. Me and my friends would do accents of Englishmen, and we would sip tea and act like we were rich in front of the family, and they thought it was just hilarious, the level of perception that we had about things that we'd never experienced. Lakeith Stanfield day me family tea I feel like with every performance that I see, I get better because I've always thought - while I'm watching people perform - of what I would do. Lakeith Stanfield performance feel better people My biggest strength is I'm courageous, or if I am afraid of something, I do it anyway. I do what I feel. It's nothing personal against anyone, so that courageousness has been very good to me. Lakeith Stanfield i-am good me strength I've been fortunate to get involved with 'Short Term 12.' I was just a young teenager on the Internet, clicking on anything that had the word 'actor' in it. One day, someone called me in for a movie audition. Lakeith Stanfield short day me internet Music is something I do full-time in real life. I was doing music long before I was even thinking about acting. Lakeith Stanfield music life long thinking I wanted to be as genuine as possible because all those people like Jimmie Lee Jackson - me, Mike Brown, all these people - we're all the same; we're not much different. Lakeith Stanfield possible me genuine people I always knew I'd be an actor. I always knew I'd at least be on a big screen somewhere. Lakeith Stanfield somewhere actor big always