The Big Picture
LaKeith Stanfield is a talented actor known for his meek and vulnerable performances, but his role as Cherokee Bill in
The Harder They Fall
showcases a completely different side to his acting.
Stanfield’s portrayal of Cherokee Bill is both menacing and reluctant, adding layers of nuance to the character. He exudes confidence in his abilities while simultaneously claiming to dislike violence.
Stanfield’s performance is enhanced by his cool and collected demeanor, his disregard for rules, and his ability to channel anger into violence in a calm and calculated manner. His specific choices as an actor make his portrayal of this Western villain exceptional.
Most mainstream audiences were first introduced to LaKeith Stanfield when he played Snoop Dogg in Straight Outta Compton or as Darius in FX’s Atlanta. Subsequent films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, and Sorry to Bother You were opportunities for Stanfield to flex his powerful acting muscles and establish himself as a rising star in Hollywood. Most recently, he led the way in The Book of Clarence and headlined Apple TV+’s trippy horror fantasy series The Changeling.
One thing LaKeith Stanfield’s performances have in common in many of these films is the air of meekness and vulnerability he gives to each character. Judas and the Black Messiah required him to display drastic unease and uncertainty throughout the entire film. Stanfield harnesses discrete micro-expressions that translate to the screen to reveal subtext surrounding his character’s inner journey. Without even speaking, he invites the audience into his mind as he struggles with securing his own interests, while slowly turning to admiration of Fred Hampton’s passion, and making him question his own intentions and morality. Stanfield is the master of subtle acting, as evident in the 2021 Netflix Western The Harder They Fall.
The Harder They Fall
When an outlaw discovers his enemy is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge.
Release Date November 3, 2021
Director Jeymes Samuel
Runtime 139 Minutes
Main Genre Western
Writers Jeymes Samuel , Boaz Yakin
Tagline A new day is dawning.
LaKeith Stanfield’s Fear in ‘Get Out’ Is Layered
First, Get Out showcased his ability to create deeply layered characters that clearly have more going on within than they let on. He arguably had the most important role in that entire film as the one who confirms the grounds for Daniel Kaluuya’s paranoia when he shrieks out the movie’s title phrase: “Get out!” It’s an incredibly complicated performance because it has so many layers. On one hand, he is a young man trapped behind his own eyes with no control over his body, yet trying desperately to get out.
On the other hand, he is an old man enjoying the young, strong body, and working to maintain control of it while convincing Daniel Kaluuya that all is normal. And Stanfield accomplishes it all seamlessly. These skills combined with the comic timing and charisma he displays in Sorry to Bother You are more than enough to indicate just how talented and versatile LaKeith Stanfield is.
LaKeith Stanfield Stands Out in ‘The Harder They Fall’s Epic Ensemble
In 2021, Netflix released a cowboy Western called The Harder They Fall. The film featured an all-Black cast playing legends of the Wild West. Every character was a real historical figure who had been brought together into a fictionalized story. Stanfield plays Cherokee Bill, an outlaw legend understood to be the fastest and most accurate shot in the West. Cherokee Bill teams up with Trudy Smith (Regina King) and the infamous Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) to hold the town of Redwood hostage until they can provide the villains with $50,000.
What is so impressive about Stanfield’s performance in this role is the way he is both menacing and totally reluctant at the same time. Reluctance is a quality that is discernible in most of Stanfield’s roles. It’s something he uses to create inner conflict and add layers of nuance to his characters. The difference with Cherokee Bill is his reluctance as a character is born out of arrogance and apathy rather than the meekness and unease he typically uses in his technique. Cherokee Bill is the best at what he does, and he knows it. He is completely confident in his ability to best anyone he faces off against, yet appears almost annoyed because, as he says, “Let it be known that I don’t particularly enjoy violence.” He doesn’t want to fight, but if the need arises he will not hesitate, and he will not hold back.
LaKeith Stanfield’s Western Villain Doesn’t Like Rules
This version of reluctance reveals a menacing side to Stanfield’s acting that has not been seen before. With an inner dialogue that is so contrary to what his character is actually, physically doing, and masked by a deceptively calm demeanor, he is unpredictable in a delightfully threatening way. One scene towards the beginning of the movie showcases this as Cherokee Bill and Trudy Smith are storming a train to rescue Rufus. As Bill squares up to fight a rebellious train passenger, after proclaiming to abhor violence, he still allows himself the slightest little smirk before putting the passenger in his place. It’s these kinds of nuanced decisions that are inconsistent yet still feel perfectly in line with the character that works so well in this Netflix Western.
One more thing that enhances Stanfield’s performance as Cherokee Bill is the cool and collected way that he has absolutely no regard for any rules. In another scene, Cherokee Bill gets pulled into a duel. As his opponent begins the countdown, Bill fires a shot right into his cheek before he even has the chance to finish counting. He follows it up by barely muttering under his breath, “Why do they always have to count so slow?” This is such a unique yet powerful demeanor for this kind of villain. He is someone who experiences all the same annoyances and is triggered to anger by all the same things that a villain normally would be, but processes them in such a quiet, calm way, while still channeling that anger into violence. It is such brilliant creative work and really demonstrates LaKeith’s ability to make smart and specific choices as an actor.
It’s well worth discussing how Stanfield has handled various roles in the past and how his creative choices have given him the rising star status he has rightfully earned. Ultimately, his intuition as an actor, and particularly his work in The Harder They Fall is bold, unique, and absolutely worthy of all the praise he receives now and in the future.
The Harder They Fall is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix