10 Actors Who Were Haunted By Their Movie Roles
7. Lakeith Stanfield – Judas And The Black Messiah
Judas and the Black Messiah is one of 2021’s standout films. It’s a powerful movie that encapsulates an emotional and equally relevant story which sees William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), better known as Bill, offered a plea deal by the FBI that sees O’Neal infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intel on its chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).
It's a tale of betrayal and deception, and the film perfectly captures these elements. Although Kaluuya ruled the roost and garnered his first Academy Award from his second nomination, Stanfield also received recognition from the Academy, albeit not taking home the gold this time.
That said, it’s easy to see why the 31-year-old’s on-screen work was acknowledged, as his portrayal of O’Neal is Stanfield's best silver screen work to date, but also his most challenging and damaging.
In a chat with Level, Lakeith highlighted how the role had significant ramifications on his mental health due to having real difficulty dissociating himself from the character. Per Stanfield, “It’s no wonder I’ve been feeling so stressed out and having panic attacks. I realised going forward before I step into something like that again, maybe have a therapist.”
This makes a lot of sense, as the cruel nature of his counterpart was demonstrated through the actions he took and the decisions he made that led to Hampton’s eventual assassination on 4 December 1969.