LaKeith Stanfield talks about time he lied on his resume and dishes on new album in 'The Tonight Show'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lakeith Stanfield made a guest appearance on 'The Tonight Show' on the night of January 10, discussing various aspects of his career with the host, Jimmy Fallon.

The American actor and musician touched on his new album, recounting his early acting days, and shared anecdotes about Googling 'how to be an actor', lying on his resume, and more.

Stanfield admitted to having lied on his resume 

Beginning the show, Fallon warmly welcomed Stanfield, describing him as a 'movie star' and expressing excitement about his return to the show.

Fallon complimented Stanfield's appearance and congratulated him on receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in 'Judas and the Black Messiah', referencing their previous discussion about the film.

The conversation flowed as Fallon asked, "It's been many years, but is it true, I heard that when you started getting into acting -- I want you to tell me if this is true. You Googled "actor" or "acting"? 

"Yeah, I Googled "ways to be an actor." And everything that filled out for, like, pages and pages and pages of results, I just filled out everything, everything I could find", Stanfield said in reply. 

Lakeith Stanfield reflected on his journey, acknowledging that some experiences were scams while others were genuine. He explained that he operated on the law of averages, and this varied path led him to where he is now.

When asked about having a resume in the early stages of his career, Stanfield admitted, "Yeah, so I created my own resume, and uh, I lied".

Stanfield reveals his new album cover to be his driver's license 

Stanfield further reflected on his youth, suggesting that in hindsight, people might have viewed his efforts with a sense of encouragement, thinking, "Bless his heart, at least he's trying."

The 'Get Out' actor shared humorous anecdotes about his early attempts at building a resume. He mentioned including "special interests" or extra skills, and one of the things he wrote was "plays harmonica," perhaps thinking it could help him stand out.

He joked about the potential response from employers, imagining them saying, "Dude, we can't find anyone that plays the harmonica!"

The conversation took a light-hearted turn as the duo disccused Stanfield's musical talents, particularly his singing, mentioning on a previous visit that he planned to release an album, and that the album's release was imminent or happening soon.

Stanfeild replied, saying, "It's coming this year -2024 I'll be dropping for the first time", with Fallon quipping in, "the cover is your driver's license".

He then shared a personal experience, remini, "I remember I was just mad, because I was like, "I don't want to be at the DMV." It was a long line, and I was just mad that day. And I was like, you know, that was a time in my life that I sort of chronicled in the music the kind of things I was going through".

The actor mentioned that this music reflects a time before he became an actor before moving on to his role in 'The Book of Clarence' and the positive reviews he has received.

'The Book of Clarence' had its world premiere at the 67th London Film Festival on October 11, 2023. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on January 12, 2024.