Meet La'Darius Marshall — The Outspoken Cheerleader From Netflix's 'Cheer' Docu-Series
La'Darius is already a fan favorite.
getty At this point, it seems like everyone has seen Netflix's Cheer docu-series, and even after watching just a couple of episodes, it's easy to get attached to the cheerleaders at Navarro College. One of the athletes the series followed was La'Darius Matthews, who opened up about the difficult experiences in his life, and the way that cheerleading helped turn it all around.
Who is La'Darius Marshall? The Cheer star had already gathered a bit of fame before the show ever premiered, and now, even more people are paying attention to this insanely talented and outspoken man.
1. Marshall has been cheering with Navarro since 2017.
On Marshall's Instagram, he constantly posts photos from cheer, whether he's at a competition with the other members of the Navarro team or working on a new routine. And just in case anyone needed more proof of exactly how hard Marshall works, when he's not cheering with Navarro, he's cheering on a competition team called the Wildcats, perfecting his skills, and, as he said on Cheer, he's also gone into coaching.
Seems like this is a sport that's going to continue to be important to Marshall for a long time to come.
2. He overcame a lot to get to where he is today.
Marshall has been open about his past experiences on Cheer. As he explained on the show, he came from a background of poverty and abuse, and that's certainly changed his outlook on life and his future.
While he credited cheering with Navarro with turning his life around, he did mention that one of his most important goals is financial stability so he doesn't have to live the way he did as a child ever again, and he's also considering joining the military.
3. Who is La'Darius Marshall? He spends most of his time cheering or hanging out with friends.
When Marshall isn't showing off his insane move on the mat, it seems like he appreciates a bit of downtime, especially with his friends. Although when the show caught up with Marshall, he was coaching cheer in Florida, these days, it seems like he's planted roots in Jackson, Mississippi.
According to his Instagram account, Marshall loves spending time at the beach and hanging out with his family, especially his mom.
4. He's already a bit of an internet star.
Long before Cheer, Marshall was already making a name for himself. In 2018, a video of him cheering with Navarro went viral, and in an interview, he said it was just a clip of him being himself, and he was happy it could bring happiness to others.
"I feel that the video going viral was just a glimpse into my life and how I am all the time," he said at the time. "Going viral made so many people happy and that’s what made me happy — receiving so many messages about how I made people's days better and cheered them up. [It] makes my heart happy."
5. He's appreciative of the success Cheer has had so far.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Marshall shared his true feelings about Cheer after seeing how well it was being received after its debut on Netflix.
"There are not enough words to explain how thankful I am for @netflix and @monicaaldama and all of you guys for showering me with so much love," he wrote. "I'm so blessed beyond measures. Nobody but God for helping change and become a better me and a better teammate. I love you guys and will stand up against the silence this world has put onto us. Speak up and speak out. Your voice does matter."
6. He already has a lot of fans.
Fans of Cheer on Twitter already know that pretty much everyone's been tweeting about the series — especially where Marshall and his friendship with teammate Jerry Harris is concerned.
"The friendship between La'Darius and Jerry on #CheerNetflix is breathtaking. They see each other fully and leverage love with accountability. My heart breaks when I consider their backstories and YET they still choose to push themselves beyond any barrier," one fan tweeted.
There's no doubt that Marshall will continue spreading the same positivity he did on the show — and hopefully, we'll see a lot more from him yet to come.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.