LaBeouf began his comedy career when he was 10 years old, and then launched his acting career in 1998 at the age of 12. He became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, also appearing in three Disney TV movies. In 2003, LaBeouf made his film debut in Holes, also appearing in the lead role in The Battle of Shaker Heights the same year.
In 2005, LaBeouf made his transition from teen roles in The Greatest Game Ever Played. In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers, and the following year he appeared in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as Indiana's son. LaBeouf reprised his role as Sam Witwicky in the Transformers sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and will also appear in New York, I Love You in 2009. LaBeouf's upcoming films include the lead roles in The Associate, and Wall Street 2.
In May 2009, LaBeouf made his directorial debut by directing Cage's music video for the single "I Never Knew You".
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
1.1 Family
1.2 Education
2 Acting career
2.1 Early work
2.2 2000-2003: Disney Career
2.3 2004-2006: Career success
2.4 2007-2008: Breakthrough
2.5 2009-present: Upcoming films
3 Other work
3.1 Comedian
3.2 Director
3.3 Host
4 Personal life
4.1 Relationships
4.2 Arrests
5 Filmography
6 References
7 External links
//
Early life
Family
LaBeouf was born in Los Angeles, California, an only child. His mother, Shayna (née Saide), is a dancer and ballerina turned visual artist and clothing/jewelry designer. His father, Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf, is a Vietnam War veteran who "drifted" from job to job, working as a mime at a circus, a snow cone salesman, a rodeo clown and a stand-up comedian, and touring with the Doobie Brothers as their opening act.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Shia LaBeouf's New York-born mother is Jewish and his father is a Cajun (once described by LaBeouf as a "Ragin' Cajun"). LaBeouf was raised in the Jewish religion and had a Bar Mitzvah.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The name Shia is Hebrew for "gift from God",[14][15] and the surname LaBeouf is a corruption of "le bœuf", the French term for "the ox" or "the beef".[8][16] LaBeouf has said that he comes from "five generations of performers" and was "acting when [he] came out of the womb."[7] LaBeouf's maternal grandfather, a Polish Holocaust survivor who shared his first name,[17] was a comedian who worked in the Borscht Belt of the Catskill Mountains, and his paternal grandmother was a Beatnik poet and lesbian who associated with Allen Ginsberg.[3][16][18]
LaBeouf has described his parents as "hippies", his father as "tough as nails and a different breed of man", and his upbringing as similar to a "hippy lifestyle", stating that his parents were "pretty weird people, but they loved me and I loved them."[7][19] LaBeouf's father used to grow cannabis, and the two smoked marijuana together when LaBeouf was ten.[4][7] LaBeouf has also said that his father was "on drugs" during his childhood, being addicted to heroin and placed in drug rehabilitation for heroin addiction, while LaBeouf's mother was "trying to hold down the fort."[4] His parents eventually divorced, and he had what he has described as a "good childhood", growing up poor with his mother (who worked selling fabrics and brooches) in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California.[9][20]
In a May 2009 PARADE magazine interview, LaBeouf states, "I just knew that money was a solution to whatever the hell was going on in my household. With money, I and my family would have had more options. So I went after a job that I thought I could make the most money for a 10-year-old or an 11-year-old boy."[21]
In April 2007, it was confirmed that LaBeouf was cast in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. LaBeouf was Steven Spielberg's first choice for the role, having been impressed by his performance in Holes.[46] LaBeouf said that he signed on to the film without reading the script and did not know what character he would play.[47] Shooting for the film began on June 18, 2007[48] at Deming, New Mexico.[49] and finished on the morning of October 12, 2007.[50][51] LaBeouf played Mutt Williams, a greaser who goes to Indiana Jones to tell him that his old colleague Harold Oxley was kidnapped after discovering a "crystal skull in Peru". Mutt is later revealed to be the son of Indiana and Marion Ravenwood. LeBeouf said that in order to prepare for his role in the film that he worked out seven days a week for three hours a day and described his diet as being "protein-heavy, carb-heavy", saying that "I'll run for an hour and then I'll do two hours of weights." LaBeouf gained over fifteen pounds of muscle.[52] LaBeouf said of the experience "I have definitely not trained like this for anything in my life. I'm preparing like I'm going into battle."[53] LaBeouf watched Blackboard Jungle, Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One to get into his character's "mindset", and he also[46] copied mannerisms and words from characters in those films, such as the use of a switchblade as a weapon.[54]
During filming LaBeouf pulled his rotator cuff when filming a fight scene with Spalko, which was the first injury in his career. The injury got worse throughout filming and he pulled his groin.[55] Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and was released Thursday May 22 in North America and grossed $25 million its opening day.[56] For his role, LaBeouf was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Teen Choice Award for Actor: Action Adventure, and a People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Match-Up.
LaBeouf's next and final 2008 film was Eagle Eye, a thriller directed by D. J. Caruso (who also directed LaBeouf in Disturbia) and released on September 26, 2008. This was LaBeouf's third film in which producer Steven Spielberg was involved (who also produced Transformers and directed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Filming began on November 6, 2007[57] and wrapped in February 2008.[58] LaBeouf starred alongside Michelle Monaghan and Billy Bob Thornton.[59] Eagle Eye centers around two strangers, Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) who are being framed as terrorist by the FBI. LaBeouf and Monaghan performed 80% of their own stunts. LaBeouf said that "There was a CIA agent who was working on the movie with us, and [he] told me...[that] one in five phone calls is recorded. [He then] proceeded to play for me a phone call I had made two years prior to signing on to the film. It's pretty terrifying."[60] Eagle Eye opened at #1 in its opening weekend, making over $29 million, and over $177 million worldwide. For his role LaBeouf was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance.
In December 2008, LaBeouf dropped out of the film Dark Fields due to a hand injury for which he had to undergo surgery, which would not be fully healed by the time production started.[61][62][63]
2009-present: Upcoming films
In May, 2008 LaBeouf began filming the sequel to Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen[64] and finished filming on November 2, 2008.[65] LaBeouf reprised his role as Sam Witwicky. Due to LaBeouf's injury from his car accident, director Michael Bay and screen writer Roberto Orci had to rewrite the script to protect LaBeouf's hand throughout filming.[66][67] LaBeouf said production was only delayed by two days after his accident because Michael Bay made up for it by filming second unit scenes, and he recovered from a few weeks earlier than expected, allowing him to return to the set.[68] Near the end of filming, LaBeouf injured his eye when he hit a prop; the injury required seven stitches. LaBeouf resumed filming two hours later.[69] Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen premiered on June 8, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.[70] After its UK release on June 19, 2009, the film was released in regular and IMAX theaters in the United States on June 24.[71] For his lead role in the film, LaBeouf was reportedly paid around $5 million.[72]
In March 2008 LaBeouf began filming the romantic comedy New York, I Love You, and finished filming in April 2008. LaBeouf plays Jacob, a minor role in the film, which is a collection of short stories about finding love in the five boroughs of New York and the sequel to Paris, je t'aime. The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2008. LaBeouf will star alongside Natalie Portman, Blake Lively, and Orlando Bloom. The film is set to be released on October 16, 2009.[73]
Neil Gaiman said in an interview with MTV that he is planning to direct a film adaption of the comic book series Death: The High Cost of Living, and that the film is tentatively titled Death and Me. The project has been in development hell for several years; work on it was renewed in 2007, but was quickly derailed again due to the WGA strikes and production of the film was relaunched in late 2007.[74] Gaiman said of LaBeouf having involvement in the film that "Shia really wanted the part," and "and it’s not that he’s too big after Transformers, or whether I could get him after he’s in the new Indiana Jones, but he’s growing up fast. Can he pass for 17 for that much longer? That might have been just about it after Transformers. He’s becoming an adult, but he’s one of Death’s biggest supporters, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he were in it.".[75]
In early December 2008, LaBeouf signed on to star as the lead role Kyle McAvoy in the film adaption of the novel The Associate by John Grisham.[76][77] The film is currently in pre-production. It was reported that Grisham had hand picked LaBeouf for the role, saying that "I think he'll be wonderful!", and that "He's a very talented actor, and he's hot. He's the hottest 22-year-old actor in America, and I think he'll do a wonderful job."[78]
In May 2009, Variety reported that LaBeouf was negotiations to join the cast of Wall Street 2.[79] On June 2, 2009 it was confirmed that LaBeouf signed onto to star as the lead role in Wall Street 2, the sequel to the Academy Award-winning film Wall Street.[80][81] In the film Labeouf will play an "ambitious, young Wall Street trader who is engaged to Gekko's (Michael Douglas) daughter".[82][83] The film is set to begin principal photography on August 10, 2009, and the film is tentative set to be released in Febuary, 2010.[84][85][86]
Other work
Comedian
LaBeouf would "create things, story lines and fictitious tales" during his childhood, and practiced stand-up comedy around his neighborhood as an "escape" from a hostile environment.[9] He began performing stand-up and "talking dirty" at comedy clubs (including the The Ice House in Pasadena) at the age of ten (describing his appeal as having "disgustingly dirty" material and a "50-year-old mouth on the 10-year-old kid").[20][24] LaBeouf subsequently found an agent through the Yellow Pages, being taken on after doing his stand-up act for her and pretending to be his own manager, promoting himself in the third person.[9][87]
Director
In February 2009 LaBeouf teamed up with rapper Chris "Cage" Palko to direct the music video for "I Never Knew You," the first single off of Cage's third album, Depart From Me. The music video was shot on location in downtown Los Angeles on February 21 and 22 and featured cameos by other Definitive Jux artists such as El-P, Aesop Rock, Chauncey, F. Sean Martin, Yak Ballz and Alex Pardee. According to the LA Weekly, this video marks the first in a series of collaborations between LaBeouf and Cage and will ultimately result in a film about the rapper's life starring LaBeouf. When asked what it was like directing the "I Never Knew You" video, LaBeouf said, "I'm 22 and I'm directing my favorite rapper's music video. This shit is better than riding unicorns."[88] The video premiered May 18 on MTV2 and MtvU.
Host
On April 14, 2007, LaBeouf hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Avril Lavigne to promote his then upcoming film Disturbia. Throughout the show LaBeouf and Lavigne acted in skits.[89][90][91] LaBeouf said of the experience of hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time that "This is hands down the biggest, most exciting thing I've ever been involved with in my life. I can only compare it to my Bar Mitzvah."[92] On May 10, 2008, LaBeouf hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time with musical guest My Morning Jacket to promote his then upcoming film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, appearing in skits during the show.[93][94]
Personal life
LaBeouf bought his own two-bedroom house at the age of 18,[95] lives in Burbank, California, and remains close to both his parents;[4] his mother now lives nearby in Tujunga, Los Angeles, California and his father in Montana.[3][7][9] LaBeouf is a cigarette smoker,[3][7][96] but he has recently stated that he's quitting smoking.[97] LaBeouf drives a Nissan Maxima,[98] and has two bulldogs named Brando and Rex.[95][99] LaBeouf is good friends with A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints co-stars Channing Tatum and Adam Scarimbolo.[100] LaBeouf wears contact lenses.[101] LaBeouf has said that "sports are so big in my life"[96] and that he is a "film junkie".[102] He enjoys the music of The Shins, CKY, and the hip hop label Definitive Jux.[24] LaBeouf has said that he is a fan of The Transformers television series and the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie,[103] LaBeoufs favorite movies include American Beauty, Dumb and Dumber and Saving Silverman.[104] LaBeouf has said that he considers The Greatest Game Ever Played his transition movie from child actor to adult actor.[105]
LaBeouf has said that he is "very serious" about his career and has made "a calculated effort to stay away from the party scene," believing that "if the industry takes you lightly because you're always partying, then they will take your work lightly as well."[7] Interviewer Jamie Portman of The Vancouver Sun described LaBeouf as seeming to have a "love-hate relationship with the teenage culture that has spawned him."[98] LaBeouf has said that although he does not devoutly practice Judaism, he has a "personal relationship with God that happens to work within the confines of Judaism".[12]
LaBeouf has said that he is not the "All-American Disney role model"[6] and chose to appear in some of his film roles in order to "curse as much as possible"[106] and "age [himself] publicly" after his Disney roles, specifying that Disney is "great and all" and a "nurturing place"[24] but "dehabilitating for an actor", being "one constant string of same".[5] He has also said that he enjoyed being a child actor and hated school.[6][107] LaBeouf has said that Disturbia was the most important film to LaBeouf of his three 2007 films, because it was a "character-driven" role.[9] LaBeouf was ranked #7 on Yahoo! List of 10 Most Popular Stars of 2007 on Yahoo! Movies, #4 on interview magazines Hollywood faces to watch "future stars of tomorrow", #24 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actors list, and was ranked #6 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25' in 2008[108]
LaBeouf has three known tattoos as of May 2009, which are: 1986-2004 on his inner right wrist, a dog paw tattoo on his upper left arm, and a hand with a shackle on it on his left upper side torso.[109][110][111] LaBeouf said of the reason to why he got the tattoo on his wrist was "I’ve been doing this for 10 years, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, I forgot my childhood or I miss my childhood." and continued with "so that’s just precautionary".[112] LaBeouf also described the tattoo on his upper side torso as "It’s like an artist drawing his own prison" and continued with "Just life. That’s where I’m at".[113]
LaBeouf has cited actors Gary Oldman[114] Dustin Hoffman,[24] Jodie Foster, Jon Voight, and John Turturro as inspirations,[95] and has also cited director/producer Francis Lawrence as an inspiration, to whom LaBeouf worked with on the 2005 film Constantine.[115] LaBeouf has also said of Jon Voight that he considers him to be like a second father and a mentor.[116]
Relationships
LaBeouf confirmed to People that from 2004-2007 he dated model China Brezner, who he met on the set of The Greatest Game Ever Played.[117] He said of the reason of the break-up that "My focus became so work-related that I couldn't devote any time to a relationship", but that "We were inseparable, she was my best friend and my love", LaBeouf said of the break-up that "it was like rebuilding after a tornado."[118][119] LaBeouf has said he tries to avoid relationships with co-stars saying that "It's really easy to fall for someone on-set, but in the end you know, it's a representative and it's not really them".[120]
Arrests
On November 4, 2007, LaBeouf was arrested early in the morning for misdemeanor criminal trespassing in a Chicago Walgreens after refusing to leave when asked by a security guard.[121] The criminal charges were dropped on December 12, 2007.[122]
In March 2008, an arrest warrant was issued for LaBeouf after he failed to turn up to a court appearance. The hearing was in relation to a ticket he received for unlawful smoking in Burbank, California in February 2008. When neither LaBeouf nor a lawyer turned up at the court at 8:30 a.m., a $1000 bench warrant was issued for his arrest,[123] however the court commissioner in California recalled this warrant on March 19, 2008 after the actor’s attorney arrived a day late to plead not guilty on LaBeouf's behalf, and a pre-trial hearing was set for April 24, 2008.[124] The charge was dismissed after the actor paid a $500 fine.[125]
In the early morning hours of July 27, 2008, authorities arrested LaBeouf on misdemeanor drunk driving charges in Los Angeles, after the actor was involved in a car collision in which he injured his hand. His passenger (Isabel Lucas) and another driver also suffered minor injuries.[126][127] Two days later, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman announced that LaBeouf was not at fault in the accident, saying that the other driver had run a red light.[128] Roberto Orci revealed that LaBeouf's injury had been written into the plot of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which he was filming at the time, and that they wanted to ensure that his hand was protected for the remainder of the shoot.[129] Despite the fact that LaBeouf was not criminally charged in the accident, his license was suspended for one year by the California Department of Motor Vehicles for his refusal to take a breathalyzer test.[130]
