Shia LaBeouf
{{Infobox actor | bgcolour = | name = Shia LaBeouf | image = LaBeouf6.jpg | imagesize = 225px | caption = LaBeouf (right) while filming Transformers in Detroit, Michigan, October 3, 2006 | birthname = Shia Saide LaBeouf | birthdate = Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Shia Saide LaBeouf[1] (born June 11, 1986) is an American Cajun actor and comedian. After growing up in California, he became known with a starring role in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens. He made the transition to film roles with Holes, a box office success, and has since appeared in several Hollywood films, including Constantine and The Greatest Game Ever Played. In 2007, LaBeouf starred in Disturbia and Transformers, and is slated to star in Indiana Jones 4, which is scheduled for theatrical release in 2008. Several media publications have written that LaBeouf may become a major film star during the course of 2007.[2][3][4][5]
Biography
Early life
Shia LaBeouf, (pronounced [ˈʃajə lə'bʌf], "Shy-uh La-Buff"[6], Shia is Hebrew for 'gift from God' and LaBeouf is, literally, French for 'the beef') was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Jeffrey LaBeouf, a former mime[7] at a circus and rodeo clown[8] who "drifted" from job to job, and Shayna Saide, a dancer and ballerina[6] turned visual artist;[9] his maternal grandfather was a comedian who worked in the Borscht Belt of the Catskill Mountains.[10] LaBeouf has said that he comes from "five generations of performers" and was "acting when I came out of the womb".[9] LaBeouf's father is a Cajun (once described by LaBeouf as a "Ragin' Cajun")[9] and his mother is Jewish,[11][12][13] and LaBeouf was raised in the Jewish religion[14] and had a Bar Mitzvah.[15] 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".[9][16] LaBeouf's father used to grow cannabis,[7] and the two smoked marijuana together when LaBeouf was ten.[9][17] He has said that his father was in rehab for heroin addiction during Shia's childhood, while Shia's mother was "trying to hold down the fort".[7] His parents eventually divorced, but he had what he describes as a "good childhood", growing up poor with his mother (who worked selling fabrics and brooches)[18] in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, and attending a predominantly Latino and African-American school.[11]
LaBeouf would "create things, story lines and fictitious tales" during childhood, and later practiced stand-up comedy around his neighborhood as an "escape" from a hostile environment.[11] He began performing stand-up and "talking dirty" at comedy clubs (including the The Ice House in Pasadena)[19] at the age of ten (describing his appeal as having "disgustingly dirty"[19] material and a "50-year-old mouth on the 10-year-old kid")[18], and found an agent through the Yellow Pages, being taken on after doing his stand-up act for her.[11]
Career
LaBeouf has said that he initially became an actor because his family was "broke", not because he wanted to pursue an acting career.[19] He conned his way into showbiz by pretending to be his own manager and promoting himself in the third person to an agent. [20] He became well known among young audiences after playing Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel weekly program Even Stevens, a role for which he was cast three months after being signed by his agent.[11] His father, at the time just released from rehab, served as his on-set parent and the two bonded.[21] LaBeouf was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for the role[9] and has said that he "grew up on that show" and that his childhood was "kind of lost," although his being cast in the show was the "best thing" that has happened to him.[7] During this time period, LaBeouf also appeared in sketch shows on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[19] In 2003, he appeared in another Disney production, Holes, as Stanley "Caveman" Yelnats IV, opposite actors Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight and Tim Blake Nelson. The film was a moderate box office success. That same year, he was heavily featured in the HBO documentary show Project Greenlight, which chronicled the making of the independent film The Battle of Shaker Heights. He had a small role in I, Robot (2004); he appeared in the action-horror film Constantine (2005), opposite Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz.
In 2006, LaBeouf played in the ensemble film drama Bobby, which called for him to do his first nude scene when he strips naked while on an LSD trip. LaBeouf has said that he chose to appear in some of his film roles in order to "curse as much as possible"[22] and "age [himself] publicly" after his Disney roles, specifying that Disney is "great and all" and a "nurturing place"[19] but "dehabilitating for an actor", being "one constant string of same".[8] He has also said that he "enjoyed" being a child actor and "hated" school.[23]
In 2007, LaBeouf starred in Disturbia, a thriller released on April 13. He played a teenager under house arrest who suspects that his neighbor, played by David Morse, is a murderer. LaBeouf received positive reviews for the role, with the Buffalo News stating that LaBeouf "has grown into an appealing, bright young actor who is able to simultaneously pull off [the character's] anger, remorse and intelligence",[24] Kurt Loder of MTV writing that LaBeouf "gets his star ticket decisively punched",[25] and the San Francisco Chronicle noting that LaBeouf is "fast becoming the best young actor in Hollywood".[26] In comparing the film with Rear Window, The New York Daily News described LaBeouf's appeal as "more John Cusack than Jimmy Stewart".[27] Also in 2007, LaBeouf provided a voice role as Cody Maverick in the animated film Surf's Up.
LaBeouf's latest role is that of a teenager who uncovers a robot infestation of Earth in director Michael Bay's Transformers, released on July 3, 2007. LaBeouf has said that he is a fan of The Transformers television series and the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie,[28] and that Disturbia was the most important film to him of the three, because it is a "character-driven" role.[11]
In 2007, LaBeouf presented an award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 31, appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on April 2, and hosted Saturday Night Live on April 14. He was named 2007's "star of tomorrow" by the ShoWest convention of the National Association of Theater Owners.[29] In April 2007, LaBeouf was officially cast to appear in Indiana Jones IV, scheduled to begin filming in June of 2007 for a May 22, 2008 release date.[30]
Personal life
LaBeouf attended 32nd Street Visual and Performing Arts Magnet school in Los Angeles (LAUSD)[9] and Alexander Hamilton High School, although he received most of his education from tutors.[18] He bought his own house at the age of eighteen,[4] remains close to both his parents[7] and lives in Burbank, California with his father.[9][11] He was accepted to Yale University, but declined, later remarking that he is "getting the kind of education you don't get at school",[29] although he would like to attend college.[9] LaBeouf is a smoker,[9][31] drives a Nissan[5] and has two dogs named Brando and Rex.[4][32] LaBeouf has said that "sports is so big in my life"[31] and that he is a "film junkie".[33] He enjoys the music of The Shins and the hip-hop label Definitive Jux.[19]
LaBeouf has cited actors Dustin Hoffman,[19] Jodie Foster, Jon Voight and John Turturro as inspirations,[4] and 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".[9] 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".[5]
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".[14]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Herbert the mascot | TV Show |
| 2000-2003 | Even Stevens | Louis Stevens | TV Show |
| 2001 | The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For | Dylan Pierce | one episode |
| 2001 | Hounded | Ronny Van Dusen | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| 2002 | Tru Confessions | Eddie Walker | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| 2003 | The Even Stevens Movie | Louis Stevens | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| 2003 | The Battle of Shaker Heights | Kelly Ernswiler | limited release |
| Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Max Petroni | ||
| Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd | Lewis | ||
| Holes | Stanley Yelnats/Caveman | ||
| 2004 | I, Robot | Farber | |
| 2005 | The Greatest Game Ever Played | Francis Ouimet | |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | Asbel | voice role | |
| Constantine | Chas Kramer | ||
| 2006 | Bobby | Cooper | |
| A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints | Young Dito | ||
| 2007 | Disturbia | Kale Brecht | |
| Surf's Up | Cody Maverick | voice role | |
| Transformers | Sam "Spike" Witwicky | ||
| 2008 | Indiana Jones IV |
References
- ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
- ^ Long, Tom (2007-04-13). "Breakout". Detroit News. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Kepnes, Caroline (2007-04-13). "Weekend Peep Show: Spring Cleaning!". E! Online. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d Randall, Laura (2007-04-13). "Shia LaBeouf's star gets brighter". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c Portman, Jamie (2007-04-13). "Shia LaBeouf's make-or-break year". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Garcia, Chris (2007-04-12). "Next project could transform Shia LaBeouf into son of Indy". Austin360. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e Lemire, Christy (2007-04-13). "Shia LaBeouf: 'I'm sick of being a boy'". Canton Repository. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Woulfe, Molly (2007-04-13). "All grown up, Shia spouts off on 'Disturbia'". NW Times. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Koltnow, Barry (2007-04-13). "Watching the moves". OC Register. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Strickler, Jeff (2007-04-12). "'Disturbia' actor still just a kid". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g Strauss, Bob (2007-04-07). "Shia LaBeouf has come a long way in Hollywood". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Thomas, Karen (2003-04-20). "'Holes' may mean a real opening for Shia LaBeouf". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Shady, Bethany (2/02). "SHIA LaBEOUF". Tastes Like Chicken. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Bloom, Nate (2007-04-10). "Interfaith Celebrities: Shia the Mensch". Interfaithfamily.com. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ O, Jimmy (2007-04-11). "INT: Shia LaBeouf". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Fischer, Paul (2005-02-08). "Interview: Shia LaBeouf for "Constantine"". Dark Horizons. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Mentioned on a 2004 episode of Last Call with Carson Daly
- ^ a b c King, Susan (2007-04-11). "A prime cut of LaBeouf". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g Cabrera, Delmy (2007-04-14). "LaBeouf takes over Tinsel Town at Twenty". The Depaulia. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Harvey, Shannon (2007-04-14). "'He's a natural'". Sunday Times.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Williamson, Kevin (2007-04-12). "LaBeouf shaped by drug abuse". Jam! Showbiz. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Johnson, Neala (2007-04-12). "Shia ground". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Cordova, Randy (2007-04-13). "Career window opening for Shia LaBeouf". AZ Central. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Schobert, Christopher (2007-04-13). "Movies: Creepy cool 'Disturbia'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Loder, Kurt (2007-04-13). "'Disturbia': Watchmen, By Kurt Loder". MTV Movie News. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Stein, Ruthe (2007-04-13). "If only Jimmy Stewart had had Wi-Fi and a cell". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth (2007-04-13). "Movie Review: Nightmare in suburbia". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Carroll, Larry (2006-08-31). "'Transformers' Set Has Flashy Cars, Robot Models, Exploding Furbys". MTV. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Moore, Roger (2007-04-13). "As Shia LaBeouf grows up,critical acclaim grows stronger". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "LaBeouf Confirmed for Indiana Jones 4" (Press release). Coming Soon.net. 2007-04-13. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Randall, Laura (2007-04-13). "Shia LaBeouf's hot, and he's caught Spielberg's eye". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Shia LaBeouf trivia". Retrieved 2007-06-12.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Topel, Fred (2007-04-12). "Shia Labeouf talks Transformers". CraveOnline. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
External links
- Shia LaBeouf at IMDb