
Shia LaBeouf. Ahh. He’s my new favorite actor. I admit, I’ve never seen Holes, Transformers, Live Free or Die Hard… and I’m probably not going to see Indiana Jones 4, either. But I used to watch Even Stevens (don’t laugh) and I’ve seen Disturbia more than once. Hell, I loved it when I saw it in the theatre, I bought it when it came out, and I watched everything on the DVD. I watched the movie with Shia’s commentary and he seems like a really skilled actor. I think he’s going to be the next really huge star. I’m so happy for him cause he seems pretty normal, too. Shia sat down with Indie London Magazine and told them a couple things about being a star.
On coming to stardom so quickly:
Oh yeah, I’m the president of the lucky club. There are so many talented people who don’t work. And the crop of young actors I’m surrounded by is incredible. You look at Jamie Bell, he’s an ace; the dude is incredible. You watch him in Billy Elliot and it’s like: “F***, I can’t keep…†When you have people like that around you it amps you up a little bit. Also, Emile Hirsch and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or guys like Ryan Gosling. It’s a really good crowd and I feel I’m coming up at a good time. But equally, there’s a lot of good young actors who don’t get to work who are more talented than I. I’m just lucky.
On being the lead role in Transformers:
It’s just another gig. There’s a lot of pressure but I can’t think of it that way otherwise it’d be too much for me to deal with. There’s a lot of weight, a lot of pressure, you don’t want to be Jar Jar Binks, you know…
On becoming an actor:
I didn’t get into this for the craft of it. I got into it because it was available and I was broke. We were living in Echo Park and this was a means to an end. This was a way to support my family. I got a show called Even Stevens and I was getting paid and living in a motel. I didn’t know about the craft until I met Jon Voight and he changed my whole life. Had I not met him I wouldn’t be doing this still. He introduced me to the magic of what this is and books I’d never have read, or movies such as Blackboard Jungle. Voight changed my life and he doesn’t even think much of it. But he changed my whole outlook on the responsibility of an actor, the difference between personality and performance, what you have for sale, what’s for sale, what to say and how much mystery to maintain, how do deal with this type of stuff. I’d never thought about it before.
On his favorite actors:
Ray Winstone, Gary Oldman, Daniel Day Lewis. Those are my favourite actors. Hoffman, Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier. But I also enjoy watching Paris Hilton in Scream [laughs]. There’s something about her that’s kind of interesting. She’s her own character.
I like him more now knowing he isn’t really a Paris Hilton fan. I totally took that Paris comment as sarcasm. Mostly because Paris Hilton wasn’t in Scream. I hope this kid goes far and stays cool. I’d hate him to turn into Justin Timberlake, thinking he’s too good for everyone and everything.
You can read the whole interview with Shia by clicking here.
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