SHIA LaBeouf is a study in contrasts, a confounding mixture of braggadocio and insecurities. Ruben Nepales
LOS ANGELES—Shia LaBeouf is a walking embodiment of a Gemini—a study in contrasts. He’s a confounding mixture of braggadocio and insecurities, a man-child. But there’s one constant factor that has made him an interesting interview subject over the years: his candor.
Lately, he has been owning up to the “disasters” that he fears would make the media focus on him as a personality rather than as an actor. Shia is referring to an incident in 2008, in which Chicago police arrested him for refusing to leave a drugstore chain branch in 2007 and a bar fight early this year.
“It’s disastrous in my mind to get drunk and flip a truck,” Shia said in an interview on the Paramount Studios lot. “It’s disastrous to get hit in an accident when you’re intoxicated… To sometimes say things and hurt other people’s feelings. Bad behavior is disastrous to a person who’s trying to not be known for his personality but for his work.”
The “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” star began to talk about his scrapes when asked how being in show business has impacted his life.
“Believe it or not, this (being an actor) has been the most consistent relationship that I’ve ever had with a person, place or thing in my life thus far,” he said. “I’ve been in this business for about 12 years. It has been my best friend, worst enemy and my family. I come from a family that broke up over finances and this business allowed that [financial problem] to disappear and for my family to sort of reintroduce themselves to one another and find balance.”
Shia remains close to his parents who divorced in 1992.
Addicted to call sheets
“All my best friends, closest allies and greatest mentors come from this business,” the actor added. “This is my passion. I’m addicted to call sheets. I like the process … When you enjoy what you do, it makes you a better person because there’s more joy in your life.”
Shia is also finding joy in his love life. Flashing his boyish grin, he revealed a new woman in his life after he broke up with actress Carey Mulligan last year. “I’m dating a nice girl,” he said, looking thrilled. “She’s not an actress. She’s a student who goes to Cal State University, Long Beach. A sweet girl.” Shia only said that his new girlfriend’s name is Karolyn (published stories listed her last name as Pho).
“She’s intelligent. She checks me when I’m off. She’s into chess,” Shia said. “She likes to be adventurous with me. She’s really interested in culinary arts. I never had a cheese plate until I met her.”
Shia pointed out that Karolyn cooks well, although he doesn’t think she’s going to be a chef. “She likes patterns, fabrics and photography.”
On the screen, Shia has a new woman as well. Rosie Huntington-Whitey, an England-born Victoria’s Secret model, plays Carly, his new love interest in the third “Transformers” installment. He recently admitted he had a fling with Megan Fox, who portrayed Mikaela in the previous “Transformers” movies.
“I love Megan,” Shia said of the actress who reportedly did not get along with director Michael Bay. “She was a big part of my life, career and this movie series. But I received a new script and it had new characters. It didn’t have Mikaela in it. I understand the negatives to her being there.”
There was something interesting, Shia said, “about seeing a newcomer’s (Rosie’s) perspective again. I have my selfish negatives about losing a friend, of course, but I also see that the relationship (between his character and Megan’s) couldn’t have expanded any further than it had.”
In praise of Rosie
Despite being a successful young male star blessed with good looks, Shia confessed: “With my self-esteem being what it is, when I first met Rosie, I went, ‘There’s no way.’ There’s no way this person would find any interest in me. She’s way above my league. So naturally, I have my 25-year-old male fears. But as you talk to her, she doesn’t carry herself like a person who looks like that… She’s nurturing, playful and has a sparkle about her that I’ve never seen in any other actress that I’ve worked with.”
Unlike Megan, who was reportedly uncomfortable about her sexy role in the earlier movies, Rosie is at ease being “the girl” in a Michael Bay movie, according to Shia. “This is like a sex-driven role so for her to have that Victoria’s Secret background really gives her a spine and roots her in a comfortable zone, like having to wear a certain type of outfit that isn’t Jane Eyre,” he said.
Shia also reported that Rosie knows how to cope in a testosterone-heavy Michael Bay set. “She knows how to deal with the personalities on the set who are forceful, prideful and loud,” the actor remarked. “She’s like a referee in that regard. It’s funny she said that she leaned on me throughout the filming, but I found myself leaning on Rosie a lot because in situations that would seem difficult to me, she would brush them off and she’d find joy right away … That helps a lot when you’re in the middle of a firefight and you’re in the trench. She’s sort of the jester that way. You don’t expect that personality to be in that individual. I didn’t and I was pleasantly surprised.”
The conversation returned to an admission by Shia. What are his fears as a 25-year-old? It was almost hard to believe that this confident young man has anxieties but then again, Geminis like him are supposed to have split personalities.
“There’s insecurity with being 25,” he said. “At least from what I can see. You’re in the midst of creating your foundation for your 30s. In my mind, I find that at 25, you have to strap on your big boy pants now… I have fears naturally.”
Shia disclosed, “I probably have more insecurities than a man who’s in his 30s, has a family, kids, something stable like that which gives him fulfillment.”
On his bombastic director, Shia commented” “First and foremost, Michael and I love each other. I enjoy him thoroughly and we have a great time making this movie. But it does take a certain energy and there’s a certain friction that needs to exist for us to push each other. We work 15 hours a day.
“In that set, you need one leader but you also need a bunch of cheerleaders. The crew members feel like they need to have a spokesperson for them because you have a man who has to be a general to get these 90 people to move at a fast pace. It’s really outrageous what we do. For the crew, you need one person with a vision who’s blunt and unmistakably direct. Michael is that and sometimes that doesn’t bode well with certain people’s personalities. But you need to be able to adapt to get through this movie. The crew has a spokesman in me. There’s never a mystery where Michael is the director or not. He’s always the master and commander but there is this jovial, brotherly thing that we have that breaks up the monotony of the day.”
Making fun of Michael
And that can include, Shia said, “making fun of Michael’s hairstyle, his old music video lifestyle or his love of ‘80s R&B music. We’ll go at it all day and sometimes you’ll catch him at the wrong time, but that doesn’t stop me from doing it. If I ever hurt Michael’s feelings, I will apologize.”
Is it possible to hurt the macho director’s feelings? “It’s very possible,” he quipped, grinning. “He’s a very sensitive dude, too, believe it or not. He has a heart that can also be broken.”
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