Shia Saide LaBeouf (  /ˈʃaɪ.ə ləˈbʌf/; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award, and for his film debut in Holes (2003), based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar. In 2004, he made his directorial debut with the short film Let's Love Hate and later directed and shot the music video for "I Never Knew You" by rapper Cage. In 2007, LaBeouf starred as the lead in the commercially successful films, Disturbia and Transformers. His other films include Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

 

Early life

LaBeouf was born in Los Angeles, the only child of Shayna (née Saide) and Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf.His mother is a dancer and ballerina turned visual artist and clothing jewelry designer. His father is a Vietnam War veteran who had numerous jobs.

 

LaBeouf's mother is Jewish, and LaBeouf's father, who is of Cajun (French) descent, is from a Christian background. LaBeouf was raised in his mother's Jewish religion and had a Bar Mitzvah; he was also baptized in the Angelus church.

 

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."During his childhood, he accompanied his father to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.LaBeouf has also said he was subjected to verbal and mental abuse by his father, who once pointed a gun at his son during a Vietnam War flashback.LaBeouf has stated that his father was "on drugs" during his childhood, and was placed in drug rehabilitation for heroin addiction, while LaBeouf's mother was "trying to hold down the fort."His parents eventually divorced, mainly due to financial problems,and LaBeouf had what he has described as a "good childhood", growing up poor in Echo Park with his mother, who worked selling fabrics and brooches.LaBeouf's uncle was going to adopt him at one stage because his parents could not afford to have him anymore and "they had too much pride to go on welfare or food stamps." As a way of dealing with his parents' divorce, he would perform for his family, mimicking his father.LaBeouf remains close to and financially supports both of his parents.

 

He attended 32nd Street Visual and Performing Arts Magnet in Los Angeles (LAUSD)and Alexander Hamilton High School, although he received most of his education from tutors.In an interview, LaBeouf said that, looking back on his childhood, he feels grateful and considers some of those memories scars.

 

When LaBeouf was 19, after a neighbor in his Studio City apartment complex had allegedly insulted his mother and rear-ended her car, LaBeouf brought a knife, and a friend for backup, to the neighbor's apartment, which resulted in LaBeouf being assaulted by the neighbor and six of the neighbor's friends.

 

Personal life

Religion

LaBeouf has stated that he has a "personal relationship with God that happens to work within the confines of Judaism", and has described himself as Jewish. He has also detailed that religion "never made sense" to him.

 

Tattoos

LaBeouf has three tattoos, 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.He got the tattoo on his wrist as a "precautionary" to not forget his childhood.

 

LaBeouf described the upper side torso tattoo as "an artist drawing his own prison. Just life. That’s where I’m at".

 

Relationships

From 2004 to 2007, LaBeouf dated China Brezner, whom he met on the set of The Greatest Game Ever Played.They broke up because he became too busy with his work to put any time into the relationship,and he described the break-up as being like "rebuilding after a tornado."He dated English actress and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps co-star Carey Mulligan from August 2009 to October 2010;they were introduced by the film's director, Oliver Stone, prior to filming and began dating shortly after.Of that relationship he said: "I still love her. I think she's a fucking awesome person and an incredible actress. We're still pals. I wouldn't take any of it back, and I don't think she would either. It just ran its course."

 

In the August 2011 issue of Details magazine, he also admitted to having been in a relationship with Isabel Lucas while she was still dating Adrian Grenier and Megan Fox while she was still seeing her now-husband Brian Austin Green.

Filmography
Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	Christmas Path, TheThe Christmas Path	Cal
1998	Monkey Business	Wyatt
1998	Breakfast with Einstein	Joey	TV film
2001	Hounded	Ronny van Dussel	TV film
2002	Tru Confessions	Eddie Walker	TV film
2003	Battle of Shaker Heights, TheThe Battle of Shaker Heights	Kelly Ernswiler
2003	Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle	Max Petroni
2003	Even Stevens Movie, TheThe Even Stevens Movie	Louis Stevens	TV film
2003	Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd	Lewis
2003	Holes	Stanley "Caveman" Yelnats IV
2004	I, Robot	Farber
2005	Greatest Game Ever Played, TheThe Greatest Game Ever Played	Francis Ouimet
2005	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind	Asbel (voice)
2005	Constantine	Chas Kramer
2006	Bobby	Cooper
2006	Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, AA Guide to Recognizing Your Saints	Young Dito
2007	Disturbia	Kale Brecht
2007	Surf's Up	Cody Maverick (voice)
2007	Transformers	Sam Witwicky
2008	Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	Henry "Mutt Williams" Jones III
2008	Eagle Eye	Jerry Shaw/Ethan Shaw
2009	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	Sam Witwicky
2009	New York, I Love You	Jacob
2010	Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps	Jacob "Jake" Moore
2011	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	Sam Witwicky
2011	Maniac	Camera man	Short; also director
2011	Born Villain		Short; also director and co-writer
2012	Lawless	Jack Bondurant
2012	Company You Keep, TheThe Company You Keep	Ben Shepard	Post-production
2013	The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman	Charlie Countryman	Post-production
2013	The Nymphomaniac		Filming
2013	Triple Nine		Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	Caroline in the City	Ethan	1 episode: "Caroline and the Bar Mitzvah"
1999	Jesse	Moe	1 episode: "Momma Was a Rollin' Stone"
1999	Suddenly Susan	Ritchie	1 episode: "A Day in the Life"
1999	Touched by an Angel	Johnny	1 episode: "The Occupant"
1999	X-Files, TheThe X-Files	Richie Lupone	1 episode: "The Goldberg Variation"
2000	ER	Darnel Smith	1 episode: "Abby Road"
2000	Freaks and Geeks	Herbert the mascot	1 episode: "We've Got Spirit"
2000	Even Stevens	Louis Anthony Stevens	66 episodes
2001	Nightmare Room, TheThe Nightmare Room	Dylan Pierce	1 episode: "Scareful What You Wish For"
2002	Proud Family, TheThe Proud Family	Johnny McBride (voice)	1 episode: "I Love You Penny Proud"
2008	Saturday Night Live	Host	2 episodes