Some actors take to method acting to make their character more believable.
In the movie Raging Bull, Robert De Niro portrayed ex-boxer, Jake LaMotta. The 77-year-old actor gained over 60lbs to portray the character. For her role in the recent Netflix hit film The Old Guard, actress Charlize Theron is reported to have sustained various injuries from performing her stunts.
However, when it comes to method acting, the crown falls on Shia LaBeouf‘s head. The 34-year-old actor is known for going to extreme lengths to portray his character in any film.
In the 2012 film, the Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman, LaBeouf allegedly tripped on acid for more than a day to deliver a realistic portrayal of his character who was on the drug. While all these seem too extreme, none surpass his method acting for the film Fury. Read on to find out how far Shia LaBeouf went to provide viewers a characteristic rendering of his war hero character.
Who is Shia LaBeouf?
Born as Shia Saide LaBeouf on June 11, 1986, the 34-year-old actor rose to fame in Disney films such as Even Stevens, where he played the role of Louis Stevens. His mother, Shayna LaBeouf, is a clothing jewelry designer, and his father, Jeffrey Craig, is a Vietnam War veteran.
LaBeouf’s father suffered from PTSD and subjected his son to mental and verbal abuse. LaBeouf recounted an episode where his father pointed a gun at him when he had one of his war flashbacks. The actor also accompanied his father to AA meetings and rehab for his addictions.
LaBeouf is no stranger to controversy as he has been charged with plagiarism by several journalists. In 2013 the actor received backlash after his short film Howard Cantour.com hit the internet. Many people noted the similarities between the film and Dan Clowe’s Justin M. Damiano.
Although LaBeouf apologized for the mistake, many still pointed that his apology was also lifted from a Yahoo Answers post from 2010. After the plagiarism accusation, other journalists and writers dug deeper into his other works, which got him even more backlash.
Despite the scandals, LaBeouf has solidified his name as an established actor, and the 2014 war film Fury is a true testament of his true talent.
LaBeouf’s role in ‘Fury’
Fury is a 2014 war film starring Brad Pitt as Wardaddy, leading 5 of his crew members in attacking the Nazis. The film’s director and writer David Ayer sourced inspiration from his veteran family members and reading books that talked about war and experiences of being on the frontline.
On October 7, 2014, the film premiered and grossed $211 million in the Box Office on a $60 million budget. Fury received positive reception with Rotten Tomatoes, rating it at 76%. LaBeouf played one of the war heroes, Boyd ‘Bible’ Swan. In the film, LaBeouf’s Boyd Swan is known for being a Bible-quoting fellow with a very tranquil personality.
The lengths Shia LaBeouf went to play Boyd ‘Bible’ Swan
According to Independent, actor Logan Lerman, who played Norman Ellison, narrating his experience with his costars in an interview with GQ, had plenty to say about Shia LaBeouf and his method acting. The actor stated that LaBeouf had his front tooth removed for his character on the show and went for days without bathing.
Speaking more about this, LaBeouf explained in an interview on The Jimmy Kimmel Show that he had asked various dentists to conduct the procedure. He added that they all thought it was insane and medically unnecessary. He ended up having his tooth pulled out near RadioShack.
Lerman also added that LaBeouf thought that his face scar makeup wasn’t convincing enough and sliced his face open. Lerman said that LaBeouf kept opening up his scars while filming to bring out the realistic war scars.
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