It was not that long ago that Shia LaBeouf was the “Next Big Thing” in Hollywood. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, LaBeouf announced he is leaving Hollywood for good. The 26-year-old actor said he is tired of the Hollywood system and will reinvent his career from here out with independent movie appearances. The actor has come a long way from the days of toiling away on Disney television shows.
Disney Star
LaBeouf was a child actor who broke out thanks to Disney Studios. After a few years of working in small movies as a child, he picked up the lead role in the Disney television series, “Even Stevens.” From there, Disney cast him in the young adult adventure movie, “Holes.” After some minor roles in Hollywood movies and one turn at an independent movie spawned from the “Project Greenlight” television series, he got the call to the big time.
Big Action Sidekick
It seemed like the perfection career reinvention for a former Disney star. LaBeouf became a sidekick character in big-budget action movies. He backed up Will Smith in “I, Robot,” and then Nic Cage in “Constantine.” It was a nice way to slide his way into Hollywood, although he never forgot his love for smaller movies. He took key roles in both “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and then decided it was time to test the waters as a leading man.
A-List Star
Like all good sidekicks, there comes a time when an actor needs to step out of the shadows of the established stars and try to make it on their own. LaBeouf got the chance with “Disturbia,” a loose remake of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, “Rear Window.” The movie was a critical and box office success, and made LaBeouf someone that studios were ready to get behind. The “Transformers” trilogy and fourth “Indiana Jones” movie made him an instant star.
Dissatisfaction
It also soured him on the Hollywood system. He referred to working with the studios as a place where they “give you the money, then get on a plane and come to the set and stick a finger up you’re a** and chase you around for five months.” As a result, he said he wants out. His next movie, “Lawless,” is an independent film that he spearheaded himself, to help get it made. He also has an upcoming role in Lars von Trier’s, “Nymphomaniac.”
“He scares me,” LaBeouf said. “And I’m only going to work now when I’m terrified.”
The reinvention of Shia LaBeouf continues.
