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As Disturbia comes to DVD, available now to add to your list, Blockbuster.co.uk's Marshall Julius looks in on Hollywood's hottest nerd, Shia LaBoeuf.
Flying high in Hollywood after successfully evolving from dorky child actor to awkward movie idol, Shia LaBeouf was the breakout star of 2007, wowing the critics with Disturbia, wooing the teens with Transformers and connecting with the kids as Surf's Up's Cody Maverick. A triple hit for the 21 year-old actor who'll be back on the big screen soon in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Looks like he's going to be around for a while. Incidentally, if you ever spot him on the street and feel the need to scream his name, it's pronounced Shyer La-Buff. So now you know.
An only child, Shia Saide LaBeouf was born June 11, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, to French-Cajun clown Jeffrey LaBeouf and former ballerina Shayna Saide. Named after his grandfather, who was also a comedian, the young star maintains that since Shia is Hebrew for Praise God and LaBoeuf is French for beef, his name means Praise God For Beef, a sentiment I happily echo. As a child, Shia and his parents would dress up like clowns and sell hot dogs in the park across the street from their apartment, but his father's drug addiction soon put an end to the fun and games. "I got to grow up in a situation where drugs were demonic," reflects LaBoeuf. "To watch your dad go through heroin withdrawal is something that would keep you from doing any of that to yourself." When his parents finally divorced, Shia stayed in LA with his mum.
When he was just a little kid, Shia did a stand-up comedy routine around the neighbourhood, playing in coffee clubs and anywhere else that would let him do his thing. "I was billed as the ten year-old kid with the 50 year-old mouth," he says. "I knew if I wanted to work in the business, funny would be good because I looked like Garry Shandling."
"I'm not an Adonis, that's for damn sure," continues Shia candidly. "I've never really thought of myself that way, and it doesn't matter to me. My favourite actors aren't Adonises. Dustin Hoffman is a flawed-looking man, but he's amazing to me. Tom Hanks is flawed-looking, but people love him. Same with Gene Hackman, and that's fine with me."
One day, as the story goes, Shia saw a friend of his acting in an episode of Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, and told his mum that he wanted to be an actor. The following day he found an agent in the Yellow Pages, went to his office and did a stand-up routine. They loved him, signed him, and it wasn't long before he had his own hit sitcom, Even Stevens (2000-2003), at the age of 13.
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When Shia was 16, at the end of the show's run, his role as Louis Stevens won him a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. After that, LaBeouf set his sights on the big screen.
Some facts and figures, then, to end this little Shia-fest. Like, did you know he started his own hip-hop group/record label, Element, and a film production company, Grassy Slope? I didn't. Nor did I know that Dumb & Dumber (1994), American Beauty (1999) and Saving Silverman (2001) were his favourite movies. And I had no idea his favourite music acts were System of a Down, 50 Cent, Eminem, D12, Led Zeppelin, Jack Johnson and Ben Folds. But I found out, and felt the need to pass the information along to anyone out there considering becoming a Shia fan. Because with Transformers, Surf's Up's and Disturbia all out on DVD, and Indy IV and more waiting in the wings, now's the perfect time to start.
By Marshall Julius, Blockbuster.co.uk
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