I must be missing something here; why does this actor get such street cred?
I can’t see anything in his IMDB resume that merits this buzz. He doesn’t have the looks of Brad Pitt so I rule out appearance. I don’t have anything against him, just curious as to why he seems to be so damn popular.
What am I not seeing? Thanks.
I think at least 50% of it is the fact that he has a memorable name. He’s blandly handsome in a boyish way, but not striking, and I don’t think he’s that amazing of an actor from what I’ve seen him in.
Essentially, he was seen as almost single-handedly making Disturbia a surprise hit this past spring.* That, and he rode the Transformers wave adeptly (by simply staying cute and sympathetic amidst all the cacophony), only to get earmarked for the choicest role in town: Indiana Jones Jr.** Next year will be big for him, but he is a decent actor with some indie cred as well, plus, Walmart escapades aside, he’s got a whole Horatio Alger backstory that makes him irresistable to the press.
*Sorry David Morse, but you’re not a B.O. draw
**No, I don’t know whether he plays his actual son
I hate his name. Shia TheBeef. Ugh.
The entertainment industry can make anyone a star as long as all the big-wigs collaborate.
He is a good actor. He was good in the Disney series 'Even Stevens" (not one note like so many of the kid actors) and he was great in the Disney movie ‘Holes’. I think for ‘Transformers’ he channeled his TV series persona a little too much, but he is good.
I, too, think he’s a pretty good actor. His roles haven’t been that challenging, but he manages to exude a certain charm and energy onscreen. Even in a film like Disturbia (which was surprisingly fun), his acting was a highlight. In Transformers, he carried his action-comedy role really well, and never looked unintentionally awkward. I can’t wait to see him in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie.
I wonder the same thing. I find him annoying and think he almost ruined Constantine.
I really liked him in Holes.
He isn’t bad in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” either.
I think the entertainment industry would like to think they can make anyone a star, unfortunately, they don’t know exactly what is going to hit - so they spread their bets and come up with a “diversified portfolio.” Shia LeBoeuf seems to have a decent head on his shoulders, be not a bad actor, and could be the next Tom Hanks. Or he could disappear.
If I were jaded, I’d also think Disney is very interested right now in having some of its child stars make a successful transition to well balanced adult actors - and they have the clout to pull some strings. Lindsey Lohan is a train wreck, former Mouseketeer Brittney Spears has become the poster child for “Trailer Trash.”
Until I saw his picture, I assumed he was Black and female. I shit you not.
Yes, but that’s because Keanu did a perfectly good job of ruining it all by himself, thankyouverymuch.
…sorry, just had to be said.
Besides, given a half-decent script, the kid actually demonstrates a fair amount of acting skill and he’s rather charming in a local-boy-makes-good kind of way. Aside from the tour de force that was Megan Fox’s bellybutton, he’s pretty much the only reason to bother renting Transformers.
Well, he’s popular because he’s being publicized. Publicity, for an actor, isn’t just a function of how popular they are. It’s a function of how much money is put into advertising them. For whatever reason, Shia The Beef has been picked up as a good bet, so they hype him; they get him into Entertainment Tonight, talk shows, and all that kind of crap as much as possible.
Sometimes, a young star is heavily touted, and it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. I still remember when they picked Gretchen Mol to be the “next It girl.” That did not turn out to be the case.
I’m betting against Shia The Beef - he’s not particularly talented as an actor and doesn’t have the sort of charisma that would allow him to slot into a character actor role, like you see with Topher Grace.
Second the thumbs-up on this guy’s job in Holes. Great, quirky movie, and LaBeouf played it really understated and well, IIRC.
He’s like a young Michael J. Fox!
… actually, he kind of is. Got decent talent.
That’s hardly Gretchen Mol’s fault. I think the hype that was unfortunately built around her did her more harm than good. She is a decent actress. I’ve liked her in all the things I’ve seen her in, especially The Notorious Bettie Page, where she completely inhabited the role. I like seeing her pop up when I least expect it, such as playing Christian Bale’s wife in 3:10 to Yuma. I feel bad for her because she not only has to be a working actress, she has to live up to/live down (depending on your point of view) the expectations.
In any case, I liked Shia in Disturbia and Transformers too. They’re the only things I’ve seen him in. I still can’t believe the dumbass got arrested in a Walgreens though. I pass by that Walgreens every time I go to the movies at my favorite theater. I now think of it as “Shia’s Walgreens.”
Even worse, really, as (despite the OP’s gracious and possibly inadvertent modification in the thread title) his name is actually “Shia LaBeouf”[sic]
Which, as I recall from my French Illiteracy classes, roughly translates to “Shia TEH BEEAF!!@”
I’ve only seen him in Transformers, but I really like him. I like the nerdy, goofy, boy-next-door type, so he’s right up my alley. Plus he seems to have a real sense of humor about himself. I like that.
But really I just love saying “Shia THE BEEF!!!” I giggle every time I say it.
Details?
BTW, is it just me, or is “It Girl” a serious contender for Most Irritating Phrase in the History of Human Society?
I think he was launched from the now defunct Project Greenlight. Remember The Battle of Shaker Heights?