Shia LaBeouf is one of the Disney child stars that didn't go totally insane when he turned 20 (just a little bit) and maybe his somewhat dark past with him stealing video games has something to do it.
In a recent exclusive interview with Variety, Shia Labeouf revealed a few things about his past and it was darker than most Disney child stars. LaBouf grew up with his single mom under quite poor conditions and occasionally he stole both Pokémon games and Tamagotchis. He also got arrested for the first time when he was in grade school for stealing some Nike shoes.
"We didn’t have nothing, so I would steal Pokémon video games and Tamagotchis"
Obviously, Pokémon games and Tamagotchis were probably what helped lead LaBeouf into invading Dragon Ball Z, Attack on Titan, Star Wars and Batman.
Unlike other Disney child stars who discovered drugs at a more adult age, LaBeouf discovered them earlier than most. During the filming of "Even Stevens" a young LaBeouf stayed in a hotel with his dad in Burbank where some not so Disney related activities took place.
"There were drugs everywhere — marijuana, cocaine, heroin," he says of his father’s friends. "[My dad] gave me my first joint when I was probably 11 or 12."
His somewhat different upbringing made him feel like an outsider who never really fit in anywhere.
"They would invite the Hilary Duffs and Miley Cyruses to go to the Jonas Brothers concert, and I’d be there with my friends. But we were outsiders. It felt distant"
You can read the full interview by Variety here, it's a really interesting look into the life and career of Shia LaBeouf, now his weirdness isn't as weird anymore, or at least it explains it.
