Shia LaBeouf says method acting caused madness and row with Alec Baldwin

The Transformers actor said he was out of his mind
Transformed: Shia attended the red carpet premiere of Brad Pitt's new film Fury with girlfriend Mia Goth (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Miranda Bryant20 October 2014
The Weekender

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Troubled Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf has blamed his method acting for the row with Alec Baldwin that nearly wrecked his career, admitting: “I was out of my mind.”

The 28-year-old was fired from Broadway play Orphans last year for clashing with leading man Baldwin.

The Transformers star has now said he may have taken his preparation for the role of a street-smart kidnapper too far.

Fury Premiere

1/11

He told Interview magazine: “Alec and I butted heads hard. I was sleeping in the park... At the time, I was out of my mind. My whole goal was to intimidate the f*** out of Baldwin. That was the role. And it wasn’t going to be fake. I wanted him to be scared... so I went about doing that for three weeks of rehearsal.”

Baldwin, 56, has claimed LaBeouf verbally “attacked” him for not learning lines ahead of rehearsals.

LaBeouf finally reached a settlement with the producers of the play, which was to mark his New York stage debut, after filing a grievance with the Actors’ Equity union.

At the European premiere of his film Fury, which closed the BFI London Film Festival, the actor also admitted he pushes himself to extremes because he lacks confidence in his acting.

LaBeouf, pictured in Leicester Square with girlfriend Mia Goth, said: “I don’t have faith in my abilities or my skill set. I try to alter my life so that I don’t have to conjure anything.”

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