Shia Le Biography

Shia LaBeouf, actor

Birthdate: June 11, 1986

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Sign: Gemini

An only child, Shia Saide LaBeouf was born in Los Angeles to ballerina Shayna and Vietnam War veteran Jeffrey LaBeouf. As his mother was Jewish, he was raised in the religion.

LaBeouf claimed that he has come from "five generations of performers," as his maternal grandfather was a comedian and his paternal grandmother was a Beatnik poet. His dad worked as a mime at a circus and as a rodeo clown. He also said that his parents were "hippies" and that his father used to grow cannabis and they smoked marijuana together when he was 10.

He had performed stand up comedy at comedy clubs at the age of ten. He landed one of the title characters in the Disney channel series "Even Stevens," which launched his career in the industry. He also won a Daytime Emmy for the role. He also landed a role in "Tru Confessions" as a mentally challenged kid.

In 2003, he appeared in another Disney production, "Holes." He had small roles in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "I, Robot," and a comparatively bigger role in 2005 film "Constantine," opposite Keanu Reeves.

It was his role in the 2007 film "Disturbia" that he had received positive reviews from critics. He was also cast in the hit film "The Transformers: The Movie." Executive producer Steven Spielberg had chosen him for the role of Sam Witwicky after having been impressed by his performance in "Holes."

He was voted as 2007's Star of Tomorrow by the ShoWest convention of the National Association of Theater Owners and the 2008 BAFTA Orange Rising Star Award.

Spielberg, impressed by LaBeouf's role in "Transformers," cast him again in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which became another massive hit.

LaBeouf had been arrested in November 2007 for misdemeanor criminal trespassing in a Chicago Walgreens after he refused to leave when asked by the security guard. The charge was dropped in December.

An arrest warrant was issued for him after he failed to make an appearance in court in March 2008. The charge stemmed from a ticket he received for unlawful smoking in Burbank, California the month before. The arrest warrant was recalled after his attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf a day later. The charge was dismissed but he was ordered to pay $500 fine.

He is currently filming the second "Transformers" film.