Sometimes actors go to extreme lengths for a part. Hell, just last night we reported that Bradley Cooper put on 40 pounds of muscle so that he could more accurately portray a Navy SEAL in Clint Eastwood's upcoming film American Sniper. This kind of story is rather common in Hollywood, but Shia LaBeouf really managed to take the idea up a few notches after he signed on to star in David Ayer's upcoming tank drama Fury.
In an interview with British GQ (via The Independent), LaBeouf's co-star Logan Lerman revealed that the Transformers actor was willing to mutilate his own face in the name of making Fury a more accurate movie. According to Lerman, it all began when LaBeouf was sitting in the make-up chair getting fake cuts applied to his face for a scene. He was dissatisfied with the work and didn't believe that it looked real enough. He then walked into the hallway, said, "Hey man, wanna see something fun? Check this out…" and then proceeded to cut his face with a knife. He would also keep opening the cuts all through production, making sure that they continued to look fully realistic:
But face cutting wasn't the end of LaBeouf's dedication to the role. He also had his front teeth pulled out by a dentist (a pretty hardcore move) and, according to reports, both became an expert tank operator and didn't shower while he was filming. Added Lerman,
"He really spent every moment on set. He's the guy operating the turret in every shot, even when you don’t need to be in there as an actor. You know, you can have somebody else inside. But he was there, for every shot."
In the movie, LaBeouf plays Boyd 'Bible' Swan, one part of a five man tank crew operating in Germany during the waning days of World War II. In the film they are forced to go on an incredibly dangerous mission, led by Sergeant 'Wardaddy' - played by Brad Pitt. In addition to Lerman and LaBeouf, the film also stars Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Scott Eastwood, Jason Isaacs, and Norman Ellison. The feature is the second from writer/director David Ayer this year, as back in March we saw the release of his hardcore R-rated cop drama Sabotage.
Fury will be shown as the closing night gala of the London Film Festival, and will be in theaters on October 17th. Hopefully all of Shia LaBeouf's commitment will shine through in his performance.
