Once upon a time, Shia LaBeouf looked like he was going to be the next king of the blockbusters. With the Transformers films under his belt, and a couple of D.J. Caruso flicks keeping him going in the interim, it seemed like the guy was going to be inescapable for a while. But, of course, that was all before some rather unfortunate incidents in LaBeouf's personal life set his career back for some time, a period he's currently working himself away from. It's that period of his past that's keeping the actor level-headed, despite the buzz his latest performance is generating.
During his rather prolific interview with Variety, Shia LaBeouf sounded off on a lot of different topics that spanned through his body of work. Taking it all in, one clear image has emerged, that of an artist trying to get back up after knowing he's done wrong. LaBeouf says as much during the interview, as the talk of his role in the indie drama American Honey earning him a possible Oscar nod prompted him to dismiss it thusly:
Nah, dude, not me. The Oscars are about politics. I gotta earn my way back. It's not about who is the best. I'm not that guy for a long time --- for a long, long time. I'm good with that, though. Sometimes that shit is a curse
Shia LaBeouf does kind of have it right thinking that actors who win an Oscar end up landing less than fantastic follow-ups, as time and time again we've seen recent prestige honorees pick up a gig that just might land them a Razzie the year after they won the Oscar. However, it's also a damned shame that he's also probably right to say that even if he's nominated for an Academy Award this year, he probably won't be the one taking it home. While it's not in general release just yet, the hints of his performance shown in the trailer to American Honey shows a lot of the promise that LaBeouf had shown in the earlier, less chaotic era of his career.
Regardless of the awards prestige that may or may not await Shia LaBeouf after his performance in American Honey, it's good to see the man continuing to get his career back on its feet. Knowing he's not chasing the awards hype also helps, as it's a good sign that he's not only above the drama, but it also shows that he's really chasing the work that interests him.
American Honey will be getting a limited release at the end of this month, on September 30th, and will be bowing during this month's Toronto International Film Festival.
