Shia LaBeouf sits down for his first interview in over a year to discuss his A-List benefit concert, friendship with Jaden Smith & how his new film saved his life
Tune in to MTV’s “Personal Space” with Josh Horowitz
Friday, June 21, 2019- Shia LaBeouf sat down with MTV’S Josh Horowitz for the newest installment of “Personal Space.” The pair met at a Slauson Rec Center in Compton where they discussed the Slauson Rec Theater Company that LaBeouf founded in the city, his relationship with Jaden Smith and his time on the Disney Channel.
Shia recently founded the Slauson Rec Theater Company in Los Angeles for children who do not have arts and creative programs at their disposal. He described the school’s motives and goals as “ trying to extend the playground. Around here you don’t have much existential time in general.”
He follows up by stating “It’s survival out here. There’s no time for ‘what do I think’ or ‘how do I feel’ at all so you don’t end up with a lot of creative outlooks period.”
The Slauson Rec Theater Company, a weekly creative program for actors and non-actors alike, has attracted a celebrity teaching staff that inspires all: “We’re trying to level the playing field and bring people like James Cameron into classes. They come in and support our class- the head coach of the New York Knicks was in here . . . Musicians have been in here like Thundercat and Cudi. We’re trying to build a cultural hub and a place we can sprout up from.”
The theater company is about to host their first benefit concert which has attracted the contributions of Shia’s A-List friends and supporters, all devoting their time to a great cause: “We’re having a big fundraiser benefit concert. It’s going to be YG, Jaden Smith, Vic Mensa, Kamaiyah, David Blane, Baby Keem, baths, Ka5ch, Slayyyter, Nao Bustamente. These are people who should be in museums. . . it’s going to be a good night for a good thing.”
Shia also takes a moment to reflect on his strong friendship with Jaden Smith who is also a part of the Slauson Rec Theater Company’s benefit: “I’ve known Jaden since before he was ever doing the entertainment industry. I knew Jaden when we were playing Sonic the Hedgehog in his dad’s trailer. “ Later on he states, “I’ve seen him float and rise to the top and grab a hold of his craft and become a sort of meistro.”
When discussing his early career at the Disney Channel in the show Even Stevens, Shia shows gratitude: “It took away the fear of being in front of a camera, it made a camera my friend. It was like recess, a playground, a sand box. I had a great time and have nothing but love.”
Although LaBeouf is bursting with positive confidence now, he looks back on his early beginnings and notes that he wasn’t always in that mindset “When you start getting in front of these people, insecurity washes over like a wave and unless you have a real confidence in your own craft you can’t meet a god as a human, they’ll just eat you. So you have to find the God in you.”
While in recovery, Shia wrote his new buzzworthy film “Honey Boy” in which he claims “It saved my life. They were throwing dirt on my back. It saved me.”
You can watch the interview here.
