Shia LaBeouf Was Almost Cast in David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD
Actor Shia LaBeouf recently did an in-depth interview with Variety about the ups and downs of his career and his personal life. It's an interesting read, and LaBeouf is on the road to bettering himself. You can read that full interview here.
During the interview, the actor revealed that he almost was cast in Suicide Squad. He had recently worked with director David Ayer on the film Fury, and Ayer wanted him to take on the role that was eventually given to Scott Eastwood. LaBeouf explained that the role was much bigger before Will Smith jumped on board.
“The character was different initially. Then Will [Smith] came in, and the script changed a bit. That character and Tom [Hardy’s] character [later played by Joel Kinnaman] got written down to build Will up.”
He went on to say that the studio didn't really want him in the film:
“I don’t think Warner Bros. wanted me. I went in to meet, and they were like, ‘Nah, you’re crazy. You’re a good actor, but not this one.’ It was a big investment for them.”
It was probably for the best, especially since the size of the character's role in the story was drastically shrunk down. After the negative reviews flooded in, I'm sure LaBeouf thought he dodged a bullet.
The actor went on to reveal another movie role he was up for that he wished he had gotten. It was the role of Robert Ford in the incredible film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The role eventually went to Casey Affleck, who was amazing. Even Labeouf praised his performance:
“The guy is fucking brilliant. You look at it and you go, ‘No way I could have pulled it off.’ But I wanted it so fucking bad. We all chased it. The whole generation went after that. Ben Foster is in the room. Casey. Everyone did.”
I think the right actor ended up in that role. LaBeouf may be a little on the crazy side, but they guy really is a talented actor. He hates the Transformers sequels he made just like the rest of us. He respects Michael Bay's work, though:
“Mike is an artist. People don’t realize how dope that dude is. He’s got to get a little ballsier with his moves — he’s trying to toe the line and be James Cameron, but James Camerons are dying. I don’t know what he’s chasing, but that version of director is dead. If Mike is to sustain, he’s got to get f–king weird.”
LaBeouf may have burned some bridges in his career due to his craziness, but he's getting his act together and building his career again. He said, "I’m learning how to distill my ‘crazy’ into something manageable, that I can shape and deliver on the day."
LaBeouf can next be seen in the upcoming indie films Man Down and American Honey, which will be screened this week at the Toronto Film Festival. What are your thoughts on the actor?