Shia LaBeouf has declared a significant shift in his career following his conversion to a new faith.
In recent years, LaBeouf has been embroiled in several controversies.
In 2020, his former girlfriend, FKA Twigs, filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of physical, mental, and emotional abuse, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, his unpredictable behavior led to his removal from the film set of “Don’t Worry Darling.”
However, LaBeouf appears to be making a fresh start. He has embraced a new religion and, inspired by this transformation, announced a major change in his professional life.
Following the allegations made against him, Shia LaBeouf entered a treatment facility.
Not long afterward, he landed the lead role in the 2022 film “Padre Pio.”
To prepare for the part, LaBeouf delved into the study of Catholicism, which profoundly influenced him.
The actor has described landing the role of the mystic Capuchin monk, renowned for bearing the stigmata wounds of Christ, as a personal miracle, according to the Associated Press.
This role led the “Transformers” star to convert to Catholicism, drawing deeply from his portrayal of the revered saint.
LaBeouf shared with CNA how playing the saint, while filming in the very monastery and town that Padre Pio once inhabited, made the acting experience particularly intense.
He noted, “It’s enormous pressure, but it only served the film. There are scenes where we’re running Mass and these aren’t actors in the seats. These are God-fearing people who love Pio and you feel it, and it only adds to the stakes.”
Despite the intense experience, LaBeouf expressed a unique ease on the set of “Padre Pio,” saying, “I have never, in the course of my entire career, been on a set where the film felt easier to make.”
He described a transformative moment to the Catholic Herald, “When I got here, a switch happened. It was like Three-Card Monte. It felt like someone tricked me into it, but not in a bad way. I was so close to it that I couldn’t see it. I see it differently now that time has passed.”
LaBeouf shared how witnessing the redemption of others deeply influenced him, “It was seeing other people who have sinned beyond anything I could ever conceptualize also being found in Christ that made me feel like, ‘Oh, that gives me hope.'”
“I started hearing experiences of other depraved people who had found their way in this, and it made me feel like I had permission.”
Reflecting on his spiritual journey, LaBeouf revealed, “The reach-out had happened. I was already there, I had nowhere to go. This was the last stop on the train.”
“There was nowhere else to go – in every sense. I know now that God was using my ego to draw me to Him. Drawing me away from worldly desires. It was all happening simultaneously.”
In a revealing interview last year with Bishop Robert Barron from the Winona-Rochester diocese in Minnesota, Shia LaBeouf shared that he was agnostic before converting to Catholicism.
Although he had a bar mitzvah at age 13, he admitted that he never fully connected with Judaism.
Bishop Barron described LaBeouf’s conversion as “a testament to God’s grace,” highlighting, “God seems to specialize in finding the lost.”
He further cited Jesus’ words, “I have come not for the righteous but for sinners,” to emphasize that forgiveness and redemption are always within reach.
LaBeouf’s journey to faith was deeply influenced by his personal struggles and past mistakes, according to his confirmation sponsor, Brother Alexander Rodriguez, a Capuchin friar.
During a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Rodriguez noted, “He would not have become a Catholic if he had not gone through the personal difficulties and sins that we know about.”
Rodriguez also mentioned that these challenges, coupled with his role as Padre Pio, propelled LaBeouf towards discovering God.
Padre Pio, a beloved figure who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002, remains a significant saint in Italy, the U.S., and globally.
The Capuchin Friars Minor, adherents of Saint Francis of Assisi, aim to live out the Gospel “through fraternity, simplicity, and contemplative prayer” as they serve the needy, as stated on their website.
LaBeouf has now furthered his spiritual commitment by being confirmed into the Catholic Church, with aspirations to become a deacon.
Shia LaBeouf was recently confirmed at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish in Solvang, California, according to a report by Fox News.
The Capuchin Franciscans-Western American Province expressed their support, stating on their Facebook page, “His decision to fully enter the Church is a testament to his sincere desire to grow in his relationship with God and live out the Gospel values. We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the Church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation!”
They added, “As Capuchin Franciscans, we believe in the transformative power of faith and the incredible impact it can have on one’s life. We are humbled and grateful to walk alongside Shia as he takes this important step in his spiritual journey.”
But Shia’s spiritual journey isn’t the only area he’s expanding into.
According to his confirmation sponsor, Brother Alexander Rodriguez, LaBeouf is also pursuing a future aligned with his faith.
Speaking to the Catholic News Agency, Rodriguez revealed, “He just spontaneously said, ‘I want to become a deacon,’ and he still feels that way.”
The role of a deacon would allow LaBeouf to engage more actively in church duties, such as preaching and officiating at weddings, as reported by the Catholic Herald.