Career Timeline of Shia LaBeouf: Major Achievements and Milestones

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Shia LaBeouf

How Shia LaBeouf built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Shia LaBeouf is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained initial recognition for his role as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, earning him a Daytime Emmy Award. LaBeouf transitioned to film, making his debut in The Christmas Path (1998). He has also ventured into directing, with short films like Let's Love Hate (2004) and Maniac (2011), which featured rappers Cage and Kid Cudi. He is known for his work in both television and film.

1987: Wall Street Release

The movie Wall Street came out in 1987.

1998: Film Debut

In 1998, Shia LaBeouf made his film debut in The Christmas Path.

2001: Young Artist Award Nomination

In 2001, Shia LaBeouf received a Young Artist Award nomination for his role as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens.

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2002: Second Young Artist Award Nomination

In 2002, Shia LaBeouf received another Young Artist Award nomination for his role as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens.

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2003: Appearance in Holes

In 2003, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Holes, which was well-received.

2003: Daytime Emmy Award Win

In 2003, Shia LaBeouf won a Daytime Emmy Award for his performance as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens.

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2004: LaBeouf's Essay in 'I Am Jewish'

In 2004, Shia LaBeouf contributed an essay to the book 'I Am Jewish' by Judea Pearl, stating he has a personal relationship with God within the confines of Judaism.

I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl
I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl

2004: Directorial Debut

In 2004, Shia LaBeouf made his directorial debut with the short film Let's Love Hate.

2005: Release of Constantine

In 2005, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Constantine.

2005: Co-starring in Constantine and voice acting in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

In 2005, Shia LaBeouf co-starred in Constantine as Chas Kramer alongside Keanu Reeves. The same year, he voiced Asbel in the Disney-produced English dub of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

2006: Playing real-life people

In 2006, Shia LaBeouf played real-life people, including golfer Francis Ouimet and the younger version of Dito Montiel in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

April 13, 2007: Disturbia Release

On April 13, 2007, Shia LaBeouf starred in Disturbia, a thriller where he played a teenager under house arrest.

April 14, 2007: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On April 14, 2007, Shia LaBeouf hosted Saturday Night Live.

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2007: Starring in successful films

In 2007, Shia LaBeouf starred in the commercially successful films Disturbia and Surf's Up. He also starred in Transformers.

2007: Starring in Transformers

In 2007, Shia LaBeouf starred in the science fiction film Transformers as Sam Witwicky.

May 10, 2008: Second Time Hosting Saturday Night Live

On May 10, 2008, Shia LaBeouf returned to host Saturday Night Live for a second time.

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September 26, 2008: Release of Eagle Eye

On September 26, 2008, the film Eagle Eye, starring Shia LaBeouf, was released.

2008: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

In 2008, Shia LaBeouf played Henry "Mutt Williams" Jones III in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

2008: Portrayal in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

In 2008, Shia LaBeouf portrayed Indiana Jones' greaser son, Mutt Williams, in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

2008: Filming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

In 2008, filming took place for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where Shia LaBeouf reprised his role as Sam Witwicky. He sustained a hand injury during this period, leading to script revisions. He also injured his eye near the end of filming.

February 2009: Directing Music Video for Cage

In February 2009, Shia LaBeouf made his music video directorial debut, directing the video for "I Never Knew You" by American rapper Cage.

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2009: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

In 2009, Shia LaBeouf reprised his role as Sam Witwicky in the sequel to Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He received a Razzie nomination for Worst Screen Couple.

2010: Appearance in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

In 2010, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the Oliver Stone-directed film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, playing an ambitious Wall Street trader.

2010: Directing music video for Kid Cudi

In 2010, Shia LaBeouf directed the music video for Kid Cudi's song "Marijuana", which he filmed at the 2010 Cannabis Cup.

June 2011: Release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon

In June 2011, Shia LaBeouf starred in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third installment in the film series. This marked the last time he starred in a Transformers film.

2011: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

From 2007 to 2011, Shia LaBeouf starred in the film Transformers and its sequels Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, playing protagonist Sam Witwicky. 2011 marks the final year he starred in a Transformers film.

2011: Directing Maniac

In 2011, Shia LaBeouf directed a short film titled Maniac, starring American rappers Cage and Kid Cudi.

April 2012: Promoting Graphic Novels

In April 2012, Shia LaBeouf promoted his short graphic novels at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. In the same year, LaBeouf played a bootlegger in John Hillcoat's crime drama Lawless.

June 2012: Music Video Release

In June 2012, Icelandic band Sigur Rós released a music video for the song "Fjögur Píanó", starring Shia LaBeouf.

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2012: Releases of Lawless and The Company You Keep

In 2012, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the films Lawless and The Company You Keep.

February 2013: Pulling out of Broadway debut

In February 2013, Shia LaBeouf pulled out of his planned Broadway debut in Lyle Kessler's play Orphans, citing creative differences.

December 2013: Premiere of Nymphomaniac and Paper Bag Incident

In December 2013, the Lars von Trier-directed film Nymphomaniac, in which Shia LaBeouf starred, premiered. At the film's screening at the Berlin Film Festival, LaBeouf walked the red carpet with a paper bag over his head with the words "I am not famous anymore" written upon it.

2013: Releases of Nymphomaniac and Charlie Countryman

In 2013, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the films Nymphomaniac and Charlie Countryman.

January 2014: LaBeouf Addresses Plagiarism Accusations and Announces New Project

In January 2014, Shia LaBeouf addressed plagiarism accusations, claiming copyright laws were too restrictive. He then tweeted a description of his next project, Daniel Boring, which was also plagiarized from a comic by David Clowes. Clowes' attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter, which LaBeouf posted on Twitter.

October 2014: Release of Fury

In October 2014, Fury, a World War II-set film co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Brad Pitt, and Logan Lerman, was released.

2014: Release of Fury

In 2014, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Fury.

2014: Collaboration on Performance Art Projects Begins

In early 2014, Shia LaBeouf collaborated with Luke Turner and Nastja Säde Rönkkö on a series of performance art projects described as a meditation on celebrity and vulnerability.

2014: Public performance art projects with LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner

Since 2014, Shia LaBeouf has pursued a variety of public performance art projects with LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner.

2015: "Just Do It" Motivational Speech Becomes Internet Meme

In 2015, LaBeouf appeared in #Introductions, a video made with Central Saint Martins Fine Art students. A segment featuring an exaggerated motivational speech, dubbed "Just Do It" after the Nike slogan, went viral and became the most searched for GIF of 2015 according to Google.

2015: Continued Performance Art Projects

In 2015, LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner continued their collaborative performance art projects, further exploring themes of celebrity and vulnerability.

2015: LaBeouf Endorses Jeremy Corbyn

In 2015, Shia LaBeouf endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election in the United Kingdom, stating he liked him in every way and British politics became exciting.

2015: Starred in Sia's Music Video

In 2015, Shia LaBeouf starred in Sia's music video for "Elastic Heart" along with Maddie Ziegler. He also starred in the war-thriller film Man Down

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2016: More Performance Art Projects

In 2016, LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner were still active with their collaborative performance art projects, continuing their exploration of themes surrounding celebrity and vulnerability.

2016: Release of American Honey

In 2016, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film American Honey.

2017: Continued Performance Art Projects

In 2017, LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner kept working on their collaborative performance art projects, continuing their exploration of themes surrounding celebrity and vulnerability.

2017: Release of Borg vs McEnroe

In 2017, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Borg vs McEnroe.

2017: Portrayed John McEnroe in Borg vs McEnroe

In 2017, Shia LaBeouf portrayed tennis player John McEnroe in the Swedish sports drama film Borg vs McEnroe.

2018: Filming of Slauson Rec

From 2018 to 2020, Shia Labeouf's acting-lab was filmed to produce the documentary Slauson Rec. The film depicts “ugly and disgusting” aspects of his process.

2019: Releases of Honey Boy and The Peanut Butter Falcon

In 2019, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the films Honey Boy and The Peanut Butter Falcon.

2019: Starring in The Peanut Butter Falcon and Honey Boy

In 2019, Shia LaBeouf starred in The Peanut Butter Falcon, which premiered in March and was released in August. He also portrayed a character based on his father in the film Honey Boy, which he also wrote while in rehab.

April 2020: LaBeouf Cast in "Don't Worry Darling"

In April 2020, Shia LaBeouf was cast in the psychological thriller film "Don't Worry Darling", directed by Olivia Wilde.

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August 2020: LaBeouf Claims He Quit "Don't Worry Darling"

In August 2020, Shia LaBeouf claimed he "quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time" from "Don't Worry Darling" after reports that he was fired, contradicting Olivia Wilde's statement.

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September 2020: LaBeouf Replaced in "Don't Worry Darling"

In September 2020, Shia LaBeouf was replaced by Harry Styles in "Don't Worry Darling" due to "scheduling conflicts". Olivia Wilde later stated she fired LaBeouf due to his "combative energy" and clashing with cast and crew.

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2020: Filming of Slauson Rec

From 2018 to 2020, Shia Labeouf's acting-lab was filmed to produce the documentary Slauson Rec. The film depicts “ugly and disgusting” aspects of his process.

2020: Release of Pieces of a Woman

In 2020, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Pieces of a Woman.

2021: Conclusion of Performance Art Project 'HeWillNotDivide.us'

In 2021, the performance art project 'HeWillNotDivide.us', a collaboration between LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner, came to an end.

August 2022: LaBeouf Acknowledges Hurting FKA Twigs and Seeks Treatment

Following the lawsuit, Netflix removed Shia LaBeouf from awards consideration for Pieces of a Woman. In August 2022, during a podcast interview, LaBeouf acknowledged hurting FKA Twigs, describing himself as selfish and dishonest, and stated he had been receiving treatment.

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August 2022: Variety Publishes Story Contradicting Wilde's Firing Claims

In August 2022, Variety published a story with evidence disputing Olivia Wilde's claim that she fired Shia LaBeouf from "Don't Worry Darling". It included email forwards and text messages from Wilde asking LaBeouf to reconsider quitting the film. It was reported that LaBeouf gave Wilde an ultimatum to choose between him and Florence Pugh.

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2022: Release of Padre Pio

In 2022, Shia LaBeouf appeared in the film Padre Pio.

2023: Stage Debut in Henry Johnson

In 2023, Shia LaBeouf made his stage debut in the premiere production of David Mamet's play Henry Johnson.

2024: Lead Role in Megalopolis

In 2024, Shia LaBeouf played a lead role in Francis Ford Coppola's drama Megalopolis as Clodio Pulcher.

May 2025: Slauson Rec Premieres at Cannes

In May 2025, Shia LaBeouf appeared as himself in the feature documentary Slauson Rec. Shot from 2018 to 2020, the film premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Classics section on 18 May 2025, with LaBeouf in attendance.