Shia LaBeouf blames his ‘fractured little weak ego’ for feud with Alec Baldwin

Shia LaBeouf
Photo credit: depositphotos.com

Shia LaBeouf is reflecting on a past clash he experienced with former co-star Alec Baldwin.

During a conversation with the Hollywood Reporter, the actor discussed butting heads with Baldwin while working on the 2013 Broadway production Orphans before ultimately walking away from the project due to their tension.

LaBeouf revealed that the drama with Baldwin started after Al Pacino dropped out of the play, which left him devastated.

โ€œBy the time Baldwin got there, it was almost unfair. So heโ€™s dealing with both my fractured little weak ego, right?โ€ the โ€œTransformersโ€ star recalled. โ€œAll this hard prep that Iโ€™d done for two years, and my desperate need to show him all my prep, or that he would accept me somehow.โ€

Shia LaBeouf Film Independent Spirit Awards - Santa Monica, USA
SANTA MONICA, CA: 08, 2020: Shia LaBeouf at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards.Photo credit: depositphotos.com

Speaking to the outlet about his mindset at the time, he admitted, โ€œWell, that got contentious in the room. Then he got competitive. Thatโ€™s just what our relationship turned into.โ€

LaBeouf shared that during their feud, he was โ€œliving in the parkโ€ and โ€œon steroids.โ€

โ€œI was sleeping in Central Park. They keep horses there at this little fire basin,โ€ he said. โ€œAnd thereโ€™s a whole lot of room around there where you can just chill. You got to move every three or four hours and the guy comes around, but you can spend most of your time there.โ€

Later in the interview, LaBeouf mentioned that he and Baldwin have since made peace, noting that theyโ€™ve both โ€œgone through a lot.โ€

Shia LaBeouf at arrivals for MAN DOWN Premiere, Arclight Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA November 30, 2016. Photo By: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection
Shia LaBeouf at arrivals for MAN DOWN Premiere, Arclight Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA November 30, 2016. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

โ€œWeโ€™ve both been able to send each other love and make it right before all the madness happened on both sides,โ€ the actor said. โ€œWe made it right. Heโ€™s a good guy. Heโ€™s just like me. Fear will make you move different. I found it came from having absolutely no spiritual life.โ€

Baldwin addressed their conflict in a 2014 Vulture essay, writing that โ€œthere was friction between us from the beginning.โ€

โ€œOne day he attacked me in front of everyone. He said, โ€˜Youโ€™re slowing me down, and you donโ€™t know your lines. And if you donโ€™t say your lines, Iโ€™m just going to keep saying my lines,'โ€ Baldwin claimed. โ€œI asked the company to break.โ€

Shia LaBeouf 'Man Down' Premiere - 72nd Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy โ€“ 06 September 2015: Shia Le Beouf attends a premiere for โ€˜Man Downโ€™ during the 72nd Venice Film Festival. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

The โ€œRustโ€ star continued: โ€œAnd I took the stage manager, with [director Daniel] Sullivan, to another room, and I said one of us is going to go. I said, โ€˜Iโ€™ll tell you what, Iโ€™ll go.โ€™ I said, โ€˜Donโ€™t fire the kid, Iโ€™ll quit.โ€™ They said no, no, no, no, and they fired him. And I think he was shocked.โ€

Read LaBeoufโ€™s full interview with The Hollywood Reporter here.