Top 10 Ridiculous Shia Labeouf Moments

Actor, director, performing artist and… cannibal? Uploaded onto Soundcloud in 2012, the song “Shia LaBeouf” was written by Rob Cantor, and details a fictional encounter with the actor in the woods at night. The style of the song is reminiscent of early radio drama recordings and its popularity inspired the meme “Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf”. Two years later, a music video with an extended version of the song was released and all we can say is… it’s a feast for the eyes. The giant papercraft Shia heads are a delicious addition to the ensemble. Showing himself to be a good sport, Shia even has a cameo in the video.

Following the success of the first “Transformers” movie, the newly 21 LaBeouf was charged with misdemeanor for criminal trespassing and his mug shots were featured in a number of tabloids and newspapers. The most ridiculous part though was the story behind the arrest: Craving cigarettes, the actor made several trips to the drugstore, each time in a different outfit, but kept forgetting to purchase them due to his drunken state. The Walgreens security guard was clearly aware of his intoxication. After refusing to leave the third time, LaBeouf was detained until police arrived. After this experience, LaBeouf came to the conclusion that drinking and shopping was just as bad as drinking and driving.

Shia should’ve amended his comment about drinking and shopping to include attending a Broadway show while inebriated. In 2014, the actor was arrested for disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing during a performance of “Cabaret” in New York. LaBeouf later gave a detailed account of the events that led up to his arrest on Jimmy Kimmel, describing how he even grabbed the butt of Alan Cumming as the actor was performing in the musical. Cumming gave his own version of the incident on “Conan” and described the sense of unease in the room while also sympathizing with LaBeouf.

“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.” A cryptic message or the ramblings of a troubled man? During a press conference for the movie “Nymphomaniac,” Shia was asked about his decision to star in a movie that featured multiple sex scenes. LaBeouf replied by quoting former footballer, Eric Cantona, who replied with the line about seagulls and sardines during a press conference in 1995. Cantona’s comment was likening the media to pests that were following him for additional gossip material. True to the saying “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, LaBeouf faithfully recreated Cantona’s delivery before leaving his own panel, baffling everyone in attendance.

Just when we thought we’ve seen it all, Shia surprises us with the unexpected. In June 2015, a video of LaBeouf doing a freestyle rap was leaked. While there were viewers who applauded his artistic expression, many others were quick to condemn the actor. Case in point: MC and music producer Pri the Honeydark accused LaBeouf of lifting lyrics from the Anomolies’ song “Perfectionist”. This isn’t the first time that Shia’s been accused of plagiarizing, and even though he never claimed the words to be his own, it’s definitely bad form to be freestyling with another artist’s words.

Following his strange exit at the “Nymphomaniac” press conference (as previously mentioned) and another strange incident at the film’s premiere (to be mentioned in a later entry), LaBeouf staged a performance at an LA gallery titled #IAMSORRY. The art exhibit ran for about 5 days, with people lining up for the opportunity to meet the actor in person. The performance had LaBeouf remaining silent and crying while sitting at a table, dressed in a tuxedo and wearing a paper bag over his head with the words ‘I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE’ written on it. Visitors were given the option to choose and use any of the props made available at the art installation, which included a ukulele, a bottle of Jack Daniels and an Indiana Jones whip. While people ridiculed LaBeouf’s latest stint for being weird and seemingly desperate, others expressed empathy and admiration for the actor.

Considering all the hectic events in LaBeouf’s life, it’s clear that the actor is on a soul-searching mission. In 2014, he posted this hour-long video titled #INTERVIEW, which features him and Dazed music editor Aimee Cliff sitting in silence – except for a few chuckles - and recording each other with GoPro cameras strapped to their heads. Prior to the interview, LaBeouf and Cliff had corresponded through email and it was the actor’s idea that they meet in person without speaking. At times, the silence is awkward but it’s also openly honest and intriguing to watch. It would probably have been less unnerving if he blinked more often.

A clever Nike ad? Nope, just Shia yelling at you to do whatever it is that you’re putting off and make your dreams come. This viral “Just Do It” motivational speech is actually an excerpt from a collaborative video art project titled #Introductions for a London arts college. The original video contains over thirty short pieces with LaBeouf performing in front of a green screen with props. “Just Do It” is a hit not only for its inspirational message and Shia’s exaggerated body movements, but also for its being cleverly incorporated in YouTube videos and iconic movie scenes after its online release – providing the internet with an entertaining new meme and hours of fun.

The things that people do for art’s sake. At the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Shia LaBeouf premiered the short film HowardCantour.com – which he directed – to wide acclaim. It wasn’t until a year later when the short film was released online though that people noticed its striking similarity to another artist’s work. As it turns out, the premise of the short film was derived from Daniel Clowes' "Justin M. Damiano." The majority of the script and visuals matched the 2007 comic and while Shia later admitted to being inspired by Clowes, he failed to explain why he didn’t give credit where it was due. The actor apologized through his Twitter account, but some critics noted that the apology itself seemed to have been plagiarized from a Yahoo! Answers post. Shia even apologized to Mr. Clowes by paying for skywriting messages!

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:
- Biker Stare
- “AMERICA!” at Mount Rushmore
- Follow Shia LaBeouf’s Heartbeat during SXSW 20115 [#FOLLOWMYHEART]

In February 2014, Shia attended the Berlin premiere of “Nymphomaniac” wearing a tuxedo and covering his head with a paper bag that had the words "I am not famous anymore" written in bold. Just a month prior to all this, and in light of the series of rocky events that saw him labeled as troubled and crazy, LaBeouf had announced his retirement from “public life”. The display on the red carpet happened an hour after he had stormed out of the press conference for the movie. To the public and critics, it seemed clear that Shia was making yet another statement… and surprise, surprise, the paper bag incident would appear in his #IAMSORRY performance art installation two days later. Well played,Shia, well played.

Do you agree with our list? Which ridiculous Shia moment was your favorite? For more eccentric Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.