Shia LaBeouf Looks Back on Living in Central Park: 'You Can Just Chill'

Shia LaBeouf lived in Central Park at one point in his career.

The actor made the admission in a new conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, when writer Seth Abramovitch asked him about dropping out of the Broadway play, Orphans in 2013, reportedly citing creative differences with co-star, Alec Baldwin. Al Pacino had already withdrawn from the play due to issues with LaBeouf.

“I’m living in the park…and I’m not in a good way,” LaBeouf told THR, adding that he did that for “most of the prep” for Orphans.

“I was sleeping in Central Park,” he continued. “They keep horses there at this little fire basin. And there’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.”

Orphans would have been LaBeouf’s Broadway debut, but there was tension between him and Baldwin. Eventually, however, they “made it right.”’

"He’s a good guy. He’s just like me. Fear will make you move different. I found it came from having absolutely no spiritual life," LaBeouf told the outlet.

This is an interesting time for LaBeouf, who’s still in the midst of a lawsuit from ex-girlfriend, FKA twigs. In 2020, the artist accused him of assault, sexual battery, and infliction of emotional distress; their trial is set to begin in September.

In the meantime, the 38-year-old is gearing up for the release of his next film, Henry John, helmed by David Mamet and set to release on streaming via HenryJohnsonMovie.com. The film is an adaptation of Mamet’s play of the same name, which starred Shia and debuted at a black box theater in Venice in 2023.

In the film, LaBeouf is Gene, a prisoner who is spellbound by the title character, played by Evan Jonigkeit, husband to Zosia Mamet. Henry Johnson is available to stream on May 9.