Shia Labeouf unplugged

Shia LaBeouf returns to the big screen in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, which releases in the UAE today. He reveals what fans can hope to look forward to the second time around synopsis interview

What can you tell us about the new Transformers?


This is a huge, huge movie. Much bigger than the first one. This is the craziest movie I've ever been in. In this movie you now have the military working with robots. The first one happened and they created a rapport so now you have autobots working with the government as opposed to against them.

Are you at all like your character, Sam, in Transformers?

Every character always has aspects of your own personality. You can change your thinking and change who you are but it's always you.

Did you know you would be doing a lot more stunts?

The director Michael Bay notified me right when I came. He said ‘‘Y'know we're going to push you as hard as we can'.''
Is it dangerous?

Bombs going off is scary – but it's not really dangerous. All the gas bombs blow before we even get to any danger zone.

You broke your hand while shooting for this movie. . .

That's right, I did. When it happened I didn't even realise I had broken it. There was a lot going on, so there was a lot of adrenaline.

Is it true you had to have metal plates put into your hand?

Yeah, that's true. It was shattered in the crash. They even used a piece of my hip to make a new bone for my finger.

Will your hand go back to normal?

Not completely. It's always going to be a bit messed up now. Just doing everyday stuff was tough enough, but jumping around and doing physical stunts with a broken hand was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

It must be hard acting with a robot that's not there ...

It's not crazy y'know – it's not The Elephant Man. It's just trying to figure out positioning and where they are.

What do you think you bring to the ‘action hero' genre – you're not a traditional one in the Bruce/Arnie way?

I'm a pretty normal guy and normal guys watch normal guys go through some crazy stuff. But I also like watching Schwarzenegger movies; I just know that I'm not that. You feel disconnected, but when there's somebody you feel you can beat up and he's going through it, it humanises the entire thing.

Are you still the same normal guy?

Yeah, I still mess up, I still do stupid stuff, I'm still just a normal 22-year-old trying to live my life.

So what about working with Megan Fox. . .

We have a relationship on-screen but off-screen we are just friends. You have to create these boundaries and be as respectful as you can. What's hard is to go from a scene back to reality and then back to boundaries.

You're classed as one of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood. . .

That's a little over the top.

Do you even have time to go on a date?

I've always got time for dates.

Transformers: revenge of the fallen

Two years have passed since young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) saved the universe from a decisive battle between warring races of robotic aliens. Despite his heroics, Sam is still an average teenager with everyday anxieties about heading to college, leaving behind his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox), and separating from his parents. Just as life is about to fall neatly into place at Sam's new school, adapting to a new, albeit pushy, roommate, Leo (Ramon Rodriguez), and an equally pushy new acquaintance, Alice (Isabel Lucas), he is distracted by visions flashing across his brain like thunderbolts.

Sam keeps his visions a secret until he can no longer ignore the messages and symbols filtering through his mind. Despite his best-laid plans, Sam once again finds himself at the centre of a tug of war between the Autobots and Decepticons with the fate of the universe at stake. Unbeknownst to Sam, he alone holds the key to the outcome of the struggle between evil and the ultimate power of good.