Thanks to his unique name, and his off-screen notoriety, Shia LaBeouf is hard to forget. With his intriguing name, David Letterman couldn't help but ask the actor about it during his 2007 appearance on The Late Show. "Shia is a Hebrew name, I'm named after my grandfather, it means 'gift from God,' which is kind of sweet," LaBeouf explained to the host while promoting the Transformer franchise. "And then LaBeouf means 'the beef' so the name means, 'thank God for beef' which is kind of lame," he shared, causing the audience to give out a big laugh. "I'm running with it," he joked.
During the interview, viewers learned that his unconventional name was actually very fitting considering his family's quirky lifestyle. He revealed that his parents were "hippies" and "smoke a lot of pot." He also shared that his father worked as a clown and even trained a chicken to do tricks as "part of his act."
In 2019, LaBeouf wrote and starred in the film Honey Boy, based on his life and his unique upbringing. He played the role of his father and has since said "He knows what I really see him from the inside," on The Hollywood Reporter podcast Awards Chatter, adding, "Now he feels like he's given me a legacy." With a name like Shia, LaBeouf was bound to leave his mark on the world.
