Interesting Facts About Shia LaBeouf - Star of Transformers and Disturbia

If you have an adolescent girl in your family, chances are you have heard of Shia LaBeouf. The handsome and talented young man from "Holes," "Transformers," and "Disturbia" is being touted as the next big thing in acting. In addition to his bright future, Shia LaBeouf has quite the colorful past. Let's take a look at this young actor that we are sure to be seeing plenty more of in the future.

California Dreaming. Shia LaBeouf made his arrival on June 11, 1986 in sunny Las Angeles, California. Much has been made about his unique first name. "Shia" means "gift from God" in Hebrew. Shia LaBeouf has a religious background and was raised in the Jewish religion. Shia LaBeouf has not made any mention of faith in recent interviews, so it is unknown whether he continues to actively practice Judaism.

In The Beginning. Shia LaBeouf was born to his artistic and creative mother, Shayna who expressed herself through dance, specifically the ballet. In later years, Shayna made her living as a visual artist and jewelry designer. Shia's father was Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf who by all accounts was a bit of a lost soul. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Jeffrey LaBeouf couldn't quite find his niche after returning from the war and drifted from job to job while his son was young.

Performing In The Blood. Shia LaBeouf's father worked as a mime at a circus and also as a rodeo clown. Shia's maternal grandfather who is also his namesake achieved moderate success as a comedian. With the artistic creativity from his mother and the love of the spotlight from his father and grandfather, it seems natural that Shia LaBeouf would eventually be drawn to the lights of Hollywood.