Conversion and method acting
In case you’re not up on your celebrity news, Shia LaBeouf recently told Interview magazine that he “became a Christian man” on the set of Fury, in which he plays an evangelical soldier. Yay, another high-profile believer!
Well, maybe. Megan Basham points out that it’s not entirely clear whether LaBeouf is talking about a religious conversion experience or a Stanislavskian immersion experience:
LaBeouf is a well-known method actor—a technique where the performer tries to simulate the psychological motives, behavior, mannerisms, and thought patterns of a character so deeply that he essentially becomes that character... Looked at in the light of his working process, LaBeouf’s subsequent statements in the interview that Pitt and Fury director David Ayer helped him navigate the giving up of control that is essential to becoming a disciple of Christ while at the same time maintaining control as an actor makes more sense.... I certainly hope I am wrong in my reading of LaBeouf’s comments.... Right now, no one but God knows whether Shia LaBeouf meant to profess a genuine, saving faith that will stand the test of time and the tremendous pressure of the industry he works in.
