As Shia LaBeouf looks to become a Deacon, the actor is getting heaps of praise from his Pulitzer Prize winning filmmaker David Mamet, he’s being called “magnificent,” with the director saying “I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life.”
Mamet praised LaBeouf during a weekend conversation on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. LaBoeuf’s name came up after Mamet revealed that he recently wrapped a film with LaBeouf, though he didn’t specify what the project was.
LaBeouf starred in Mamet’s play “Henry Johnson” at Venice’s Electric Lodge in NYC.
“I’m saying that as an actor, I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life. I’ve worked with everybody, and as a human being, he’s just a magnificent human being,” Mamet said during the interview. Maher then asked Mamet why LaBeouf has “a reputation as such a dick.” Mamet replied that he has “no idea,” and he only has “unlimited respect” for the actor, adding that “at one point, he hit bottom.”
Last year, LaBeouf had revealed that Mamet wanted to film an adaptation of “Henry Johnson” play for the big screen. Is this the project they shot together? I’ll have to dig into my sources and update this post accordingly.
Laboeuf plays the cellmate of the show’s titular character, a lawyer who is behind bars for his illegal activities. The show also made the news for Mamet’s refusal to invite critics to showings. If they wanted to review the play then they had to buy a ticket.
Mamet hasn’t directed a film since 2008’s “Redbelt.” His indelibly stylish dialogue can be seen and heard in some of his best-known works, those include “House of Games”, “Homicide”, “Glengary Glen Ross”, “Wag the Dog”, “The Spanish Prisoner” and “Heist.” All superb films.
Mamet is known for his wittily acidic dialogue. In fact, a term was invented for his style of writing: “Mamet speak.” Mamet's style of writing is cynical, edgy, street and precisely crafted for effect.