Famous actor Shia LaBeouf recently revealed that he suffered suicidal thoughts and converting to Catholicism saved his life.
LaBeouf sat down with Word on Fire host Bishop Robert Barron for a candid interview and shed light on the significant impact the religion has had on the trajectory of his life. LaBeouf converted to Christianity during his darkest moments, while shooting the movie “Padre Pio,” and he doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that he was asked to immerse himself in research for the role of the Catholic Saint, Padre Pio.
LaBeouf became a member of the Roman Catholic Church while filming, but admits this was not his intention when he agreed to take on the role. After a series of public scandals that deeply affected his personal life and strained, even severed, many of his personal relationships, LaBeouf was focused on strengthening his career, not his faith in God.
“You know I walked into this, my life was on fire, I was walking outta hell,” LaBeouf said. “My life was a mess, complete mess, and I’d hurt a lot of people. I felt deep shame,” LaBeouf said during the interview.
He describes how he immersed himself in the study of the Catholic faith in order to embody his character, not realizing he would find himself drawing on elements of Christianity to save him in his time of need.
✍️EXCLUSIVE ✍️
Actor Shia LaBeouf converted to Christianity while shooting his upcoming film “Padre Pio” and has become a member of the Catholic Church.
LaBeouf revealed his conversion in an interview with Word on Fire ministries’ Bishop Robert Barron.https://t.co/1r2Fp7qWKv— Timothy H.J. Nerozzi 庭夢 (@TimothyNerozzi) August 25, 2022
“At this point I’m nuclear,” LaBeouf said. “Nobody wants to talk to me, including my mother,” he said, referencing a time in his life that included numerous arrests, displays of erratic behavior, and scandals.
“I had a gun on the table. I was outta here,” LaBeouf stated during the interview. “I didn’t want to be alive anymore when all of this happened,” he added. He went on to describe the heavy burden of guilt he was carrying. “Shame like I had never experienced before — kind of shame you forget how to breathe. You don’t know where to go. You can’t go outside and get like, a taco,” LaBeouf said. (RELATED: ‘I Am Suffering Complex Mental Health Issues’: Ezra Miller Seeks Treatment After Bizarre Behavior, Legal Troubles)
“But I’m also in this like deep desire to hold on,” he added. That’s when LaBeouf leaned on his experiences living in a seminary in preparation for the part and pulled strength from his newfound faith.
LaBeouf then went on to explain how he “let go” and allowed his faith in God to uplift him, ultimately saving his life.