On the heels of news that Shia LaBeouf has been confirmed by the Catholic Church, the actor has just been anointed by David Mamet as “magnificent,” with the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter and director saying “I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life.”
Mamet praised LaBeouf during a wide-ranging conversation with Bill Maher on the late-night host’s free-wheeling Club Random show. Their chat, which debuted Sunday as a podcast and video shared on YouTube, follows Mamet’s appearance late last year on Maher’s Real Time series on HBO Max. His name came up when Mamet revealed that he recently wrapped a film with LaBeouf, though he didn’t specify the title of the project. But it’s known that their collaboration follows LaBeouf starring in Mamet’s world premiere play Henry Johnson at Venice’s Electric Lodge.
“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, a full transcript of which was provided to The Hollywood Reporter. 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.”
Maher then briefly details the accusations LaBeouf faced following a relationship with FKA Twigs, who accused the actor of “relentless abuse,” sexual battery, assault and emotional distress. The trial is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2024. The pop singer detailed the accusations in a New York Times interview in 2020. In response, LaBeouf told the paper, “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years.”
Maher described LaBeouf by saying, “it sounded like he was a dick.”
Later in the interview, the subject of Mamet’s Henry Johnson came up again, and Maher questioned him about why the sold-out show seemingly flew under-the-radar. Mamet said they didn’t do any publicity and he did not invite any theater critics to the show.
Henry Johnson starred LaBeouf opposite Chris Bauer, Dominic Hoffman and Evan Jonigkeit in the story of a lawyer who has suddenly found himself behind bars for his misdeeds.
“I just got so sick of dealing with the fucking press for 50-some years of my professional life,” said Mamet, who goes on to claim that “the press have always been for sale” and that one could bribe critics and other journalists.
In another comment that could spark controversy, Mamet slammed progressive culture by saying that “wokeism is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” He continued: “The bright side of wokeism is when you turn on the television… all of the commercials and most of the people in television shows are people of color. So, it’s bad for white actors but on the other hand, it used to be back for Black actors. But the good thing is that white America gets used to looking at Black people not as Sidney Poitier, not as Willie Best, but as people and that’s really great.”
The Club Random conversation also finds the two covering topics such as the Israel and Hamas conflict, the recent gay sex scandal in Washington D.C., Harvey Weinstein, Alec Baldwin, Oppenheimer, old Hollywood and much more. The YouTube clip is below.
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