Hollywood stars who use method acting to help themselves get into character seem to be continuously setting the bar higher and higher - but Shia LaBeouf might have outdone his peers by making a very permanent decision.
We've seen 50 Cent famously shed 54 pounds for the film All Things Fall Apart, while Christian Bale memorably lost a huge amount of weight for 2004’s The Machinist and Jared Leto 'stopped eating' for Dallas Buyers Club.
The concept is hardly new to us, but seeing just how far some stars will go for the sake of their role can still come as a shock to fans - especially when someone like LaBeouf does something which he can't reverse.
Well, he could if he really wanted to... but it would cost him hours out of his life which he would never get back, as well as a fair few quid.
Advert
That's because the 38-year-old decided to get a huge tattoo on his chest and abdomen so he could embody a 'Cholo' gangster to the best of his ability while starring in 2020's The Tax Collector.
Nearly five years on, it's still going strong too.
In homage to his character 'Creeper' in the action thriller - who is a 'tax collector' for quite a scary crime lord known as Wizard - he got a pretty detailed inking across his stomach and chest.
The detailed design features two Mickey Mouse gloves, seemingly in reference to his time on Disney Channel, as well as a depiction of his mum Shayna Saide cradling a clown, which is believed to be a nod to his dad's work as a rodeo clown.
It also features his character's name right across his stomach, incase you forgot it.
The artist behind the work, Bryan Ramirez, shared a snap of a shirtless LaBeouf on Instagram back in 2020 clearing up speculation from fans about whether the inking was real or not.
He wrote: "Some people ask is #shialabeouf tattoo real??? Yes it’s pretty real we started this back when we where filming the movie holes... on going sessions on this chest piece thanks for the trust on such a meaningful tattoo of your mom and pops stay tuned for the movies this guys got coming this year can’t wait to see much love homie."
The Tax Collector director, David Ayer, also confirmed that LaBeouf really had gone the extra mile while shooting the flick and revealed he also 'studied a real homie' to perfect his performance as a gangster.
The filmmaker told Slash Film: "He’s one of the best actors I’ve worked with, and he’s the most committed to body and soul.
"He had a tooth pulled on Fury, and then on The Tax Collector, he got his whole chest tattooed. So he kind of goes all in, and I’ve never known anyone that committed."
LaBeouf's love of method acting is well known, especially on the set of Fury.
His co-star Jon Bernthal revealed that he 'pulled his tooth out' while filming the movie 'because he thought his character shouldn't have one'.
"He cut his face, he didn't shower for eight months," the actor added.
On top of this, LaBeouf reportedly got 12 small inkings back in 2015 while starring in American Honey.
Topics: Celebrity, Shia LaBeouf, TV and Film
Olivia Burke