Shia has his Eagle Eye on more fame

11:20am Thursday 16th October 2008

Hollywood’s latest golden boy Shia LaBeouf stars in action thriller Eagle Eye. The young actor talks about dealing with his growing fame and what it was like starring in his first real adult role.

Life has certainly speeded up for 22-year-old Shia LaBeouf recently.

Ever since his hit movie Transformers became the highest-grossing film of 2007, the young actor has had to deal with increasing fame, interest in his private life, and inevitable attention from the paparazzi.

“It’s crazy and new - you know I’m figuring it out,” he says of the growing attention he receives from fans.

“It’s outrageous. If I said this was normal I’d be a real a-hole. It’s new and sometimes it's exciting and sometimes it's scary. I’m getting used to it.”

It's been a fast rise to fame for Shia - last year he played a teenager who thinks he witnesses a murder in the Rear Window-style thriller Disturbia, then he picked up plaudits for his role in this summer’s Indiana Jones blockbuster.

Now he’s playing the lead in new action thriller Eagle Eye.

“In anybody else’s hands it would have been very scary,” Shia says of his headlining role.

“But because I’ve kind of grown up with D.J. and Steven [Spielberg], it is like being with a group of friends.

He says he was attracted to the film thanks to its take on how technology influences our lives.

With mobile phone conversations, credit card spending and internet preferences being monitored, the film explores a nightmare scenario of the Orwellian 'Big Brother' variety.

“It’s a cautionary tale,” Shia explains.

“It's something which could happen and is tangible. It’s not that big a stretch.

Humans have become dependent on technology. If what we have now technology-wise were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be devastating.

“This is something not that implausible. It could happen tomorrow. What's incredible about this, is that Steven Spielberg had the foresight to see this happening almost 10 years ago.”

His mentor may have had the idea a decade ago, but Shia says the film works now because we are all much more gadget-savvy.

“I don’t think there’s anybody on the street who doesn't have a cell phone," he says.

“It’s not a techno-geek thing. It’s just humanity and where we’ve gone and technological advances which have made our lives easier. Of course we use it - it makes it easier.

“It’s like having a crutch all the time. I think people will walk out of this movie feeling the same way they felt walking out of Jaws - nobody’s going to want to go boogie boarding afterwards.

Now people will stay away from their cell phones after seeing this movie. It’s scary.”