Scott Eastwood is looking back on a tense moment from the set of “Fury.” In an interview, the actor recalled a confrontation with co-star Shia LaBeouf while filming a scene for the war movie, sharing how a misunderstanding escalated before it was brought under control. His remarks come after he called out an A-lister for backing out of a project at the last minute.
The 2014 war movie “Fury” was the first and only time Scott Eastwood and Shia LaBeouf worked together. They starred alongside other big names, including Brad Pitt, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman, and Michael Peña.
During the movie’s promotions, the tension between Eastwood and LaBeouf was widely reported, with co-stars sharing details of what went down behind the scenes. More than 10 years after the incident, Eastwood is sharing his recollection of the heated encounter with his co-star.
In an appearance on the podcast “Armchair Expert,” Eastwood told hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman that he was steered clear of LaBeouf after witnessing the lengths he went to to get into the character of a tank gunner, such as pulling out a tooth, cutting his cheek, and avoiding bathing.
“I remember thinking, ‘Okay. This guy’s crazy. I’m just gonna keep clear from this guy. I don’t play this game’,” Eastwood said. It was difficult to stay away from a co-star while working on a movie, though, and the dispute unfolded after filming a scene.
The Actor Claims His Co-Star Was ‘Having An Episode’
Eastwood acknowledged that LaBeouf was “clearly tormented,” and during the incident, he said the actor was “having an episode.”
LaBeouf called Eastwood out for “spitting tobacco” in the tank, and that was the latter’s breaking point. “I said, ‘F-ck you. Stop pulling your sh-t.’ I said, ‘I’m gonna whoop your a-s’,” Eastwood said, noting that afterward, LaBeouf became even more heated. Fortunately, their co-stars, including Pitt, managed to break up the fight before it escalated further.
Unbeknownst to LaBeouf, spitting tobacco was included in the script.
Eastwood said he understood LaBeouf’s process of method acting. However, he also said making a film is a collaborative effort. “Everyone’s doing a thing, but you can’t stop the train… And grow the f-ck up, you know?” he said.
The actor further said that everybody on set had “moments with Shia,” adding the entertainment industry “attracts psychopaths.”
Brad Pitt Shared Context To The Story In 2014
Pitt, who portrayed U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier in “Fury,” discussed the altercation in a 2014 interview, admitting that it may have started with him.
During the scene, he saw Eastwood spit into the tank, which irked him. “I’m starting to get hot, because this is our home, he’s disrespecting our home, you know?” Pitt told GQ. He called out Eastwood while the cameras were rolling and, in character, said, “You’re going to clean that sh-t up.” LaBeouf shared his sentiment, which sparked the dispute.
After the scene, Pitt said he approached Eastwood to explain what happened, only to later find out that he was in the wrong. The actor read the script that night and noticed it specifically stated Eastwood’s character was “chewing tobacco and spitting it on the back of the tank.”
“He was just doing as instructed in the script! So we were the knobs in the end,” Pitt said.
Shia LaBeouf Has A Reported History Of Friction With Co-Stars
LaBeouf has been involved in a few on-set tensions with co-stars, driven by clashes in personality or his extreme method acting. As The Blast previously reported, the actor was let go from “Orphans” due to his erratic behavior.
The former Disney star also had a conflict with Tom Hardy on the set of “Lawless,” with reports saying LaBeouf knocked out Hardy with a punch. The film’s director, John Hillcoat, confirmed that a physical altercation occurred, but nobody was knocked out. Years later, LaBeouf dismissed it as playful roughhousing rather than a real fight.
LaBeouf has been the subject of headlines in recent months due to a physical altercation in New Orleans. He was charged with three counts of battery and took a plea deal in June.
Scott Eastwood Called Out Another A-Lister
Eastwood’s comments about LaBeouf came after he went on “The Joe Rogan Experience” and called out an actor who pulled out of a project at the last minute, as The Blast reported.
He didn’t name the A-list actor, but noted that the production had to bear the financial burden of the decision simply because the actor didn’t want to work with someone else. “People get too famous for too long and think the world owes them something,” he noted.
