Shia LaBeouf, who is not famous anymore, left an infamous impression on attendees of the Berlin Film Festival over the weekend.
Appearing in support of Lars von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac,” LaBeouf joined his fellow cast members for a press conference on Sunday. According to The Hollywood Reporter‘s account of the event, the actor “looked disheveled in a dirty hat and hoodie,” and was missing a lower bottom tooth. About ten minutes into the conference, LaBeouf was asked his first question — about his sex scenes in “Nymphomanaic” — yielding an unexpected and unforgettable response.
“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you,” he said, “slowly and deliberately,” before exiting the conference, according to THR.
The quote comes from French soccer player Eric Cantona, spoken during a 1995 press conference after an assault conviction, according to Yahoo.
Later that night, at Berlin’s “Nymphomaniac” premiere, LaBeouf walked the red carpet wearing a black and white tuxedo, and a paper bag over his head. The bag was marked with the words, “I am not famous anymore,” in large, black marker — the same words LaBeouf has tweeted every single day without fail since January 20.
LaBeouf’s appearance at the Berlin Film Festival marks the latest development in an ongoing remodeling of the actor’s reputation. In December, he released a short film called “HowardCantour.com,” which was later revealed to be virtually identical to a Daniel Clowes comic book called “Justin M. Damiano.” LaBeouf promptly apologized for the similarities, but it soon became obvious that his apologies were also lifted, from sources as famous as Tiger Woods to an anonymous Yahoo Answers user.
The “Even Stevens” actor’s “apology tour” continued with grander gestures, including a sky-written message to Clowes on January 1, and a rambling interview with comic book website BleedingCool.com that featured choice phrases such as “authorship is censorship” and “live good player.” LaBeouf later released alleged storyboards for a new short, “Daniel Boring,” that once again featured content directly lifted from the Clowes catalogue; the actor subsequently posted a cease and desist letter issued by Clowes’ lawyers.
On January 10, LaBeouf proclaimed on Twitter, “In light of the recent attacks against my artistic integrity, I am retiring from all public life.” It seems that LaBeouf’s retirement was short-lived, based on his attendance at the Berlin Film Festival — an appearance that reportedly included LaBeouf lunging at fans at a hotel on Saturday night.
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