Shia LaBeouf, who will hitchhike across America for his upcoming #TakeMeAnywhere project, opened up about his experience portraying American tennis superstar John McEnroe in the upcoming Borg vs. McEnroe. LaBeouf details how he came to be involved in the project, his appreciation of Scandinavian film, the upcoming film's depiction of McEnroe, and other details about the movie in the new interview.
In the interview with Variety, LaBeouf discussed what drew him to the script. Before encountering Pederson's, LaBeouf had passed on another McEnroe movie due to a satirical depiction of the provacative tennis player. When he received the script for Borg vs. McEnroe and found out that Pederson was behind the film, however, he immediately began chasing the opportunity.
LaBeouf praises the Borg vs. McEnroe script repeatedly throughout the interview, noting that he cried the first time he read it. As far as the script's take on McEnroe, LaBeouf said the portrayal is not darker but "truthful, tangible, anchored, human."
LaBeouf also made his appreciation for Scandinavian filmmakers apparent during the interview, blatantly stating that "they make better movies." He remarked on the different pacing and types of bonds created on set and expressed his appreciation for the deeper roles he gets in Scandinavian films compared to American films. "They make movies about people in Europe. In America, they make fewer films about people, more about plot. Those aren’t interesting to me," he said.
LaBeouf hasn't met McEnroe yet but adds he's eager to before they start shooting in August. He sees striking similarities between his own life and McEnroe's, and those have helped him to prepare for the role. According to LaBeouf, they have "everything in common. Passionate. Perfectionist. Narcissistic." LaBeouf admits he's "a bit of a caricature also." The film will be directed by Danish director Janus Metz Pederson and revolves around the relationship between McEnroe and Swedish tennis player Bjorn Borg, who faced off in an intense Wimbledon final in 1980.
