Transformers director Michael Bay says original franchise star Shia LaBeouf called him earlier this year to relay a moment with his daughter that moved him to tears.
Bay, who directed LaBeouf in three Transformers films, recently spoke with TMZ about the death of Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime. Deeper into the ensuing conversation, LaBeouf’s name was brought up, with interviewer Charlie Neff alluding to the actor and performance artist’s New Orleans arrest earlier this year.
As previously reported, LaBeouf, 40, was ultimately handed down a two-year period of probation in June after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery. LaBeouf’s lawyer, Sarah Chervinsky, said the incident was merely “a minor Mardi Gras bar tussle” in a statement shared with Complex at the time.
“I have not spoken to Shia probably in about six months,” Bay told TMZ this week. “He called me, and this was a very nice call he gave. … He said he went on the Transformers Universal ride with his daughter. He goes, ‘I finally saw our movies through my daughter's eyes,’ and he said, ‘I cried.’ He cried twice, okay? He's never mentioned to his daughter, ever, that he's ever been in the movie. She was gravitated to go to that ride. So, it was a great story.”
LaBeouf shares a daughter, Isabel, with The Odyssey actress Mia Goth.
Asked if he had anything he would tell LaBeouf “right now,” Bay noted he hasn’t “checked in” with his former collaborator since the call in question. Still, he had kind words.
“He’s a great guy and he’s a great actor,” the director said. “I had an amazing time working with him, and I think he’s a very good person.”
While fans have long speculated about a potential LaBeouf return to the Transformers franchise, it’s worth pointing out that his character, Sam Witwicky, is fairly widely assumed to have met an offscreen death.
