What Led to Shia LeBeouf Sleeping Among Horses in Central Park? Actor Recalls Being Insecure About Broadway Role

Shia LaBeouf discloses he spent a night in Central Park during a rift with Alec Baldwin. LaBeouf has revealed that while he was going through a rough patch, he spent his time residing in New York City's Central Park when he was getting ready for the Broadway play Orphans.

Back then, he was battling personal struggles as well as having a feud with co-star Alec Baldwin. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, LaBeouf described that he was "not in a good way."

He was sleeping out and taking steroids, usually around the vicinity of the park where the horses are stabled. LaBeouf said that he moved from place to place every few hours to keep from being seen, and that he spent most of his rehearsal time for the play living there.

LaBeouf recalled, "When [Baldwin] came in, I’m living in the park and I’m on steroids and I’m not in a good way. They keep horses there at this little fire basin. And there’s a whole lot of room around there where you can just chill."

The actor worked hard to prepare the show for Al Pacino, but he walked out, paving the way for Baldwin to enter the scene. "I had built the whole thing based on my relationship with Pacino. And that’s gone. So I was kind of heartbroken," LaBeouf said.

Their relationship became tense as LaBeouf showed up to rehearsals having already memorized ("off book"), whereas Baldwin was reading off the script. LaBeouf asserted that this made rehearsals challenging, particularly because scenes couldn't be correctly blocked. He admitted he became too concerned with trying to prove himself, which only escalated the tension.

Tensions between the two actors escalated when Baldwin started teaching an acting course at NYU during rehearsals. LaBeouf, in turn, sarcastically signed up for the course, pushing the situation further. LaBeouf soon quit the production altogether.

Despite the fallout that "got insane," Shia LaBeouf explained that he and Alec Baldwin reconciled later. They sent messages of encouragement after both had gone through personal issues.

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