Shia LaBeouf ‘got his whole chest tattooed’ to better play ‘Cholo’ gangster in The Tax Collector

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Daytime Emmy winner Shia LaBeouf ‘got his whole chest tattooed’ to more authentically portray a ‘Cholo’ gangster for his movie The Tax Collector, which hits VOD on August 7.

The 34-year-old Echo Park native permanently branded his abdomen with his character Creeper’s name over two Mickey Mouse gloves representing his own Disney Channel past.

A closer look at Shia’s ink revealed depictions of his mother Shayna Saide cradling a clown, which represented his own estranged father Jeffrey’s past as a rodeo clown.  

Hitting VOD on August 7! Daytime Emmy winner Shia LaBeouf ‘got his whole chest tattooed’ to more authentically portray a ‘Cholo’ gangster for his movie The Tax Collector

It’s not the first time either. Back in 2015, LaBeouf got 12 small tattoos to get into character as magazine-selling hustler Jake in Andrea Arnold’s drama American Honey.

‘He’s one of the best actors I’ve worked with, and he’s the most committed to body and soul,’ director David Ayer told Slash Film in January.

‘On Tax Collector, he got his whole chest tattooed. So he kind of goes all in, and I’ve never known anyone that committed.’

The former child star ‘had a tooth pulled’ the first time he worked with the 52-year-old filmmaker and Oscar winner Brad Pitt in his 2014 WWII flick, Fury. 

Blend of fiction and reality: The 34-year-old Echo Park native permanently branded his abdomen with his character Creeper's name over two Mickey Mouse gloves representing his own Disney Channel past

Blend of fiction and reality: The 34-year-old Echo Park native permanently branded his abdomen with his character Creeper’s name over two Mickey Mouse gloves representing his own Disney Channel past

Personal: A closer look at Shia's ink revealed depictions of his mother Shayna Saide cradling a clown, which represented his own estranged father Jeffrey's past as a rodeo clown

Shia and his mother Shayna Saide pictured in 2003

Personal: A closer look at Shia’s ink revealed depictions of his mother Shayna Saide (2-R) cradling a clown, which represented his own estranged father Jeffrey’s past as a rodeo clown

Not the first time: Back in 2015, LaBeouf got 12 small tattoos to get into character as magazine-selling hustler Jake in Andrea Arnold's drama American Honey (pictured in 2017)

Not the first time: Back in 2015, LaBeouf got 12 small tattoos to get into character as magazine-selling hustler Jake in Andrea Arnold’s drama American Honey (pictured in 2017)

Ayer spent most of last Wednesday defending his alleged ‘brownface’ casting of Shia as a ‘terrorizing devil’ collecting ‘taxes’ for a crime lord called Wizard.

‘Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood,’ David – who boasts 479K Twitter/Instagram followers – explained.

‘This is a [half-Jewish, half-Cajun] dude playing a white character. Also the only white dude in the movie…[Creeper] grew up in the hood. He’s a gangster. He’s a Cholo. He’s a Southsider. Shia studied a real homie like that to get it correct.’

Also coming to the chain-smoking culture vulture’s defense was his castmate Chelsea Rendon, who played Lupe in The Tax Collector.  

Director David Ayer told Slash Film in January: 'He's one of the best actors I've worked with, and he's the most committed to body and soul. On Tax Collector, he got his whole chest tattooed. So he kind of goes all in'

Director David Ayer told Slash Film in January: ‘He’s one of the best actors I’ve worked with, and he’s the most committed to body and soul. On Tax Collector, he got his whole chest tattooed. So he kind of goes all in’

'I've never known anyone that committed': The former child star (R) 'had a tooth pulled' the first time he worked with the 52-year-old filmmaker (L) and Oscar winner Brad Pitt (M) in his 2014 WWII flick, Fury

‘I’ve never known anyone that committed’: The former child star (R) ‘had a tooth pulled’ the first time he worked with the 52-year-old filmmaker (L) and Oscar winner Brad Pitt (M) in his 2014 WWII flick, Fury 

'Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood': Ayer spent most of last Wednesday defending his alleged 'brownface' casting of Shia as a 'terrorizing devil' collecting 'taxes' for a crime lord called Wizard

‘Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood’: Ayer spent most of last Wednesday defending his alleged ‘brownface’ casting of Shia as a ‘terrorizing devil’ collecting ‘taxes’ for a crime lord called Wizard 

‘Y’all. Shia is NOT playing a Latinx character. So chill. That is all,’ the 27-year-old Montebello native tweeted last Wednesday.

‘You don’t act/dress the same as who you grew up with? In the same neighborhood? I’m not saying some Malibu’s most wanted s*** but the real s***.

‘I got friends that aren’t Latinx I grew up with who speak Spanish or have the same accent as mine and s*** is that not okay?’ 

David continued: '[Creeper] grew up in the hood. He's a gangster. He's a Cholo. He's a Southsider. Shia studied a real homie like that to get it correct'

David continued: ‘[Creeper] grew up in the hood. He’s a gangster. He’s a Cholo. He’s a Southsider. Shia studied a real homie like that to get it correct’ 

'Can't wait for y'all to meet Lupe!' Also coming to the chain-smoking culture vulture's defense was his castmate Chelsea Rendon, who played Lupe in The Tax Collector (posted July 1)

‘Can’t wait for y’all to meet Lupe!’ Also coming to the chain-smoking culture vulture’s defense was his castmate Chelsea Rendon, who played Lupe in The Tax Collector (posted July 1)

The 27-year-old Montebello native tweeted: 'Y'all. Shia is NOT playing a Latinx character. So chill. That is all'

The 27-year-old Montebello native tweeted: ‘Y’all. Shia is NOT playing a Latinx character. So chill. That is all’

The East LA-set, indie crime flick also features three-time Grammy nominee George Lopez, Bobby Soto, and Cinthya Carmona.

The Honey Boy actor-writer’s latest controversy came less than a month after the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced he’d be inducted into the Walk of Fame next year.

It’s worth noting that most actors wouldn’t have a career at all if they were LaBeouf – whose sixth arrest was in 2017 for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness.

Legitimized: The Honey Boy actor-writer's latest controversy came less than a month after the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced he'd be inducted into the Walk of Fame in 2021

Legitimized: The Honey Boy actor-writer’s latest controversy came less than a month after the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced he’d be inducted into the Walk of Fame in 2021

Definitely no actress: It's worth noting that most actors wouldn't have a career at all if they were LaBeouf - whose sixth arrest was in 2017 for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness (pictured in 2017)

Definitely no actress: It’s worth noting that most actors wouldn’t have a career at all if they were LaBeouf – whose sixth arrest was in 2017 for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness (pictured in 2017)