He was recently accused of doing ‘brownface’ in his new film The Tax Collector, which was released last week.
But Shia LaBeouf appeared to be in good spirits despite the controversy, as he was seen putting on an animated display while out on a jog in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The actor, 34, seemed to be enjoying himself as he took a quick break from his run to throw up a few hand signs and pose on the street.
Messing around: Shia LaBeouf put on a VERY animated display as he headed out on a run in Los Angeles on Thursday… amid accusations he was doing ‘brownface’ in The Tax Collector
Shia stepped out in a casual ensemble to exercise, as he teamed a white logo t-shirt with a pair of form-fitting blue leggings.
He completed his look with a pair of black trainers that were sure to be the perfect footwear for his outing.
The Honey Boy star slicked his brown locks back over his head, and wore a close-cropped beard for a rugged look.
Amusing: The actor seemed to be enjoying himself despite the controversy as he took a quick break from his run to throw up a few hand signs and pose on the street
Shia’s outing comes after The Tax Collector’s director David Ayer had to defend the project following accusations that the star’s character was an example of brownface in The Tax Collector.
Ayer’s latest film tells the story of a crime lord’s ‘tax collector’ is Los Angeles and how his life is upended when a rival boss arrives to town.
The cast is almost exclusively Latinx POC except for Shia, who donned a dark-trimmed goatee and hair, and a ‘barrio accent.’
Controversy: Shia’s outing comes after The Tax Collector’s director David Ayer recently defended the project amid criticism Shia was in ‘brownface’
Several social media users have accused the actor of taking on a Los Angeles cholo persona and looking ‘Mexican’ for entertainment purposes.
In two interviews with LA Times, Ayer doubled down on his stance and did not back down from his choice to cast Shia as ‘Creeper.’
‘He’s a white guy playing a white guy. He’s not taking anyone’s work away,’ the director told the publication.
Surface level: Critics pointed out that Shia’s appearance, as well as an apparent ‘barrio accent’, meant he was in ‘brownface’, while the film also features a majority Latinx cast
Ayer initially hit back at allegations of brownface on Twitter on July 1, where he again insisted the Transformers star was playing a white man in the film.
Responding to a fan he wrote: ‘Really important answer – Shia is playing a white boy who grew up in the hood. This is a Jewish dude playing a white character. Also the only white dude in the movie.’
Ayer, a white man who grew up in California, added in a series of follow up tweets that he grew around Chicano culture.
Clarification: David (pictured in 2017), a white man who moved to Los Angeles as a teenager, denied the allegations that he facilitated brownface in his movie
Defence: The filmmaker, 52, explained: ‘Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood. This is a Jewish dude playing a white character. Also the only white dude in the movie’
‘I grew up hood and I’m a white boy. Chicano culture is inclusive – I’ve seen whiteys, Asians, Blacks, Filipinos all putting in work for the hood. It’s part of street culture,’ he wrote.
It was noted that The Tax Collector doesn’t specifically establish the ethnicity of Shia’s character.
‘I get the complexities of the issues of historical representation in film and brownface. … It’s also like American Me, Blood In Blood Out. It’s a ’hood culture thing,’ Ayer added.
Experience: Ayer said, ‘I grew up hood and I’m a whiteboy. Chicano culture is inclusive – I’ve seen whiteys, Asians, Blacks, Filipinos all putting in work for the hood. It’s part of street culture’
Critics of The Tax Collector have also said the movie enforces harmful and violent stereotypes associated with the Mexican American mafia.
‘My first impression was like, ‘Oh look, a cholo movie starring Shia LaBeouf,’ and technically that’s what it is,’ Lalo Alcaraz, the editorial cartoonist and satirist told the LA Times. ‘There’s no literal brownface, but it’s definitely cultural brownface.’
Some cast members of the Tax Collector have since spoken out in defence of both Ayer’s ability to cover Latino communities and LaBeouf.
Stereotype: Critics of The Tax Collector have also said the movie enforces harmful and violent stereotypes associated with the Mexican American mafia