- Feb 5, 2002
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(OSV News) — A film making its U.S. debut recounts the life of a beloved 20th-century saint — and the movie’s star told OSV News he “fell in love with Christ” to prepare for the part.
Actor Shia LaBeouf portrays St. Pio of Pietrelcina in the new drama “Padre Pio,” which premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters and on demand June 2.
Directed by Abel Ferrara, the movie traces a pivotal period in the life of St. (Padre) Pio, when the 33-year-old Capuchin Franciscan priest — bearing the stigmata, the visible wounds of Christ — begins what would become his lifelong his ministry in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, just after World War I. (The Capuchin himself had served as a private in the Italian army’s medical corps during the conflict.)
LaBeouf said he “wasn’t even trying to make movies” when Ferrara approached him about the role.
The acclaimed 36-year-old actor — whose Emmy-winning career as a kid on the Disney Channel blossomed into big-screen success — found himself “totally lost” after his inner demons led to partying, work conflicts and run-ins with the law.
“I was wandering around, living in my truck,” he said. “I wasn’t interested in acting anymore.”
As LaBeouf began confronting his personal issues, Ferrara tapped him for “Padre Pio,” a saint to whom the Bronx-born director — best known for his gritty cinematic takes on the underworld — felt himself “drawn.”
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Actor Shia LaBeouf portrays St. Pio of Pietrelcina in the new drama “Padre Pio,” which premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters and on demand June 2.
Directed by Abel Ferrara, the movie traces a pivotal period in the life of St. (Padre) Pio, when the 33-year-old Capuchin Franciscan priest — bearing the stigmata, the visible wounds of Christ — begins what would become his lifelong his ministry in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, just after World War I. (The Capuchin himself had served as a private in the Italian army’s medical corps during the conflict.)
LaBeouf said he “wasn’t even trying to make movies” when Ferrara approached him about the role.
The acclaimed 36-year-old actor — whose Emmy-winning career as a kid on the Disney Channel blossomed into big-screen success — found himself “totally lost” after his inner demons led to partying, work conflicts and run-ins with the law.
“I was wandering around, living in my truck,” he said. “I wasn’t interested in acting anymore.”
As LaBeouf began confronting his personal issues, Ferrara tapped him for “Padre Pio,” a saint to whom the Bronx-born director — best known for his gritty cinematic takes on the underworld — felt himself “drawn.”
Continued below.
Shia LaBeouf: 'I fell in love with Christ' to portray Padre Pio on screen
Actor Shia LaBeouf portrays St. Pio of Pietrelcina in the new drama "Padre Pio," which premiered at last year's Venice Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters and on demand June 2.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
