Shia LaBeouf

LaBeouf in 2009, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Shia Saide LaBeouf

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: June 11, 1986

Ethnicity:
*father – Cajun French, as well as British Isles [English, Northern Irish]
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Shia LaBeouf is an American actor, filmmaker, and performance artist. He is known for his roles in the films Holes, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, The Battle of Shaker Heights, I, Robot; Constantine, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, in the film’s English dub; A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Bobby, Disturbia, Surf’s Up, in voice performance; Transformers, and its sequels, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Eagle Eye, New York, I Love You; Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Lawless, The Company You Keep, Charlie Countryman, Nymphomaniac, Fury (2014), Man Down, American Honey, Borg vs McEnroe, Honey Boy, which he also wrote, based on his life; The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Tax Collector, Pieces of a Woman, and Padre Pio; on the show Even Stevens; and in the made-for-tv movies Hounded and Tru Confessions. He is a member of artist trio LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner.

Shia is the son of Shayna (Saide) and Jeffrey LaBeouf. His father is a professional clown. His mother was a visual artist, jewelry designer, and dancer. His father is of half Cajun [French] and half British Isles [English, Northern Irish] descent, and from a Christian background. Shia’s mother was Jewish, of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent. Shia’s first name, Shia, is Hebrew for “a gift from God.” Shia’s last name is French, roughly meaning “the beef.” Shia was both baptized and raised Jewish, having a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. He had often described himself as Jewish.

In 2014, he was reported to have converted to Christianity while filming the film Fury, though reporting was not completely clear. In 2022, he stated that he converted to Catholicism while preparing to play Catholic Saint Padre Pio.

Shia has one child with his partner, English-Brazilian model and actress Mia Goth.

Shia’s paternal grandfather was Dewey LeBoeuf (the son of Maurice Joseph Lebouef and Clemence Marie Chauvin). Dewey was born in Louisiana, and was a Cajun. Maurice was the son of Hermilien Joseph “Emilien”/Emelien Lebouef and Cecilia/Cecile Hebert. Clemence was the daughter of Arthur Anatole Chauvin and Adeline Thibodeaux.

Shia’s paternal grandmother was Joy Jacquelyn Allen/Ginger (the daughter of Alo Jacquelyn “Jackie” Torrence). Joy was born in California. Alo was the daughter of John Dayton Torrence, who was born in Oxford Township, Grenville, Ontario, Canada, and of Cordelia/Delia Angeline Huntley. Shia has described his grandmother as a beatnik poet.

Shia’s maternal grandfather was Szaja Yeshayhu “Sam”/Shia Saide (the son of Nochim/Nochum Mendel “Max” Zajac/Zajenc/Saide and Chana “Anna” Slowa/Starynsky). Szaja was a Polish Jew, who was born, c. 1913, in Białystok. He moved to the United States in 1930. He was a comedian, performer, and artist. Max was the son of Benjamin Zajac/Zajnc/Zabludowsky and Tauba/Tobey Jasinowska/Jasienowska. Chana was the daughter of Sam/Shalom Starinsky and Belle Gurwitz, who were from Grodno, Belarus. Shia’s grandfather also had roots in Austria.

Shia’s maternal grandmother was Mary Ann “Malki” Rosen (the daughter of Abraham Aaron Rosen and Bessie Cohen). Mary Ann was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents.

Sources: http://www.talktalk.co.uk
https://www.today.com
https://www.independent.co.uk

Genealogy of Shia LaBeouf – https://www.geni.com

Death record of Shia’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Cecilia/Cecile (Hebert) Lebouef – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Shia’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Adeline (Thibodeaux) Chauvin – https://www.familysearch.org

Shia’s paternal grandmother, Joy Jacquelyn Allen/Ginger, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogies of Shia’s maternal grandfather, Szaja Yeshayhu “Sam” Saide (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
https://www.geni.com

Shia’s maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Rosen, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org