Shia LaBeouf Says His Cajun Roots Are Why He’s Moved to Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KMDL-FM) - For years people throughout Acadiana have joked that actor Shia LaBeouf spells his last name wrong because, obviously we spell it differently down here.

In LaBeouf's first sit-down interview post Mardi Gras fights and arrests, LaBeouf talks about his connection to Acadiana, saying he has family in Abbeville and Opelousas, and explains the spelling of his last name being different from the traditional LeBoeuf we're more accustomed with in South Louisiana.

Shia LaBeouf Discusses His Cajun Roots In Louisiana

Actor Shia LaBeouf began his career in the early 2000s as the star of "Even Stevens" on the Disney Channel. From there LaBeouf began a highly successful career staring in blockbuster hit movies like "Transformers" and critically acclaimed films like "Fury and Honey Boy" to name a few.

READ MORE: Shia LaBeouf Could Face Hate Crime Charges for Mardi Gras Incident

In LaBeouf's first sit-down interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan on Youtube, he's asked why he chose to move to New Orleans, and his answer might surprise you.

The interview, which now has almost 3 million views and has racked up close to 30,000 comments, was shot in New Orleans just a day or two after LaBeouf's second arrest stemming from his Mardi Gras altercations.

As the interview starts LaBeouf is asked how long he's been in New Orleans and if he came down to Louisiana for Mardi Gras. LaBeouf then explains what initially brought he and his father to South Louisiana were the Palisades, California fires, and says his dad said that because of the fires never wanted to go back, asking Shia to "set it up over here."

By "over here" he means Louisiana.

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LaBeouf then goes on to explain that he and his father have family in Opelousas, Abbeville, Covington, and Madeville Louisiana.

If Shia LaBeouf's family roots are from right here in Acadiana, then why isn't his last name spelled LeBoeuf?

He goes on to talk about why his last name isn't spelled in what we consider to be the traditional Cajun way, explaining his grandmother changed the spelling of LeBoeuf to LaBeouf when she moved to California.

READ MORE: Actor Shia LaBeouf Arrested in New Orleans on Mardi Gras

LaBeouf has been quoted as saying he's a "Cajun man who has been exiled from his family, who has blood in the soil".

In the interview below, LeBoeuf talks about his Louisiana Cajun family connections in the first 5 minutes. Be aware, the interview contains NSFW language.