One of Hollywood’s most controversial actors has found religion.
Shia LaBeouf, 37, was so moved recently while playing a Catholic priest on the big screen that he converted to Catholicism himself.
LaBeouf was confirmed as a Catholic this past Sunday by Bishop Robert Barron of the Winona-Rochester diocese in Minnesota, according to the Catholic News Agency.
“We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation,” the Western chapter of the Capuchin Franciscans said in a statement posted to Facebook.
LaBeouf was raised by a Christian father and a Jewish mother, but now says he hopes to eventually hold a position of authority in the Catholic Church after portraying Italian priest Abel Ferrara in 2022 film “Padre Pio.”
“He just spontaneously said, ‘I want to become a deacon,’ and he still feels that way,” LaBeouf’s confirmation sponsor Capuchin Alexander Rodriguez told the Catholic News Agency.
LaBeouf has been plagued by a somewhat violent history in the past, resulting in court-ordered anger-management and therapy sessions as well as random alcohol tests.