Timothée Chalamet and Shia LaBeouf Are Email Pen Pals

I’d never stopped to think about it before, but Shia LaBeouf and Timothée Chalamet have quite a lot in common: They both started out in the industry relatively young, they conduct themselves with a kind of theatrical, earnest intensity, and let’s not forget their very French surnames. LaBeouf — like everyone else on the internet — took note of Chalamet’s completely known A Complete Unknown press tour that culminated in his SAG acceptance speech in which the young star said he wanted to be “one of the greats.” “I so know the feeling. On him, it’s cute. On me, it wasn’t cute,” LaBeouf told The Hollywood Reporter while promoting his new David Mamet film, Henry Johnson.

The context is important for these comments about Chalamet, which come after LaBeouf discussed how turning to Catholicism protected him from his ego and insecurity. Whereas Chalamet’s aspirations to be great were pegged as delusional if not goofy, LaBeouf’s self-seriousness carries a much darker context. That doesn’t mean that he is shading industry golden boy Chalamet. If LaBeouf was shading anyone with his comments, it’s himself: He knows he’s not exactly one for a charm offensive. Before any controversy over LaBeouf’s comments about Chalamet spread, however, the former posted a screenshot of an email exchange between the two from late 2023.

“If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken, twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools”

Timothée Chalamet is doing better work than anyone alive – we been good pic.twitter.com/dXRFadP7Cv

— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) May 12, 2025

In the email, Chalamet writes that LaBeouf was “totally electric, totally present at every turn” in the stage version of Henry Johnson, and LaBeouf writes that Chalamet “is doing better work than anyone alive.” The correspondence is sweet, confirming that Chalamet is definitely the kind of guy to hype you up and put a space before typing two exclamation points and that LaBeouf is the kind of guy who might call you “doggy” in an email. Henry Johnson did not transfer over to New York after its Los Angeles run, but the movie is available to rent online right now in a distribution method Mamet credited to Louis C.K. Of course, LaBeouf’s story is much darker than Chalamet’s, as somewhat chronicled in his semi-autobiographical film Honey Boy, which co-starred the actor’s then-partner FKA Twigs, who later sued him for sexual assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. Though he credits actors Sean Penn, Mel Gibson, and Josh Brolin for help in his recent recovery, LaBeouf also told THR he believes he’s been blacklisted from the industry. Chalamet’s email is well meaning and kind, though not representative of any kind of mainstream acceptance of LaBeouf amid his struggles.

Where’s Chalamet in all of this? Has he weighed in? Of course not! Don’t you know that the New York Knicks are in the playoffs right now? The actor skipped the Met Gala to watch his beloved Knicks play, and last night he sat courtside with newly red-carpet-official girlfriend Kylie Jenner. Chalamet is regularly shouting out his heroes, a keen name-dropper and fanboy, so maybe he and LaBeouf can link in the near future on a boys’ date. If nothing else, Chalamet’s gotta be way more fun to hang out with than Sean Penn.

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