Theater News

Shia LaBeouf and Orphans Producers Reach Settlement Over Firing

The final chapter of the LaBeouf/Orphans saga has been closed.

New York City

Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf
(© Anthony Dixon/WENN.com)

On Tuesday, July 16 film and television star Shia LaBeouf and Orphans producers Robert Cole and Frederick Zollo announced that a settlement had been reached in regards to the unfair-termination grievance LaBeouf had filed with the Actors’ Equity union.

LaBeouf was the buzz of theater blogs after being fired from the Broadway production of Orphans this past February. His termination was the result of several confrontations with director Daniel Sullivan and co-star Alec Baldwin during rehearsals, which LaBeouf brought into the public eye after leaking a number of private emails via Twitter.

The joint statement released on Tuesday expressed that LaBeouf and the producers had “resolved their differences,” though the terms of the agreement were not released. Cole and Zollo also released the following statement: “We regret the circumstances that caused Shia’s departure from ‘Orphans.’ Shia is a gifted actor whose full preparation to undertake the role of Treat demonstrated his respect and devotion to the play. The parties recognize that neither Mr. LaBeouf nor the producers was at fault. We have the utmost respect for Shia and his acting abilities, and would welcome the opportunity to work with him in the future.”

After being let go from the production, LaBeouf was replaced by film actor Ben Foster, who opened the revival production alongside co-stars Tom Sturridge and Alec Baldwin on April 18. Orphans ran for 37 performances at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and went on to earn two Tony Award nominations, for Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Tom Sturridge).