Results: Actor Shia LaBeouf says co-star with Down syndrome saved his life

Peanut Butter Falcon, an independent film starring Shia LaBeouf and newcomer Zach Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome, has made an unexpected splash in Hollywood. Have you seen the movie?

If you haven't seen it yet, does it seem like a movie you would be interested in based on the trailer?

The movie is a re-telling of the classic Huckleberry Finn story, the film has almost universal critical acclaim, and there are even whispers of Gottsagen being nominated for an Oscar — which would be a groundbreaking achievement for actors with Down syndrome. Do you appreciate it when people with disabilities are recognized for their achievements and pave the way for others to accomplish great things?

But the movie has done more than garner accolades; according to LeBeouf, his relationship with Gottsagen saved his life. In an interview with Cathy Newman of Channel 4, a United Kingdom television station, LaBeouf explained that he had become jaded with the film industry, but this movie was unlike anything he'd done before. "I had never worked with an actor like him," he admitted. "I'd never been involved in a project like this. It felt like it was going to be a really freeing experience, and to be quite frank, I was terrified." Have you ever worked with someone with Down Syndrome or some other disability?

During filming, LaBeouf had been arrested after getting drunk, and was charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness. He called the incident "mortifiying" in an interview with Esquire, and recalled that Gottsagen was the only one who called him out on his behavior. "I was angry. Mad. Frustrated," Gottsagen told Esquire. "I didn't want to work with Shia anymore." He added that he told LaBeouf, "You're already famous. This is my chance. And you're ruining it." Have you ever needed a friend to put you in your place and "wake you up" after a bad decision?

LaBeouf said it was exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. "To hear him say that he was disappointed in me probably changed the course of my life," LaBeouf said. "Cause I was still fighting…. Just on my defense-mechanism-fear garbage. And you can't do that to him. He keeps it one thousand with you…. Zack can't not shoot straight, and bless him for it, 'cause in that moment, I needed a straight shooter who I couldn't argue with." Do you appreciate people who are 100% honest with people, regardless of how much it might hurt their feelings?