Shia LaBeouf doesn’t do things halfway. We know this. Whether it’s wearing a paper bag over his head on a red carpet or living in a cabin in Finland for a performance art piece, the man is the definition of "extra." But even for him, what happened during the production of David Ayer’s 2020 crime thriller The Tax Collector was next-level.
He got his entire chest tattooed. For real.
No, it wasn't a temporary transfer that washed off in the trailer after a twelve-hour shoot. It wasn’t some high-end Hollywood makeup trickery. Shia sat for hours under the needle of artist Bryan Ramirez to permanently ink his torso with a massive, sprawling mural. All for a supporting role in a gritty indie movie.
People called it madness. Some called it genius. Most just asked: "Why?"
The "Creeper" Transformation
In the film, Shia plays a character named Creeper. He’s the enforcer—the muscle—for a high-level "tax collector" named David (played by Bobby Soto). They work for a crime lord known as Wizard, spending their days cruising the streets of Los Angeles collecting cuts from 43 different local gangs.
Creeper is a terrifying dude. He wears sharp suits, eats a keto diet, meditates in the morning, and will casually dismember a human being if the math on the payment doesn't add up.
To become Creeper, Shia didn't just learn the lines. He went "body and soul," as director David Ayer put it. The tattoo is the centerpiece of that commitment. If you look closely at the ink—which, honestly, you only see for about fifteen seconds of screen time—it’s actually quite personal.
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- The "CREEPER" Branding: Across his lower abdomen, the character's name is blasted in huge block letters.
- The Parental Tribute: The upper section features a woman (representing his mother, Shayna Saide) cradling a clown (a nod to his father’s past as a rodeo clown).
- The Disney Easter Egg: There are even Mickey Mouse gloves in the mix, a subtle, perhaps ironic, wink to his Even Stevens roots.
The tattoo artist, Ramirez, later confirmed they actually started the piece years prior but finished the massive chest mural specifically for this role. It wasn't just a prop; it was a permanent transformation into a character that most people would forget a week after watching the VOD release.
Controversy and the "Brownface" Accusations
When the trailer first dropped, the internet did what the internet does: it caught fire.
Looking at the promotional footage, people saw Shia—a white, Jewish actor—sporting a "cholo" aesthetic, speaking with a specific street cadence, and surrounded by a predominantly Latino cast. The backlash was immediate. Accusations of "brownface" and cultural appropriation started flying toward David Ayer.
Ayer, who grew up in South Central L.A. and has made a career out of "hood" stories like Training Day and End of Watch, didn't back down. He took to Twitter to clarify things.
"Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood," Ayer explained. He insisted that the character wasn't Latino, but a "Southsider" who had been immersed in Chicano culture his entire life. To Ayer, this wasn't appropriation; it was an authentic depiction of the "inclusive" nature of street culture he witnessed growing up.
Still, the optics were tough. Critics argued that in a movie centered on Latino stories, the marketing was leaning heavily on the one famous white guy—even though Bobby Soto was the actual lead.
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Was the Method Acting Worth It?
Honestly? It’s complicated.
Most critics hated the movie. It currently sits with a dismal score on Rotten Tomatoes. The general consensus was that the story felt like a "greatest hits" of David Ayer’s previous, better work. It was bleak, violent, and a bit meandering.
But almost everyone agreed on one thing: Shia was the best part.
As Creeper, he brings a vibrating, nervous energy to the screen. You can't take your eyes off him because you genuinely don't know if he’s going to offer you a keto snack or blow your head off. The commitment is visible in every frame.
But here’s the kicker. After all that work—the real tattoos, the months of prep, the "going all in"—Shia’s character is taken out of the movie midway through. He gets a brutal, unceremonious exit that left many viewers feeling like they’d been victims of a bait-and-switch.
You get the sense that Shia prepared for a three-hour epic, but ended up in a 90-minute B-movie.
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The Legacy of the Tax Collector
Since the film's release, Shia’s career has been... turbulent, to say the least. Shortly after The Tax Collector, he faced serious legal issues and personal controversies that overshadowed his work.
Yet, that tattoo remains.
It serves as a permanent receipt of a specific moment in time—a testament to an actor who refuses to differentiate between "make-believe" and reality. Whether you think getting a giant "CREEPER" tattoo is an act of artistic devotion or a cry for help, it’s undeniably Shia.
If you're looking to understand the "why" behind the performance, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Context is King: Watch the movie for the atmosphere. David Ayer is a master of "vibe," even when the plot fails him. The depiction of L.A. street life is grimy and detailed.
- Look Past the Ink: Pay attention to Shia’s physicality. He doesn't move like a movie star; he moves like a guy who has spent way too much time in a dojo and on the street.
- Appreciate the Supporting Cast: While Shia gets the headlines, Bobby Soto and Cinthya Carmona turn in really grounded, emotional performances that deserve more credit than they received.
The story of The Tax Collector isn't just about a movie; it's about the lengths a person will go to find "truth" in a piece of fiction. Sometimes that truth leaves a permanent mark.
To dive deeper into the world of method acting, you might want to look into Shia’s other roles—like Fury, where he allegedly pulled out his own tooth to get into character. It seems the "Creeper" ink was just another Tuesday for him.