Shia LaBeouf's 'Fast Times' Performance as Spicoli Praised by Cameron Crowe as 'Wild and Brave'

In case you somehow missed it, here's your friendly that Shia LaBeouf was a goddamn delight during last month's Fast Times at Ridgemont Highlive reading.

The Honey Boy writer and star took on the enticing part of Jeff Spicoli, a stoner archetype famously portrayed by Sean Penn in the Cameron Crowe-penned 1982 comedy, and quite effectively stole the show during the COVID-19 relief benefit. Naturally, LaBeouf's version of the character—complete with the added benefit of neon glasses and a marijuana-based ingestion piece—birthed a litany of memes.

And now, LaBeouf has received a glowing endorsement from Crowe himself. During a recent chat with Variety in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Almost Famous, Crowe said—quite accurately, I might add—that LaBeouf was "wild and brave" in his interpretation of the material.

"Tore up the room, too," Crowe said. "It just brought everybody to a place of giddiness, that made the whole thing work, for me."

Crowe also praised LaBeouf's fellow live reading participant Morgan Freeman, explaining that he "may not ever get over" the iconic actor reading the stage direction he wrote in his early twenties.

"It's like Morgan Freeman reading your diary," Crowe added. "It was thrilling and slightly scary."

Revisit the Fast Times charity read via the YouTube embed above. Next on LaBeouf's slate—at least as far as what's publicly known—is the Netflix arrival of Pieces of a Woman, also staring Vanessa Kirby.