While the world can be a cold place for the actor and occasional performance artist Shia LaBeouf, at least he’s a millionaire. Spare a thought for poor Mario Licato, a New York City dweller who got punched in the face and slipped down a set of Subway steps, his attacker shouting “This is because you look exactly like Shia LaBeouf,” while fleeing the scene.
Posting his bruises on Instagram, the Lower East Side assault captured the attention of viral news sites all over the world, with Licato receiving countless messages wishing him well, pillorying his appearance, and expressing disbelief. And one of the messages came from none other than Shia LaBeouf himself.
A photo posted by Mario Licato (@mariolicato) on
Speaking to Cosmopolitan magazine, Licato explained how he has no idea where the enigmatic Hollywood actor got his phone number, but that he left a lengthy message offering his sympathy.
“It was a pretty long voicemail,” he said. “He was like, ‘Hey, this is Shia LaBeouf... I just read an article that you were punched in the face because you look like me?’ And then he was like, ‘Aw man, that sucks. I’m so sorry. But I get it. It’s happened to me before.’”
When speaking to the magazine, Licato revealed he had not yet called by the Transformers actor, but if a recent Instagram post is to be believed, he took the plunge on Wednesday.
And why would someone want to punch Shia LaBeouf in the face anyway? This, maybe. Or this. Not forgetting this one, either.
[H/T: Mashable]