Christy Carlson Romano is looking back on working with Shia LaBeouf on the Disney Channel.
The two played siblings on the network’s early 2000s comedy Even Stevens, but their on-screen sibling relationship didn’t exactly translate off-screen.
In a new interview while promoting her new memoir, “Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star,” Christy opened up about not being able to be there for her co-star while he dealt with problems at home.
“It was dysfunctional at best,” she told E! News of their relationship. “It was a little competitive at times. He was a very ambitious child. He really needed to become famous because his home life was really complicated.”
“I think that he needed to be the star of Even Stevens, but it was still our show,” Christy added, explaining how her character brought in the female audience. “They made me much more of a costar character. And it just made sense with his schooling. They needed to be able to use me during times that he would be in school.”
The actress says that her co-star struggled with the idea that they were co-leads of the show.
“Initially it was going to be his show,” she said. “That’s what fueled his ambition, his competitive streak, and it’s unfortunate because I did come to understand that he had this complicated relationship with his dad.”
“At the same time,” Christy noted. “I wanted to be there for him, but I knew that I could never really fully be there for him because we had this work-life imbalance.”
In her new memoir, she opened up about their time working on the show together, noting how he seemed “desperate for fame,” and wondered if “his home life is tough. I think it’s kind of a miracle he’s even functioning.”
“I pray for Shia often,” she told E! News. “Whenever something comes out in the news that’s positive, I’m rooting for him. And whenever something negative comes out in the news, my heart breaks. Society has a way of writing child actors off.”
“Some things—I will be very clear about—some things shouldn’t be written off,” Christy added. “We can’t infantilize the man. He’s a grown-up. His actions, if they’re illegal, deserve ramifications.”
“He’s gotten himself into his own messes. I just hope for the best for him. I truly do.”
Christy Carlson Romano has opened up about working with Shia LaBeouf in the past, and has revealed where they stand years later.
See more past articles below:
If you missed it, Christy is returning to acting in a new Hallmark Christmas movie this year!
Posted To:Christy Carlson Romano Shia LaBeouf