Shia LaBeouf Was The Scene-Stealing Stoner King Of The ‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High’ Table Read

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt reenacting the famous pool scene (you know the one) was the headline, but the highlight of the virtual Fast Times at Ridgemont High table read was Shia LaBeouf as Spicoli. It’s almost too perfect. Of course Shia was a great Spicoli. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised that if Shia had access to a time machine, his first stop would be to 1982, so he could convince director Amy Heckerling and writer Cameron Crowe to cast him, and not Sean Penn, as the ever-stoned surfer dude.

Penn was actually in virtual attendance, along with Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Julia Roberts, and, uh, Dane Cook, which makes LaBeouf’s performance all the more impressive. Did I mention that he spent the entire table read in his (?) car while shirtless and smoking? His dedication to his craft did not go unnoticed. Journalist Tara Bitran spoke for all of us when she tweeted, “Shia LaBeouf did not have to go as hard as he did as Jeff Spicoli in the #FastTimesLive table read. But boy did his commitment make him a total star of the show. He even had the original Spicoli Sean Penn in fits of laughter, as well as Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey.”

I have already watched this two-second clip at least 15 times.

Was he smoking weed or a weed-like substance? He’ll never tell (it was probably weed).

The Fast Times virtual table read raised money for CORE and REFORM Alliance. The whole thing is worth a watch, but be sure to at least stick around to Shia’s entrance.