Shia LaBeouf Would Trash-Talk ‘Lizzie McGuire’ While Filming ‘Even Stevens,’ Says Christy Carlson Romano: ‘He Wanted to Be the Number One Show’
Christy Carlson Romano says Shia LaBeouf criticised rival Disney Channel series “Lizzie McGuire” while they were filming “Even Stevens”, and was competing with Hilary Duff for attention. Romano said Duff was unaware of the remarks and described LaBeouf as highly driven to make his show the network’s top-rated programme.
Romano suggested that LaBeouf’s difficult childhood may have made the show’s success feel especially important to him. She also recalled that their contrasting upbringings contributed to tension on set: she was raised to be disciplined and highly trained, while she characterised LaBeouf’s childhood as chaotic. The two were 14 and 12 at the time, respectively; Romano later acted with Duff in “Cadet Kelly”.
In short
- Romano says LaBeouf criticised “Lizzie McGuire”.
- She recalls he wanted “Even Stevens” to lead Disney Channel ratings.
- Romano links their on-set tension to contrasting upbringings.
Explained simply
Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire were separate Disney Channel comedies that aired around the same time in the early 2000s. Even Stevens starred Shia LaBeouf and Christy Carlson Romano, while Hilary Duff led Lizzie McGuire.
Romano and LaBeouf were young teenagers while making Even Stevens, and Romano later appeared with Duff in the film Cadet Kelly. Their comments describe competition for attention between the shows and differences in their childhoods as part of the background to the reported tension.
The account comes from Romano’s recollection; it does not indicate that Duff knew about the remarks at the time. It offers one cast member’s perspective on how competition between programmes could feel to young performers.