Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf was in Hollywood today, gassing up his truck and getting some coffee to go before heading to work at a nearby studio. Shia reportedly split from his girlfriend Karolyn Pho, whom he dated for about two years, recently.

Karolyn joined Shia at the premiere of Lawless in LA in late August, but he was solo in September as he made the rounds in Europe to promote two other projects, The Company You Keep and Nymphomaniac. Shia's role in Nymphomaniac has been a hot topic since he signed on for the film, with both Shia and director Lars von Trier suggesting that the movie's sex scenes will be real rather than simulated. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Shia was spotted hitting up a Starbucks with his costar in the movie, Mia Goth, adding fuel to the rumors that they've struck up an offscreen romance.

Shia LaBeouf was at a gas station outside LA on Saturday when a woman stopped to ask him for directions. Shia, who was sporting cutoffs and Crocs in the California heat, appeared to be in a neighborly mood as he helped the driver find her way. He's back home in LA after a September spent mostly on the road. Shia was at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of The Company You Keep, his film with Robert Redford, before heading to Germany to start his Lars von Trier-helmed project, Nymphomaniac. Shia has been open about the film's controversial material, which will feature graphic sex scenes, and he hasn't been opposed to baring all in front of the cameras in the past. Shia starred in a Sigur Rós music video this Summer, in which he appeared fully nude.

Shia LaBeouf and his costars in Nymphomaniac joined director Lars von Trier for a photocall in Cologne, Germany, this morning. Shia, sporting a slicked-back hairdo, smiled for the cameras alongside Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mia Goth, and Stacy Martin. Both Charlotte and Stellan have worked with the controversial director before, but this is Shia's first go-round. His role in the film isn't one for the faint of heart, either. According to reports, Shia's role requires having actual sex for the cameras, as opposed to what's been required in his past movies. He spoke about the unusual requirement in an interview last month. Shia said, "It is what you think it is. There's a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says we're doing it for real. And anything that is 'illegal' will be shot in blurred images. But other than that, everything is happening."

Shia LaBeouf joined costar Robert Redford on the red carpet in Venice today. They premiered The Company You Keep after promoting the project at a photocall earlier in the day. Shia dressed up in a tuxedo for the occasion, and showed off his shorter hair. He'll be back in the spotlight this weekend, when The Company You Keep screens at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.

Shia's moved onto press for his latest film after chatting up Lawless for the last few weeks. Lawless came in second at the box office following its release on Friday. Up next, he'll get to work on Nymphomaniac, which he joked that he auditioned for with his own sex tape during an appearance on Chelsea Lately.

Shia LaBeouf stars in Lawless, out tomorrow, about bootleggers in the Depression era, but he really breaks the rules in his upcoming film Nymphomaniac, in which he has "unsimulated" sex on screen — yes, that means the real deal. Shia told MTV, "It is what you think it is. There's a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says, we're doing it for real. And anything that is 'illegal' will be shot in blurred images. But other than that, everything is happening." His costars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe may be offering their advice, since they both appeared in another film with unsimulated sex, Antichrist.

While real sex on screen is the exception, not the rule, plenty of other sexy celebs have practiced their acting skills between the sheets. Even Leonardo DiCaprio is rumored to be baring all in illicit sex scenes in his Scorsese flick The Wolf of Wall Street. In Kristen Stewart's latest project, On the Road, she really pushes the sexual boundaries by going topless, having a threesome, engaging in "road head," and manually stimulating her male costars. On the sex scenes, she said, "I love pushing and I love scaring myself. To watch a genuine [sexual] experience on screen is so much more interesting than when you see the tape holding up the pasties . . . As long as you're being really honest, there's nothing ever to be ashamed of."

Many actors and actresses — like Lena Dunham — say that onscreen sex isn't quite as enjoyable as the real deal, but some stars get really into it. Amanda Seyfried told W magazine she's a big fan of sex scenes. Amanda said, "Jennifer's Body is my favorite movie that I've done . . . They had an extreme close-up of [Megan Fox and my] tongues, and I'm telling you, the thing about the scene is that it's actually really sexy. For a young girl to say that about her own sex scene — it must be because it's special. I think Megan and I kissed really well together. We have similar kissing styles and it worked."

From spanking to slobber to ripped pillows, get the first-hand experiences of shooting a sex scene from some of Hollywood's sexiest stars.

Shia LaBeouf and his Lawless leading man Guy Pearce posed for pictures on the red carpet at their LA premiere last night. The screening brought out many celebs, though Shia mainly had eyes for his girlfriend, Karolyn Pho. Diddy smiled for the cameras with his son Quincy, and Liberty Ross, not wearing her wedding ring, also checked out the screening. Shia brought the picture west after last week's NYC premiere of Lawless, where he told us about bonding with costars Jessica Chastain and Tom Hardy over moonshine. The picture arrives in theaters next Wednesday on Aug. 29, so Shia and company have a few more days to talk up the Prohibition-era action movie. Another topic that's getting lots of attention is Shia's next role — his part in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac apparently requires actual sex scenes.