Los Angeles: Actor Dakota Johnson says Shia LaBeouf's co-star in the upcoming 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' broke down the actor's walls and won his heart, saying theirs is "probably the most substantial friendship that I've seen."
LaBeouf's co-star, Zack Gottsagen, has Down syndrome and plays a character based on himself in the film.
"Zack sort of broke Shia down in a way that I don't think has ever happened to him, and he really loves him and Shia really loves Zack the same," said Johnson, who also stars in the film.
"In this industry it's hard to let people in and Zack is so pure that you kind of can't, you can't resist loving him."
With his arm draped over Gottsagen's shoulder at the film's premiere in Hollywood on Thursday, LaBeouf said Gottsagen is "the strongest dude I've ever met in my whole life."
Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, who co-wrote and directed the film specifically for Gottsagen after meeting him at an acting camp, said his bond with LaBeouf started immediately.
Actor Bruce Dern, who also stars in the film, said Gottsagen was the glue that made everyone on set connect.
'The Peanut Butter Falcon' is set to be released in the US on August 9.
Inputs from APTN