Earlier this week 26-year-old Mario Licato told of how he was punched in the face at a subway station in New York, just because he looked like actor Shia LaBeouf. The unidentified man who punched Licato told him: "This is because you look exactly like Shia LaBeouf!” Now the actor himself has reached out to his doppelgänger, leaving him a voicemail apologising over the incident.

A photo posted by Mario Licato (@mariolicato) on

Speaking to Cosmopolitan Licato said that the actor had left him a voicemail on his work phone and also commented on one his Instagram pictures. ‘It was a pretty long voicemail,’ Licato said. ‘He was like, "Hey, this is Shia LaBeouf … I just read an article that you were punched in the face because you look like me?”’

More: A Man Was Punched In The Face Just For Looking Like Shia LaBeouf

'And he was like, "Aw, man. That sucks. I'm so sorry. But I get it. It's happened to me before." And then he was like, "I don't know. I wish I was in New York. I'd come bring you soup." He was just like, "This sucks. I don't even know what to say. I'm sorry. People are just crazy. Just because you look like me?”’

LaBeouf also left Licato his phone number and asked him to call him back. Licato told Cosmopolitan he would phone the actor back and ask him: ‘What did you do to some random bro in New York that he needed to punch me for it? Did you steal his girlfriend?’

More: Is Shia LaBeouf Engaged To Mia Goth?

Licato said he's had a weird few days since the incident became headline news and had found himself trending on Facebook for two days, ahead of Ted Cruz's vice president pick. ‘At least eight people have pointed me out on the street, like "Oh my god, you're that guy!”’ he added. ‘Yep, that's me. It's pretty obvious with the black eye and everything.’

A photo posted by Mario Licato (@mariolicato) on