Christian Bale

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**Christian Charles Philip Bale** (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and recurring physical transformations to play his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. Bale is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. *Time* magazine included him on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011.

Born in Wales to English parents, Bale had his breakthrough role at age 13 in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film *Empire of the Sun*. After more than a decade of performing in leading and supporting roles in films, he gained wider recognition for his portrayals of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy *American Psycho* (2000) and the titular role in the psychological thriller *The Machinist* (2004). In 2005, Bale played superhero Batman in *Batman Begins* and reprised the role in the sequels *The Dark Knight* (2008) and *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012), garnering acclaim for his performance in the trilogy, which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises.

Bale continued in starring roles in a range of films outside his work as Batman, including the period drama *The Prestige* (2006), the action film *Terminator Salvation* (2009), the crime drama *Public Enemies* (2009), and the epic film *Exodus: Gods and Kings* (2014). For his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 biographical film *The Fighter*, Bale won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations came in subsequent years for his work in the black comedy *American Hustle* (2013) and the biographical dramedies *The Big Short* (2015) and *Vice* (2018). Bale's roles as politician Dick Cheney in *Vice* and race car driver Ken Miles in the sports drama *Ford v Ferrari* (2019) respectively earned him a second win and a fifth nomination at the Golden Globe Awards.

## Early life

Christian Charles Philip Bale was born on 30 January 1974 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, to English parents—Jenny James, a circus performer, and David Bale, an entrepreneur and activist. Bale has remarked, "I was born in Wales but I'm not Welsh—I'm English." He has two elder sisters, Sharon and Louise, and a half-sister from his father's first marriage, Erin. One of his grandfathers was a stand-up comedian; the other was a stand-in for actor John Wayne. Bale and his family left Wales when he was two years old, and after living in Portugal and Oxfordshire, England, they settled in Bournemouth. As well as saying that the family had lived in 15 towns by the time he was 15, Bale described the frequent relocation as being driven by "necessity rather than choice" and acknowledged that it had a major influence on his career selection. He attended Bournemouth School, later saying he left school at age 16. Bale's parents divorced in 1991, and at age 17, he moved with his sister Louise and their father to Los Angeles.

Bale trained in ballet as a child. His first acting role came at eight years old in a commercial for the fabric softener Lenor. He also appeared in a *Pac-Man* cereal commercial. After his sister was cast in a West End musical, Bale considered taking up acting professionally. He said later he did not find acting appealing but pursued it at the request of those around him because he had no reason not to do so. After participating in school plays, Bale performed opposite Rowan Atkinson in the play *The Nerd* in the West End in 1984. He did not undergo any formal acting training.

## Career

### Early roles and breakthrough (1986–1999)

After deciding to become an actor at age ten, Bale secured a minor role in the 1986 television film *Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna*. Its star, Amy Irving, who was married to director Steven Spielberg, subsequently recommended Bale for Spielberg's 1987 film *Empire of the Sun*. At age 13, Bale was chosen from over 4,000 actors to portray a British boy in a World War II Japanese internment camp. For the film, he spoke with an upper-class cadence without the help of a dialogue coach. The role propelled Bale to fame, and his work earned him acclaim and the inaugural Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor Award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Earlier in the same year, he starred in the fantasy film *Mio in the Land of Faraway*, based on the novel *Mio, My Son* by Astrid Lindgren. The fame from *Empire of the Sun* led to Bale being bullied in school and finding the pressures of working as an actor unbearable. He grew distrustful of the acting profession because of media attention but said that he felt obligated at a young age to continue to act for financial reasons. Around this time, actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh persuaded Bale to appear in his film *Henry V* in 1989, which drew him back into acting. The following year, Bale played Jim Hawkins opposite Charlton Heston as Long John Silver in *Treasure Island*, a television film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's book of the same name.

Bale starred in the 1992 Disney musical film *Newsies*, which was unsuccessful both at the box office and with critics. Rebecca Milzoff of *Vulture* revisited the film in 2012 and found the cracks in Bale's voice during his performance of the song "Santa Fe" charming and apt even though he was not a great singer. In 1993, he appeared in *Swing Kids*, a film about teenagers who secretly listen to forbidden jazz during the rise of Nazi Germany. In Gillian Armstrong's 1994 film *Little Women*, Bale played Theodore "Laurie" Laurence following a recommendation from Winona Ryder, who starred as Jo March. The film achieved critical and commercial success. Of Bale's performance, Ryder said he captured the complex nature of the role. He next voiced Thomas, a young compatriot of Captain John Smith, in the 1995 Disney animated film *Pocahontas*, which attracted a mixed critical reception. Bale played a small part in the 1996 film *The Portrait of a Lady*, based on the Henry James novel of the same name, and appeared in the 1997 musical film *Velvet Goldmine*, set in the 1970s during the glam rock era. In 1999, he was part of an ensemble cast, which included Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer, portraying Demetrius in *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name.

### Rise to prominence and commercial decline (2000–2004)

Bale played Patrick Bateman, a stock market investor who is revealed to be a serial killer, in *American Psycho*, a film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name, directed by Mary Harron. While Harron had chosen Bale for the part, the film's production and distribution company, Lionsgate, originally disagreed and hired Leonardo DiCaprio to play Bateman with Oliver Stone to direct. Bale and Harron were brought back after DiCaprio and Stone had left the project. Bale exercised and tanned himself for months to achieve Bateman's chiseled physique and had his teeth capped to assimilate to the character's narcissistic nature. *American Psycho* premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, during which Anthony Kaufman of IndieWire rated it the most hated film at the event. Of Bale's work, critic Roger Ebert wrote he "is heroic in the way he allows the character to leap joyfully into despicability; there is no instinct for self-preservation here, and that is one mark of a good actor." The film was released in April 2000, becoming a commercial and critical success and later developing a cult following; the role established Bale as a leading man.

In the four years that followed *American Psycho*, Bale's career experienced critical and commercial failure. He next played a villainous real estate heir in John Singleton's action film *Shaft* and appeared in John Madden's film adaptation of the novel *Captain Corelli's Mandolin* as Mandras, a Greek fisherman who vies with Nicolas Cage's title character for the affections of Pelagia, played by Penélope Cruz. Bale said he found it refreshing to play Mandras, who is emotionally humane, after working on *American Psycho* and *Shaft*. In 2002, he appeared in three films: *Laurel Canyon*, *Reign of Fire* and *Equilibrium*. Reviewing *Laurel Canyon* for *Entertainment Weekly*, Lisa Schwarzbaum called Bale's performance "fussy". After having reservations about joining the post-apocalyptic *Reign of Fire*, which involved computer-generated imagery, Bale professed his enjoyment of making films that could go awry and cited director Rob Bowman as a reason for his involvement. In *Equilibrium*, he plays a police officer in a futuristic society and performs gun kata, a fictional martial art that incorporates gunfighting. *IGN*'s Jeff Otto characterised *Reign of Fire* as "poorly received" and *Equilibrium* as "highly underrated", while *The Independent*'s Stephen Applebaum described the two films along with *Shaft* and *Captain Corelli's Mandolin* as "mediocre fare".

Bale starred as the insomnia-ridden, emotionally dysfunctional title character in the psychological thriller *The Machinist*. To prepare for the role, he initially only smoked cigarettes and drank whiskey. His diet later expanded to include black coffee, an apple and a can of tuna per day. Bale lost **Script error: No such module "convert".**, weighing **Script error: No such module "convert".** to play the character, who was written in the script as "a walking skeleton". His weight loss prompted comparisons with Robert De Niro's weight gain in preparation to play Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film *Raging Bull*. Describing his transformation as mentally calming, Bale claimed he had stopped working for a while because he did not come upon scripts that piqued his interest and that the film's script drew him to lose weight for the part. *The Machinist* was released in October 2004; it performed poorly at the box office. Roger Moore of the *Orlando Sentinel* regarded it as one of the best films of the year, and Todd McCarthy of *Variety* wrote that Bale's "haunted, aggressive and finally wrenching performance" gave it a "strong anchor".

### Batman and dramatic roles (2005–2008)

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Bale portrayed American billionaire Bruce Wayne and his superhero alias Batman in Christopher Nolan's *Batman Begins*, a reboot of the Batman film series. Nolan cast Bale, who was still fairly unknown at the time, because Bale had "exactly the balance of darkness and light" Nolan sought. For the part, Bale regained the weight he lost for *The Machinist* and built muscle, weighing **Script error: No such module "convert".**. He trained in weapons, Wing Chun Kung Fu and the Keysi Fighting Method. Acknowledging the story's peculiar circumstances involving a character "who thinks he can run around in a batsuit in the middle of the night", Bale said he and Nolan had deliberately approached it with "as realistic a motivation as possible", referencing Wayne's parents' murder. Bale voiced Wayne and Batman differently. He employed gravelly tone qualities for Batman, which Nolan believed reinforced the character's visual appearance. *Batman Begins* was released in the US in June 2005. Tim Grierson and Will Leitch of *Vulture* complimented Bale's "sensitive, intelligent portrayal of a spoiled, wayward Bruce who finally grows up (and fights crime)." The performance earned Bale the MTV Movie Award for Best Hero.

In the same year, Bale voiced the titular Howl, a wizard, in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki's *Howl's Moving Castle*, a Japanese animated film adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's children's novel of the same name. He committed himself to voice the role after watching Miyazaki's animated film *Spirited Away*. Later that year, he starred as a US war veteran who deals with post-traumatic stress disorder in the David Ayer-helmed crime drama *Harsh Times*, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He portrayed colonist John Rolfe in *The New World*, a historical drama film inspired by the stories of Pocahontas, directed by Terrence Malick. The film was released on 25 December 2005. The following year saw the premiere of *Rescue Dawn*, by German filmmaker Werner Herzog, in which Bale portrayed US fighter pilot Dieter Dengler, who fights for his life after being shot down while on a mission during the Vietnam War. After the two worked together, Herzog stated that he had considered Bale to be among his generation's greatest talents long before he played Batman. *The Austin Chronicle*'s Marjorie Baumgarten viewed Bale's work as a continuance of his "masterful command of yet another American personality type."

For the 2006 film *The Prestige*, Bale reunited with *Batman Begins* director Nolan, who said that Bale was cast after offering himself for the part. It is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Priest about a rivalry between two Victorian era magicians, whom Bale and Hugh Jackman play in the film. While it attracted acclaim from critics, the film performed more modestly during its run in theatres, earning $110 million against a $40 million budget. In his review for *The New York Times*, A. O. Scott highlighted Bale's "fierce inwardness" and called his performance "something to savor". Bale next starred in the 2007 drama films *I'm Not There*, portraying two incarnations of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, and in *3:10 to Yuma*, playing a justice-seeking cattleman. He characterised his Dylan incarnations as "two men on a real quest for truth" and attributed his interest in *3:10 to Yuma* to his affinity for films where he gets to "just be dirty and crawling in the mud". Bale reprised the role of Batman in Nolan's *Batman Begins* sequel *The Dark Knight*, which received acclaim and became the fourth film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide upon its July 2008 release. He did many of his own stunts, including one that involved standing on the roof of the Sears Tower in Chicago. *The Dark Knight* has been regarded by critics as the best superhero film.

### The *Dark Knight* trilogy completion and acclaim (2009–2012)

In February 2008, Warner Bros. announced that Bale would star as rebellion leader John Connor in the post-apocalyptic action film *Terminator Salvation*, directed by McG, who cited Bale as "the most credible actor of his generation". In February 2009, an audio recording of a tirade on the film's set in July 2008 involving Bale was released. It captured him directing profanities at the film's cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, who walked onto the set during the filming of a scene acted by Bale and Bryce Dallas Howard, and culminated in Bale threatening to quit the film if Hurlbut was not fired. Several colleagues in the film industry defended Bale, attributing the incident to his dedication to acting. Bale publicly apologised in February 2009, calling the outburst "inexcusable" and his behaviour "way out of order" and affirming to have made amends with Hurlbut. *Terminator Salvation* was released in May 2009 to tepid reviews. Claudia Puig of *USA Today* considered Bale's work to be "surprisingly one-dimensional", while *The Age*'s Jake Wilson wrote he gave one of his least compelling performances. Bale later admitted he knew during production that the film would not revitalise the *Terminator* franchise as he had wished. He asserted he would not work with McG again.

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Bale portrayed FBI agent Melvin Purvis opposite Johnny Depp as gangster John Dillinger in Michael Mann's crime drama *Public Enemies*. Released in July 2009, it earned critical praise and had a commercially successful theatrical run. Dan Zak of *The Washington Post* was unsatisfied with the casting of Bale and Depp, believing their characters' rivalry lacked electricity, while *The New Republic*'s Christopher Orr found Bale's "characteristically closed off" performance "nonetheless effective". The following year, Bale starred in the role of Dicky Eklund, a professional boxer whose career has ended due to his drug addiction, in David O. Russell's drama film *The Fighter*. It chronicles the relationship between Eklund and his brother and boxing trainee, Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. To balance Eklund's tragic condition, Bale incorporated humor in his characterisation. The portrayal, for which he lost **Script error: No such module "convert".**, was acclaimed, the *San Francisco Chronicle*'s Mick LaSalle describing it as "shrewdly observed, physically precise and psychologically acute". Bale won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his performance. In 2011, he starred in Zhang Yimou's historical drama film *The Flowers of War*, which was the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year. Critics described it as "nationalistic", "anti-Japanese" and "too long, too melodramatic, too lightweight".

Bale played Batman again under Christopher Nolan's direction in the sequel *The Dark Knight Rises*, released in July 2012. He described Batman in the film as a remorseful recluse in poor mental and physical health, who has surrendered following the events of *The Dark Knight*. Following the shooting at a midnight showing of the film in Aurora, Colorado, Bale and his wife visited survivors, doctors and first responders at The Medical Center of Aurora as well as a memorial to victims. *The Dark Knight Rises* was the 11th film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide, surpassing *The Dark Knight*. Nolan's Batman film series, dubbed the *Dark Knight* trilogy, is one of the highest-grossing film franchises. It is also regarded as one of the best comic book film franchises. Bale's performance in the three films garnered universal acclaim, with *The Guardian*, *NME* and a poll conducted by the *Radio Times* ranking it as the best portrayal of Batman on film. Bale later revealed his dissatisfaction with his work throughout the trilogy, saying he "didn't quite nail" his part and that he "didn't quite manage" what he had hoped he would as Batman.

### Continued critical success (2013–2018)

In 2013, Bale played a steel mill worker in Scott Cooper's thriller *Out of the Furnace*. Cooper rewrote the film's script with Bale in mind before the two even met and would not proceed with the project without the actor's involvement. Critics commended the film and deemed it an excellent beginning of the next phase in Bale's career after playing Batman, with Kristopher Tapley of *Variety* noting his work in the film was his best. That same year, he starred in *American Hustle*, which reunited him with David O. Russell after their work on *The Fighter*. To play con artist Irving Rosenfeld, Bale studied footage of interviews with real-life con artist Mel Weinberg, who served as inspiration for the character. He gained **Script error: No such module "convert".**, shaved part of his head and adopted a slouched posture, which reduced his height by **Script error: No such module "convert".** and caused him to suffer a herniated disc. Russell indicated that Robert De Niro, who appeared in an uncredited role, did not recognise Bale when they were first introduced. Writing for the *New York Daily News*, Joe Neumaier found Bale's performance to be "sad, funny and riveting". He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work.

Bale portrayed Moses in Ridley Scott's epic film *Exodus: Gods and Kings*. Released in December 2014, the film faced accusations of whitewashing for the casting of Caucasian actors in Middle Eastern roles. Scott justified casting decisions citing financing needs, Bale stating that Scott had been forthright in getting the film made. Its critical response varied between negative and mixed, and the *St. Louis Post-Dispatch*'s Joe Williams called Bale's performance in the film the most apathetic of his career. Bale appeared in Terrence Malick's drama *Knight of Cups*, which *The Atlantic* critic David Sims dubbed a "noble failure". During its premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015, he said he filmed the project without having learned any dialogue and that Malick had only given him a character description. Later that year, he starred as Michael Burry, an antisocial hedge fund manager, in Adam McKay's *The Big Short*, a biographical comedy-drama film about the financial crisis of 2007–08. He used an ocular prosthesis in the film. *The Wall Street Journal*'s Joe Morgenstern found his portrayal "scarily hilarious—or in one-liners and quick takes, deftly edited". The role earned Bale Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 2016 historical drama *The Promise*, set during the Armenian Genocide, he played an American journalist who becomes involved in a love triangle with a woman, played by Charlotte Le Bon, and an Armenian medical student, played by Oscar Isaac. Critics disapproved of the film, which accrued a $102 million loss. Reviewing the film for *The New York Times*, Jeannette Catsoulis wrote that Bale appeared "muffled and indistinct". In Cooper's 2017 film *Hostiles*, Bale starred as a US Army officer escorting a gravely ill Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their home in Montana. He calls the film "a western with brutal, modern-day resonance" and his character "a bigoted and hate-filled man". Bale learned the Cheyenne language while working on the film. *Empire* critic Dan Jolin considered his performance striking and one of the strongest of his career. In 2018, Bale voiced Bagheera in the adventure film *Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle*. *Rolling Stone*'s David Fear wrote that his voice work and that of Andy Serkis, who directed the film, "bring the soul as well as sound and fury".

### Recent career (2018–present)

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For the 2018 biographical comedy drama *Vice*, written and directed by Adam McKay, Bale underwent a major body transformation once again, as he gained over **Script error: No such module "convert".** and shaved his head to portray US Vice President Dick Cheney. He described Cheney, who is reckoned the most influential and loathed vice president in US history, as "quiet and secretive". The film reunited Bale with Amy Adams, with whom he had co-starred in *The Fighter* and *American Hustle*. It received positive reviews, and *The Guardian*'s Peter Bradshaw commended Bale's "terrifically and in fact rather scarily plausible" Cheney impersonation. Lauded by critics, the performance won Bale the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and garnered him an Academy Award nomination. During his acceptance speech at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, Bale thanked Satan for inspiring his Cheney portrayal, which elicited a response from Cheney's daughter and US Representative Liz Cheney, who stated that Bale ruined his opportunity to play "a real superhero". Bale then portrayed sports car racing driver Ken Miles in the 2019 sports drama *Ford v Ferrari*, for which he lost **Script error: No such module "convert".** after playing Cheney. Directed by James Mangold, the film follows Miles and automotive designer Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon, in events surrounding the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The role earned Bale a fifth Golden Globe Award nomination. While promoting the film, he said he would no longer go through weight fluctuations for roles.

Bale is set to play Gorr the God Butcher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film *Thor: Love and Thunder*, which is scheduled for a July 2022 release. He is attached to star in David O. Russell's period film *Amsterdam* and Scott Cooper's thriller *The Pale Blue Eye*, reuniting with both directors for the third time. *Amsterdam* is set to be released in November 2022. Bale is slated to produce and play a preacher in the film *The Church of Living Dangerously*.

## Artistry and public image

Bale is known for his exhaustive dedication to the weight fluctuations that his parts demand as well as "the intensity with which he completely inhabits his roles", with *The Washington Post*'s Ann Hornaday rating him among the most physically gifted actors of his generation. Max O'Connell of *RogerEbert.com* deemed Bale's commitment to altering his physical appearance "an anchoring facet to a depiction of obsession" in his performances, while the *Los Angeles Times*'s Hugh Hart likened the urgency that drives Bale's acting style to method acting, adding that it "convincingly animates even his most extreme physical transformations." Bale has stated that he does not practise method acting and that he does not employ a particular technique. He named Rowan Atkinson as his template as an actor and added that he was mesmerised by Atkinson when the two worked together. He also studied the work of Gary Oldman, crediting Oldman as the reason for his pursuit of acting.

Bale has been recognised for his versatility; Martha Ross of *The Mercury News* named him one of his generation's most versatile actors. Known to be very private about his personal life, Bale has said that his objective was to embody characters without showing any aspect of himself. He explained that "letting people know who you are" does not help create different characters, viewing anonymity as "what's giving you the ability to play those characters". During interviews to promote films in which he puts on an accent, Bale would continue speaking in the given accent. He has also been noted for portraying roles with an American accent. In real life, Bale speaks in an "emphatic, non-posh" English accent.

In 2011, Bale was featured on the *Time* 100 list, a compilation of the 100 most influential people in the world selected annually by *Time* magazine. He was ranked at number nine on *Forbes* magazine's list of the highest paid actors of 2014, earning $35 million. Bale has been described as a sex symbol.

## Personal life

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Bale has lived in Los Angeles since the 1990s. He holds US citizenship. Bale married Sandra "Sibi" Blažić, a former model, in Las Vegas on 29 January 2000. The couple have a daughter and a son. In 2000, Bale became feminist Gloria Steinem's stepson following her marriage to his father, who died in 2003 of brain lymphoma.

Bale became a vegetarian at seven years old but in 2009 said he was "in and out of the vegetarianism now". He had stopped eating red meat after reading the children's book *Charlotte's Web*. An animal rights activist, he supports the organisations Greenpeace, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Doris Day Animal League, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Redwings Horse Sanctuary. While promoting *The Flowers of War* in December 2011, Bale, and a crew from the CNN television network, attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng, a confined blind barefoot lawyer, in a village in eastern China. He was forced to retreat after scuffling with guards at a checkpoint. Bale finally met Chen at a dinner held by the nonprofit Human Rights First the following year, during which he presented Chen with an award. Bale voiced Chen's story in Amnesty International's podcast, *In Their Own Words*.

On 22 July 2008, Bale was arrested in London after his mother and his sister Sharon reported him to the police for an alleged assault at a hotel. He was released on bail. Bale denied the allegations and later called the incident "a deeply personal matter". On 14 August, the Crown Prosecution Service declared they would take no further action against him because of "insufficient evidence to afford a realistic prospect of conviction".

## Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Christian Bale filmography and List of awards and nominations received by Christian Bale
According to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, which assigns films scores based on the number of positive critical reviews they receive, some of Bale's highest-scoring films are *The Dark Knight* (2008), *Ford v Ferrari* (2019), *American Hustle* (2013), *Little Women* (1994), *The Fighter* (2010), *Rescue Dawn* (2007), *3:10 to Yuma* (2007), *The Big Short* (2015), *Howl's Moving Castle* (2005) and *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012); the first, third and last of which are also listed by the data website The Numbers as his highest-grossing films, alongside *Terminator Salvation* (2009), *Batman Begins* (2005), *Pocahontas* (1995) and *Exodus: Gods and Kings* (2014).

Bale has garnered four Academy Award nominations, including two in the Best Actor category for his work in *American Hustle* and *Vice* (2018) as well as two in the Best Supporting Actor category for his work in *The Fighter* (2010) and *The Big Short*; he won one for *The Fighter*. He has earned two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his role in *The Fighter* and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in *Vice*, and received two nominations for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performances in *American Hustle* and *The Big Short* and a nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance in *Ford v Ferrari*. Bale has also been nominated for eight Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category for *The Fighter* and the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category as part of the *American Hustle* cast.

## References

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1. ↑ Ceròn, Ella (6 January 2019). Christian Bale's Accent Is Always a Shock.
2. ↑ Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan. 24-30. Associated Press (19 January 2021).
3. ↑ Christian Bale surprises the world with his British accent. *Harper's Bazaar UK* (7 January 2019).
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Batman star Christian Bale arrested. *The Guardian* (22 July 2008).
5. ↑ Christian Bale's accent is seriously confusing people in the first 'Le Mans '66' trailer. Yahoo! Movies (3 June 2019).
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Big Tent Childhood: Growing up in the Circus. ABC News (27 July 2008).
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Batman actor Christian Bale released after assault allegation arrest (22 July 2008).
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Christian Bale on suffering from insomnia and running into Viggo Mortensen in Rome. *British GQ* (23 July 2012).
10. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
11. ↑ Dorset celebrities. BBC News (24 September 2014).
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Christian Bale: Reluctant Movie Star Talks 'Furnace', 'Hustle'. *Variety* (26 November 2013).
13. ↑ Christian Bale's sister says actor needs help to deal with temper. *Evening Standard* (13 April 2012).
14. ↑ Sporting plan to boost boys in ballet. BBC News (3 June 2017).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Carroll, Rory (5 January 2018). Christian Bale: 'I was asked to do a romantic comedy. I thought they'd lost their minds'.
16. ↑ Gerardi, Matt (8 September 2016). A brief history of video game cereals and their ridiculous commercials.
17. ↑ Boy In 'Empire' Calls Acting 'Really Good Fun'. *The New York Times* (16 December 1987).
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 'Out of the Furnace' Star Christian Bale on His 'Love-Hate' Relationship with Acting (Q&A) (7 December 2013).
19. ↑ Discovered by Spielberg: How a Lucky Encounter With the Director Launched These 6 Stars (6 May 2016).
20. ↑ Kappes, Serena (20 October 2004). 5 Things You Gotta Know About Christian Bale.
21. ↑ Christian Bale: Spielberg's Newest Child Star. *Chicago Tribune* (20 December 1987).
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Child, Ben (9 December 2013). Christian Bale: pressure as a child formed 'love/hate' relationship with acting.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Christian Bale. BBC Cymru Wales.
24. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
25. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
26. ↑ Singh, Anita (22 July 2008). Christian Bale – profile.
27. ↑ TV Review : Hestons Sail for 'Treasure Island'. *Los Angeles Times* (22 January 1990).
28. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
29. ↑ How Does Newsies Hold Up? (29 February 2012).
30. ↑ Review/Film; Jazz in Nazi Germany: Youthful Resistance. *The New York Times* (5 March 1993).
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 'Little Women': An Oral History of the 1994 Adaptation. *The New York Times* (12 September 2019).
32. ↑ 40 Actors You Completely Forgot Voiced Disney Characters (20 August 2020).
33. ↑ 'Batman Forever' Bloodies 'Pocahontas'. *Chicago Tribune* (30 June 1995).
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 34.6 34.7 The Best Christian Bale Movies, Ranked (20 April 2020).
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 'Knight's' Bale: Who is that masked man?. CNN (28 July 2008).
36. ↑ 'Dream' Interpretation / Stellar cast adds comic madness to lush, over-the-top 'Midsummer'. *San Francisco Chronicle* (14 May 1999).
37. ↑ American Psycho: the story behind the film. *The Guardian* (23 March 2000).
38. ↑ Christian Bale 'Had Never Gone to a Gym' Before American Psycho. *People* (22 January 2020).
39. ↑ Unmasking an American Psycho. Dark Horizons (14 April 2000).
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 The method in my madness. *The Guardian* (6 April 2000).
41. ↑ Kaufman, Anthony (14 April 2000). Interview: 9-Months Pregnant and Delivering "American Psycho," Director Mary Harron. IndieWire.
42. ↑ American Psycho. *RogerEbert.com* (14 April 2000).
43. ↑ Sharf, Zack (14 April 2020). Mary Harron Reflects on Nearly Losing 'American Psycho' Director Gig for Rejecting DiCaprio. IndieWire.
44. ↑ In Hindsight, an 'American Psycho' Looks a Lot Like Us. *The New York Times* (24 March 2016).
45. ↑ Eight Times Christian Bale Totally Transformed for a Movie Role. *Vanity Fair* (5 October 2018).
46. ↑ Box Office Rap: Out of the Furnace and Christian Bale's Body (of Work). *Slant Magazine* (3 December 2013).
47. ↑ New Again: Christian Bale. *Interview* (17 July 2012).
48. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
49. ↑ Christian Bale interview: Reign Of Fire (2002). BBC Cymru Wales.
50. ↑ Interview with Christian Bale of Reign of Fire. UGO Networks.
51. ↑ The one sci-fi movie you need to watch before it leaves Netflix this week (1 June 2020).
52. ↑ The Gun-Fu of John Wick and John Woo: A Primer (12 October 2016).
53. ↑ Interview: Christian Bale. *IGN* (15 June 2005).
54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Christian Bale: Cinema's extremist. *The Independent* (25 February 2005).
55. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
56. ↑ The Thin Men: Actors who starve themselves for an Oscar. BBC (21 January 2014).
57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Losing himself in the role. *Los Angeles Times* (21 October 2004).
58. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
59. ↑ Topel, Fred (15 October 2004). Christian Bale talks The Machinist. MovieWeb.
60. ↑ Applebaum, Stephen. Christian Bale interview: The Machinist (2004). BBC Cymru Wales.
61. ↑ Looking back at The Machinist. Den of Geek (8 August 2012).
62. ↑ Bale Chills to the Bone. *Orlando Sentinel* (10 December 2004).
63. ↑ The Machinist. *Variety* (29 January 2004).
64. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
65. ↑ Actor Bale lands Batman role. BBC News (12 September 2003).
66. ↑ Why Christian Bale-Style Yo-Yo Dieting Is Terrible For You. *Esquire* (14 April 2016).
67. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
68. ↑ Christian Bale's infamous Dark Knight voice was the only option. *Polygon* (16 July 2018).
69. ↑ Dark Was the Young Knight Battling His Inner Demons. *The New York Times* (15 June 2005).
70. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
71. ↑ 'Howl's' a natural draw for an anime master. *Los Angeles Times* (5 June 2005).
72. ↑ Worst To Best: Christian Bale (7 August 2012).
73. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
74. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (20 January 2006). A Briefer Account of Jamestown's Founding.
75. ↑ Herzog hails Bale. *Irish Examiner* (24 March 2006).
76. ↑ Rescue Dawn – Movie Review. *The Austin Chronicle* (27 July 2007).
77. ↑ The Prestige: Inside Christopher Nolan's Movie Magic Trick. *Empire* (17 August 2020).
78. ↑ Casting The Prestige. *IGN* (12 October 2006).
79. ↑ Prestige novelist: Christopher Nolan's Batman movies 'boring and pretentious'. *The Guardian* (28 November 2014).
80. ↑ 'Inception' at 10: Christopher Nolan Is Still Saving Cinema. *The Atlantic* (4 August 2020).
81. ↑ Box Office: 'Tenet' Tops Chris Nolan's Best Movie, 'After We Collided' Plunges 76%. *Forbes* (1 November 2020).
82. ↑ Two Rival Magicians, and Each Wants the Other to Go Poof. *The New York Times* (20 October 2006).
83. ↑ Hill, Logan (24 August 2007). The Great Obsessive.
84. ↑ 3:10 to Yuma: Christian Bale vs. Russell Crowe. ComingSoon.net (3 September 2007).
85. ↑ The Dark Knight almost featured a scene that would have changed the entire movie (12 March 2021).
86. ↑ 'The Dark Knight' Returning to IMAX Theaters. IndieWire (18 July 2018).
87. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
88. ↑ 'Dark Knight' Changed Movies, and the Oscars, Forever. *Variety* (17 July 2018).
89. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
90. ↑ New "Terminator" film set for May 2009 release. Reuters (6 February 2008).
91. ↑ Christian Bale: The Terminator with a temper. *The Guardian* (16 May 2009).
92. ↑ 92.0 92.1 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
93. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
94. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
95. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
96. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
97. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
98. ↑ Scott, A. O. (20 May 2009). A Crude, Imperfect Enemy, Bolts and All, in McG's Film.
99. ↑ 99.0 99.1 Christian Bale: I won't be back to work with McG. *The Guardian* (3 December 2014).
100. ↑ There's little to salvage from this 'Terminator'. *USA Today* (20 May 2009).
101. ↑ Headed for termination not salvation. *The Age* (4 June 2009).
102. ↑ Christian Bale Never Wanted to Star in 'Terminator Salvation' and Said No Three Times: 'It's a Great Thorn in My Side'. IndieWire (9 January 2018).
103. ↑ Jurgensen, John (16 July 2009). Christian Bale and Michael Mann on John Dillinger, Gangsters, and 'Public Enemies'.
104. ↑ Q&A: "Enemies" composer gives voice to "inner snarling". Reuters (18 July 2009).
105. ↑ Michael Mann toned down Public Enemies scene because the real-life events were so unbelievable. *The Independent* (23 August 2016).
106. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
107. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
108. ↑ The great "Contender" – Christian Bale cracks wise. Reuters (25 November 2010).
109. ↑ 'The Fighter' review: Actors pack a punch. *San Francisco Chronicle* (17 December 2010).
110. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
111. ↑ 111.0 111.1 111.2 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
112. ↑ 112.0 112.1 The story behind Chinese war epic The Flowers of War. BBC News (24 January 2012).
113. ↑ The Flowers of War fails to bloom for Chinese film industry. *The Guardian* (2 August 2012).
114. ↑ Biz, nation reel from Colorado shooting. *Variety* (20 July 2012).
115. ↑ Christian Bale interview: The Dark Knight Rises. *The Daily Telegraph* (18 July 2012).
116. ↑ Batman actor Christian Bale visits victims, hospital personnel. *The Denver Post* (24 July 2012).
117. ↑ 'The Dark Knight Rises' Becomes 11th Film in History To Pass $1 Billion Milestone (3 September 2012).
118. ↑ Biggest movie franchises: Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter and more ranked by box office. CBS News (24 January 2020).
119. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
120. ↑ Christian Bale Turned Down Request for Fourth Batman Movie Because of Nolan's Wish. IndieWire (18 November 2019).
121. ↑ Christian Bale keen for Star Wars role. Associated Press (5 January 2018).
122. ↑ Every actor who's played Batman – ranked from worst to best. *NME* (17 March 2021).
123. ↑ Why Christian Bale will always be the best Batman. *The Guardian* (4 March 2016).
124. ↑ Christian Bale voted the best Batman ever by fans. *Radio Times*.
125. ↑ Christian Bale doesn't rate his Batman performance in the Dark Knight trilogy. *The Independent* (4 March 2016).
126. ↑ 'Out of the Furnace,' With Christian Bale. *The New York Times* (3 December 2013).
127. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
128. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
129. ↑ 129.0 129.1 Top 10 Christian Bale Performances. *Variety* (31 August 2017).
130. ↑ 'American Hustle' Can't Close the Deal. *The Atlantic* (13 December 2013).
131. ↑ 131.0 131.1 131.2 Hart, Hugh (29 January 2019). Christian Bale: Man of a thousand physiques.
132. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
133. ↑ 10 New Things We Learned About 'American Hustle:' De Niro Didn't Recognize Christian Bale, Why Bradley Cooper Curled His Hair & More. IndieWire (11 December 2013).
134. ↑ 'American Hustle': Movie review. *New York Daily News* (12 December 2013).
135. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
136. ↑ Christian Bale defends Ridley Scott over Exodus 'whitewashing'. *The Guardian* (9 December 2014).
137. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
138. ↑ Thou shalt not waste time on 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'. *St. Louis Post-Dispatch* (11 December 2014).
139. ↑ Movie Review: 'Knight of Cups,' with Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Natalie Portman, Is Terrence Malick's Version of Hollywood Satire. *The Atlantic* (3 March 2016).
140. ↑ Christian Bale baffled by Terrence Malick on Knight of Cups shoot. *The Guardian* (9 February 2021).
141. ↑ Film Review: 'The Big Short'. *Variety* (13 November 2015).
142. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
143. ↑ 'The Big Short' wins the Oscar for adapted screenplay. *Los Angeles Times* (28 February 2016).
144. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
145. ↑ 'King Arthur', 'Great Wall', 'Geostorm' & More: Box Office Bombs Of 2017 (29 March 2018).
146. ↑ Review: 'The Promise' Finds a Love Triangle in Constantinople. *The New York Times* (20 April 2017).
147. ↑ 147.0 147.1 Christian Bale on western "Hostiles," and gaining weight to play Dick Cheney. CBS News (18 December 2017).
148. ↑ Hostiles Review. *Empire* (4 September 2017).
149. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
150. ↑ 150.0 150.1 Christian Bale: Donald Trump is a 'clown' who doesn't understand government (24 January 2019).
151. ↑ Dick Cheney is back but rehabilitation is not on Darth Vader's agenda. *The Guardian* (20 December 2018).
152. ↑ See Christian Bale's Incredible Dick Cheney Transformation in First Vice Photo. *Vanity Fair* (2 October 2018).
153. ↑ 'Vice' Reviews: Critics on Dick Cheney Film Starring Christian Bale (17 December 2018).
154. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
155. ↑ Kurtz, Judy (22 January 2019). Christian Bale gets Oscar nomination for Cheney portrayal.
156. ↑ Liz Cheney on Christian Bale: He had chance to play 'a real superhero' and 'screwed it up'. *The Hill* (9 January 2019).
157. ↑ 157.0 157.1 Christian Bale Swears He's Done Gaining and Losing Weight for Roles. *Vanity Fair* (11 November 2019).
158. ↑ Kelly, Mary Louise (14 November 2019). Matt Damon On Playing A Race Car Driver in Famous Ford-Ferrari Rivalry Of The '60s. NPR.
159. ↑ 159.0 159.1 'Dark Knight' Star Christian Bale in Talks For Marvel's 'Thor: Love And Thunder' (6 January 2020).
160. ↑ 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', 'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' Among Most Anticipated 2022 Movies (27 December 2021).
161. ↑ Taylor Swift brings the waterworks with Chris Rock in 'Amsterdam' film. *USA Today* (27 April 2022).
162. ↑ Netflix Strikes EFM Record $55M Worldwide Deal For Christian Bale Cross Creek Thriller 'The Pale Blue Eye' (6 March 2021).
163. ↑ New Regency Acquires 'The Church Of Living Dangerously' For Christian Bale To Play Preacher On Hellish Drug Smuggling Road; Charles Randolph Scripting (23 August 2021).
164. ↑ Christian Bale Says He's Done Getting Fat for Roles. IndieWire (9 November 2019).
165. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
166. ↑ Obsession and The Void: The Performances of Christian Bale. *RogerEbert.com* (14 January 2019).
167. ↑ Christian Bale 'wings it' on set. Associated Press (28 December 2018).
168. ↑ Matt Damon and Christian Bale interview: When Bourne met Batman. *British GQ* (1 October 2019).
169. ↑ Mathew, Suresh (26 November 2018). Christian Bale Says He's Almost Done With Physical Transformations.
170. ↑ Christian Bale goes from 'American Psycho' to Dick Cheney with new role. *The Mercury News* (13 April 2017).
171. ↑ Christian Bale Is Our Least Relatable Movie Star (12 December 2014).
172. ↑ 172.0 172.1 172.2 Ten Things You Never Knew About Christian Bale. Digital Spy (2 July 2008).
173. ↑ Christian Bale's accent confuses British television viewers: 'It's weird hearing him speak in his real voice' (14 November 2019).
174. ↑ Christian Bale and the Actors Who Work Least in Their Native Accents. *The Atlantic* (6 December 2013).
175. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
176. ↑ Robert Downey Jr tops list of highest paid actors for second year running. *The Guardian* (22 July 2014).
177. ↑ A filmgoer's guide to bad sex with Christian Bale (16 October 2007).
178. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
179. ↑ 179.0 179.1 Russian, Ale (30 January 2019). Christian Bale and Wife Enjoy Bike Ride on 19th Wedding Anniversary – Day Before His Birthday!.
180. ↑ Mitchell, Amanda (17 January 2019). Who Is Christian Bale's Wife Sibi Blazic? The Model Changed Everything for the Actor.
181. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
182. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
183. ↑ Corsello, Andrew (1 May 2009). A Nice Quiet Chat with Christian Bale.
184. ↑ Jan, Stuart (13 April 2000). Bale's 'Psycho' Analysis.
185. ↑ Walsh, Nick Paton (20 June 1999). Christian Bale.
186. ↑ 'Batman' star Bale punched, stopped from visiting blind Chinese activist. CNN (17 December 2011).
187. ↑ Chen Guangcheng Honored by Human Rights First, Meets Bale. *The Wall Street Journal* (25 October 2012).
188. ↑ In Their Own Words, podcast review: Christian Bale is outshone by a human rights champion. *The Independent* (3 February 2016).
189. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
190. ↑ All Christian Bale Movies Ranked. Rotten Tomatoes.
191. ↑ Christian Bale – Box Office. The Numbers.
192. ↑ Christian Bale says his 'Ford v Ferrari' ride beats the Batmobile. *Chicago Sun-Times* (11 November 2019).
193. ↑ Performances we love: Christian Bale fools us again. *Los Angeles Times* (16 January 2020).
194. ↑ SAG Awards 2011: Christian Bale Surprised On Stage by Dicky Eklund (30 January 2011).
195. ↑ American Hustle cast tops SAG awards. BBC News (19 January 2014).
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## Further reading

* Holmstrom, John (1996). *The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995*. Norwich: Michael Russell. p. 394. ISBN 9780859551786.

## External links

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