Did you know that after actor Michael Keaton (who also played Batman quite a few times in the past), Christian Bale is the second actor to have played Batman more than once on film?
You might be reading this right now and are all like “say what, was there even a Batman character before Christian Bale” – but it’s true. Google it (or just trust us).
Fly Parents
Bale comes from a rather interesting household, with both his parents having pretty cool and unusual professions. While Bale's dad was a former pilot, his mom was… wait for it… a circus performer! Yes, like those people who perform stunts and stuff! How cool is that?
With such unique parental inspiration, it's no wonder the guy turned out to be such a creative soul.
A Committed Professional
It doesn't get much more devoted than this: Bale once lost 63 pounds for a role! He did it to play Trevor Reznik in the film "The Machinist" in 2004. But wait, that's not even the most interesting bit: Bale lost this much weight by eating one apple and one can of tuna a day, as well as starting to smoke to depress his appetite.
We really cannot say we'd recommend that to, like, anyone – but you gotta admire the man's commitment.
First Kiss
Everyone has their first kiss experience – some better, some worse – but how many people can say they had their first kiss in the circus? Well, Christian Bale sure can. Due to his mom's work at the circus, Bale probably spent quite a lot of time mingling with other circus talents, since his first kiss was with one of them.
Her name was Barta, and she was an acrobat. Go young Christian!
100 Pounds in Six Months
Did we already mention how committed of an actor Bale was? Seriously, this guy is unbelievable. After having lost 63 pounds for one movie, he immediately started a major weight-gain diet for another one!
Christian gained 100 pounds in only six months for the role of Batman in "Batman Begins." We think that's downright insane, but hey, as long as he's happy with it, it was worth it.
First Acting Gig
Today we all know Christian Bale as a super successful Hollywood actor, but everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? For Bale, his starting point was a fabric softener commercial.
His very first commercial for the Lenor fabric softener was in 1982 when he was only eight years old! OK, this may not have been his breakthrough role, but we still think it's impressive.
Once, Twice, Three Times a Batman
Did you know that after actor Michael Keaton (who also played Batman quite a few times in the past), Christian Bale is the second actor to have played Batman more than once on film?
You might be reading this right now and are all like "say what, was there even a Batman character before Christian Bale" – but it's true. Google it (or just trust us).
Cereal Commercial
Once upon a time, little child-actor Christian Bale threatened to take over the entire commercial industry! Well, okay, not really, but here's one of the commercials he starred in back in 1983: it was for Pac-Man cereal, and he played a child rock star.
If you ask us, it was quite prophetic, since nowadays Bale is the epitome of a rock star. Minus the music bit.
The First British Batman
Bale has a lot to be proud of in his career, but undoubtedly one of his most impressive achievements is being the very first non-American actor to play the character of Batman in a movie. You do know that Bale is originally British, right?
Don't let his flawless imitation of an American accent fool you. The guy was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire (that's in Wales, and we're not sure how to pronounce it either).
A Dubious Record Holder
This may not come as much of a surprise after reading some of the entries in this piece, but just to make it official: Bale holds the record both for most weight gained for a film role and most weight lost for one.
On the one hand, those are effing questionable records. But on the other hand, it's super impressive. Anyway, don't try this at home!
First Time on Stage
Before he starred in movies, at the very beginning of his yet-to-be-mind-blowing romance with acting, one of Bale's first encounters with the craft was actually on stage.
His first stage role was in 1984 when he took part in the West End play "The Nerd" alongside none other than actor Rowan Atkinson. We'd actually love to see another collab between those two!
Stuntman
While many actors have stunt doubles, Bale is not the type to let someone else do the risky job for him. He actually performed all his Batman stunts himself, which we think is definitely noteworthy.
However, for reasons we will never understand, Bale was never allowed to go near the Batmobile. How is that fair? Like, isn't that the whole point of playing Batman?
Teen Crush
We all had a crush on Drew Barrymore at some point, but for Bale, this crush actually had to do with real life. When he was 13 and acted in "Empire of the Sun," 12-year-old Barrymore visited Steven Spielberg – her godfather, in case you didn't know – on the film set.
Bale was absolutely smitten and fell head over heels for her. Awww.
His Friendship With Heath Ledger
Not everyone knows that Bale and the late Heath Ledger were close friends. The two became friends in 2007 after they both played the role of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There." Their relationship became even stronger when they reunited in "The Dark Knight."
We think we might be able to imagine what conversations involving those two looked like, and there's nothing we would have loved more than being a fly on the wall in one of them.
First Time on Film
TV movies are nothing to be ashamed of, but for major Hollywood superstars, they aren't exactly sought-after projects. Anyway, for young Christian Bale, films labeled "made for TV" were fair game; and so, his very first film role was in the TV movie "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna."
Well, the year was 1986 and he was only 14, so we think that's not too shabby.
The Emperor of the Sun
You might already know that Bale's big Hollywood debut was as Jim Graham in Steven Spielberg's uber-successful "Empire of the Sun." But what you probably don't know is, that he competed for the role with over 4,000 other children!
Bale must have had one hell of an audition since he was finally selected to star in the hit film. We always knew you'd make it big, Christian.
Can't Stand the Heath
While Christian was close friends with Heath Ledger, this doesn't mean that there wasn't some healthy competition in the air. After all, they were both super successful actors, and they both played together in the same film trilogy.
Bale confessed that Ledger's performance as the Joker kind of made him feel like a failure about his own performance. We think there's room for more than one great actor in the Dark Knight trilogy, but we can relate to the insecurity.
Music Man
Bale may not be proud of it – in fact, we're pretty sure he explicitly said he is anything but – but he had acted in the musical film "Newsies" back in the day. Other than that, in his early days as an actor, he also starred in the movie "Swing Kids," dealing with teenagers in pre-WWII Germany who listened to jazz music even though it was forbidden.
Hey, it's no shame to admit you like playing in films that have to do with music, Chris.
Keeping in Touch With Spielberg
After directing Bale in "Empire of the Sun," director Steven Spielberg seems to have kept in touch with the up-and-coming actor, at least for a while there.
When Bale was filming "Newsies" in Germany, Spielberg happened to have been in the area since he was filming "Schindler's List" at the same time, and he came to visit him on the set. That's sweet!
A Private Mourner
When actor and close friend Heath Ledger passed away, Bale was a wreck. Not only was he completely dysfunctional – which is completely natural when you witness a tragic passing of a close friend – he was also extremely private about it, avoiding the press and not showing up to any celebrity tribute commemorating Ledger.
Bale was quoted saying that he sees grief as something private, that you don't do in public. We can totally respect that.
A True Shapeshifter
Not many actors are willing to do as much as Christian Bale is willing to do for a role, and we're not overstating anything. In order to play Irving Rosenfeld in the movie "American Hustle," Bale didn't only gain 43 pounds (we already know he's good at that), but also shaved his head and slouched to make himself 3 inches shorter, for which he ended up with a herniated disc.
Bale had changed his appearance to such an extent that Robert De Niro, who also played in the movie, didn't even recognize him. We're speechless.
A Match Made by Winona
Winona Ryder isn't just stunning and has great acting skills – she's also quite the matchmaker! Surprising, we know, but Bale actually met his wife, Sandra Blazic, through Ryder.
It turns out that Sandra used to be the actress's personal assistant, and at some point, she and Bale met, and the rest is history. Can our love life be such a Cinderella story, too?
That Ship Has Sailed
Did you know that Christian Bale almost got to play the role of Jack in the epic movie "Titanic?" He came extremely close but eventually lost it to Leonardo DiCaprio. As much as we loved Leo in the movie, we have to admit it's not too hard for us to imagine Bale alongside a red-haired Kate Winslet on that tumultuous ship.
We think he could have made a great Jack to her Rose. Either way, the movie was great, and so is Christian Bale.
Short Temper
We don't know what Christian is like to work with today, but at least in the past, he had quite the reputation when it came to his behavior on set. There was an infamous recording going around of him scolding cinematographer Shane Hurlbut on the set of "Terminator: Salvation" after the latter had interrupted him in the middle of a major scene.
Christian said he was sorry later on, but the problematic reputation stuck. There are some things in life that happen and simply can't be forgotten.
An Act of Good Will
Bale has many impressive acting credits in his portfolio, but there are still some that remained almost-acting credits. One of Bale's almost-roles was Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," which eventually went to Orlando Bloom.
But hey, it's all good. Two years later, Bale got to play Batman for the first time. Did Orlando Bloom ever play Batman? We think not.
Juggling Accents
Constantly switching between accents for different roles can be quite confusing, so it makes sense to try and stay in character accent-wise even when you're away from the set. At least we thought so.
When Christian was asked why he does his interviews in different accents, depending on the accent he uses in the movie he's being interviewed on, he claimed that he does it for the fans so they won't get confused! Well, that's awfully considerate.
Batman or Bateman?
One of Christian's most well-known roles was in Bret Easton Ellis's film "American Psycho," where Bale starred as the charmingly lethal serial killer, Patrick Bateman. Fun fact about this role: the "Titanic" mishap almost repeated itself here, too, when Leonardo DiCaprio almost got picked instead of him.
But all well that ends well: Leo was dropped when he opted for a role in "The Beach" and left Bale to do a kick-ass job.
His Groupies
Every famous actor or actress has a devoted group of loyal fans who keep up with everything they do, but Bale's fans can often seem like more of a cult than mere groupies.
The members of the gang refer to themselves by a designated nickname – "Baleheads." Well, we're not entirely sure, but we think we might pass as legit Baleheads, too. We just love that guy too much!
A Risk Taker
When Bale decided to take the starring role in "American Psycho," people warned him that it can virtually destroy his career. We're not really sure why, but some thought it would be a terrible move.
Anyway, good thing that Bale doesn’t listen to haters, since he decided to go for it despite some people's negative opinions, and we all know how that turned out. And just in case you don't all know – it turned out well. Like, $34 million kind of well.
To Welsh or Not to Welsh
Wales may officially be a part of the UK, but Welshmen still tend to stick to their sense of national pride and separate themselves from the English by definition.
However, Bale is not your typical Welshman and has defined himself as English rather than Welsh. We're not sure why, but we support whatever you choose to call yourself, Christian.
Willing to Get Punched for Activism
When Bale was filming "The Flowers of War" in 2011, he went, along with a CNN crew, to visit Chen Guangcheng, who was on house arrest due to his activism against China's One-Child Policy.
But the attempt didn't go very smoothly, as Christian ended up being punched and shoved by a large group of Chinese security guards who tried to keep him from getting in. And it was all caught on video. Ouch.
Caged In
Apparently, for his part as Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho," Bale drew inspiration from no other than actor Nicolas Cage! To be precise, he observed Cage's acting in the 1988 film "Vampire's Kiss," and somehow based his interpretation of Bateman on that.
We love great actors who aren't afraid of learning from other great actors. So humbling, don't you think?
Bond. Christian Bond
One of a few almost-roles in Bale's resume was the part of Secret Service agent James Bond in the movie "Casino Royale." Bale was a major candidate for the role of 007, but it eventually went to actor Daniel Craig.
We, for one, would have loved seeing Bale sticking it to the bad guys and getting the girl (not necessarily in that order). Too bad.
A "Terminator" Fan
Getting to play a role in a film that belongs to a franchise you're a fan of might just be the definition of a dream come true. This actually happened to Christian Bale when he was cast to play the role of John Conor in "Terminator: Salvation" in 2009.
Being a huge fan of the Terminator movies beforehand, it must have been a very big deal for him back then.
Psycho Killer, Que'est-Ce Que C'est?
One of the most random records we've heard of in a while is held not by Christian Bale himself, but by one of his film characters. According to the website moviebodycount.com, Bale's character in the movie "Equilibrium," John Preston, has conducted the third-highest number of on-screen kills in one movie.
Just in case you were wondering, the exact number is 118. There are disagreements about the quality of the movie, not being the best, and not reflecting Bale's true acting capabilities. Oh well.
A Hasty Biker
One of Bale's major hobbies is riding motorcycles, but he quit track racing after he had a number of accidents. We're surprised it took him that long to decide to quit because, by the time he did, he already had a titanium clavicle, a steel plate in his wrist, and 25 screws in his hand.
He also lost a fingertip for a minute there, but thank God, the doctors were able to reattach it. Christian, we know you were psyched about tack racing, but we're relieved you gave it up. Focus on your acting, will you?
Artistic Inspiration
Bale's outburst at a camera operator on the set of "Terminator: Salvation" including the famous "Oh good for you!" catchphrase-to-be became a viral sensation. It inspired a number of songs, remixes, parodies, and even a skit on "The Colbert Report" starring Steve Martin alongside Colbert himself, imitating the original tantrum by Bale.
We're not ones to support poor anger management, but if it does happen, we prefer for it to encourage such creativity.
Slim but Strong
Have we already mentioned how freakishly great Christian Bale is at losing and gaining massive amounts of weight for film roles? Well, one of the times he did that was during his preparations to play boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 film "The Fighter."
For that one, he lost no less than 30 pounds. Honestly, we can't figure out how he keeps coming back to his original weight after those drastic shifts. That's impressive.
A Humble Winner
Bale may have been the one to win Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "The Fighter," but that doesn't mean he thought he was necessarily the one to deserve the award most.
In his acceptance speech on stage, he said that actor Robert De Niro was the best. There aren't many qualities we admire in an actor more than humility. Well, and awesome acting. And a killer charisma. And handsomeness. But humility is pretty high on our list, for sure.
Going Full Religious
As part of his preparations for the role of Moses in the film "Exodus: Gods and Kinds," Bale decided to go all in and read the first five books on the Old Testament, the Quran, Jonathan Kirch's "Moses, a Life," and Louis Ginzberg's "Legends of the Jews."
Hey, we're willing to bet not even Moses knew this much about Moses. You've got to give it to him. He wouldn't do a Moses any other way.
Ferrari? Almost
Bale almost played the role of Enzo Ferrari (you know, legendary motor racing driver, the one who's responsible for the Ferrari car, all that) in a biographic film about his life, but it eventually fell through.
The reason was that the amount of weight that had to be gained by Bale to play Ferrari was actually too much of a health risk. We have to admit that bit of info caught us by surprise since Bale is well known for losing and gaining crazy amounts of weight for his characters.
A Pet Lover
If you appreciate pet love, you're bound to swoon over this one: Christian Bale raises three dogs and two cats. In other words, the guy has a petting zoo in his house.
If you're about to finish swooning, wait a second: he actually found all of them on the street and took them in! We just might be in love with this man right now.
Family Matters
Bale was held by the London police for four whole hours in 2008, after an alleged family incident. The incident involved both his mother, Jenny, and his sister, Sharon, and took place at the Dorchester hotel.
Supposedly, it was rooted in a disagreement between Bale's mother and his wife. We're not sure about the details, but Bale was ultimately released and all charges against him were dismissed. We hope everyone has patched things up since then.
Feminist Heritage
Did you know that famous feminist icon Gloria Steinem is actually Bale's stepmom? Just in case you weren't aware, Steinem is famous for her feminist journalist work and her political activism.
We think that's a pretty impressive family tie right there. They may not be related by blood, but we'd like to think some of Steinem's values somehow still stuck to Christian (or will in the future, God bless his temperamental soul).
A Super Mario Fan
Bale has confessed to being a major videogames fan, and a Super Mario Bros. fan in particular, at least as a kid. We think that's super sweet and would like to invite him to play Super Mario with us.
And then grab a coffee. And catch a movie. And have dinner. And maybe meet our mom. You know, no pressure, we'll see how things go.
An Environmental Activist
It's so easy to get caught up in the limelight and forget what life's really about. That's why we love celebrities that use their fame and fortune to help others, and Christian Bale is exactly that type of celebrity!
Among the environmental organizations the actor is active in, you can find the World Wildlife Fund, the Sea Shepherd conversation society, and Greenpeace. There's nothing like using your power for a good cause, Christian.
Love-Hate Relationship With Acting
You may find it hard to believe, but Christian Bale might just hate acting as much as he loves it. According to the actor, due to having gotten into acting so early in life and having had to pursue a career in it to help support his family, he developed quite a complex relationship with it. At least during his younger years.
Bale said that acting felt like a prison to him. It seems like his relationship with acting has gotten better with time, but, well, let's just say it's complicated.
An Introvert
Unlike most major Hollywood stars, Christian Bale barely ever agrees to go on talk shows. We always imagined interviewing for Ellen or Jimmy Fallon just went with the territory, but Bale once again challenges the rules of the game and refuses to go with the flow.
It seems that the ridiculously famous actor actually prefers to stay at home with his family and doesn't even have that many celebrity friends. We love that about you, Christian. Also, we're not even close to being famous. So, you know. If you're looking for any new friends. Just saying.
Not That Into Superhero Movies
We'd never think that Batman himself isn't into superhero movies, but hey, life can be surprising. Bale has confessed to never having been a huge fan of the genre, even though he had played a superhero himself and came to be iconically identified with the character.
Bale said he's not sure why, but he isn't too excited by superhero films and doesn't watch them himself, even though he heard they were good. We still love you, you strange man.
Tricked Into a Musical
One of Bale's roles as a young actor was in the musical film "Newsies" in 1992. The thing is, when he was cast – as the lead, no less – no one bothered to inform him that the movie was set to be a musical!
Christian only came to find that out once they actually started filming, as the script mentioned nothing having to do with musical numbers of any sort. Let's just say, he wasn't too happy about this.
An Early Adoptee of Internet Forums
Before online fan forums became a real thing, Bale groupies pretty much pioneered in the field in the early 90s. After Bale starred in "Little Women," a fan site dedicated to him gained around 60,000 visits every week! In 90s terms, that's effing insane.
The girls (well, there weren't really any boys involved) gathered online to initiate campaigns and write mutual letters to convince studios to cast Bale for various roles, and they even had their own newsletter. We heard Christian didn't take it so well at the time, but we're sure he's over it by now.
Psychotically Determined
Yes, Christian Bale is a freakishly devoted actor, but just how extreme can this almost-religious sense of devotion get? Well, very. Before Christian was officially cast to play the lead in the 2000 hit "American Psycho," there was a very real option that it would ultimately go to Leonardo DiCaprio.
At one point it seemed like the part was lost entirely, but Bale wouldn't stop prepping for it, believing it would ultimately be his. He'd call director Marry Harron to consult about scenes and she thought he'd gone bonkers. But hey, he was right.
His Insecurity About the Batman Role
After having played Batman thrice remarkably, no one would dare doubt Bale's compatibility for the role. But before he actually got it, he himself sure did. The actor shared in an interview that when auditioning for Christopher Nolan, he tried to alter his voice into something more growl-like since he thought his real voice wasn't animalistic or manly enough to fit Batman.
He confessed to having felt rather ridiculous while auditioning and said he was positive he had failed miserably. But, whaddayaknow – it worked!
Less Drooling, Please
At one point when filming one of the Batman films, Bale was actually asked not to drool. Yep, that's right. When interviewing for Esquire UK, the actor recalled a scene where his character was supposed to pass out.
Bale had imagined that realistically, in such a situation, a person might very well drool uncontrollably. However, actor Michael Caine and director Christopher Nolan were less into it and told him to cut it out. We second that.
A Highschool Dropout
Oozing such impressive intelligence, it's hard to believe that someone like Christian Bale never made it through high school. The actor never ended up getting his high school diploma, as he was kicked out at the age of 16.
We're not really sure if that matters, though, since he didn't really seem to have needed that diploma to get ahead in life. Some people just 'have it' and Mr. Bale certainly has.
Bale-rina
If you're not yet in love with Christian Bale, this will surely do it: it turns out that Bale used to train in ballet as a kid! Yes, ballet. Like, Billy Elliot style.
Can you imagine little Christian trying to achieve the perfect pirouette or doing a Pas de Bourrée? Because now we can't stop imagining it, and we're pretty sure we'll never be able to stop.
No Rom-Coms, Thank You
If you love rom-coms as much as we do (hey, we're all entitled to our guilty pleasures), you'll probably be disappointed to hear that Christian Bale will never agree to take part in one.
When the actor was asked about it in a 2018 interview he gave to The Guardian, he seemed to be shocked by the thought anyone would ever think of casting him in a romantic comedy. We believe the words "insane" and "lost their minds" were used. Oh well, we're still allowed to dream.
He's Never Watched "The Dark Knight"
Sounds absurd, we know! But it's true. The actor has confessed to having a really hard time watching his own movie, but it's not because he's hyper self-conscious or anything.
Being the sensitive man that he is, every time Bale even thinks of watching "The Dark Knight," he's reminded of the tragedy that happened in the Aurora theatre. No matter how hard he tries he just can't stop thinking about it.
Wake Up, Sleepyhead
Sometimes we're not even able to fall asleep in a bed properly, so we think it's mind-blowing that Christian Bale was able to fall asleep while shooting "Batman Begins" – but it's a true story! The actor actually snoozed during his first scene with Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine and missed the director calling "action."
He soon woke up, as Caine was poking him in the ribs. Some way to wake up, huh?
A Vegetarian
Rumor has it that Christian stopped eating red meat after he read about Wilbur from the book "Charlotte's Web" by author E. B. White. The children's book follows a friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, and it seemed to have struck a chord with little Bale.
How sweet is that? Seems he was always into protecting animals. Christian has it all.
Afraid of Boredom
Some people are afraid of being bored, and Christian Bale is definitely one of them. Yes, his unbelievably rich and successful, but this doesn't mean he can't find himself idle and looking for action.
It turns out that the actor simply refuses to get bored and does everything in his power to stay active and stimulated at all times, especially when it has to do with his acting. We really like seeing you in movies, Chris, but don't forget to rest every now and then.
A True Angeleno
Some superstars reside in L.A. only for certain periods, coming and going as they please; but Christian Bale is a loyal Angeleno and has been living in the city of Angels for years now.
Since 1992, to be precise. He's built a family there and has made a life for himself in the city, so we don't think he'll be going anywhere anytime soon.
An Avid Sleeper
We think sleep is one of the purest forms of pleasure life has to offer, and we were glad to realize Christian Bale agrees. Honestly, what can be better than a good night's sleep or a refreshing afternoon nap? (The answer is: virtually nothing).
Bale once said that if he could, he would sleep for 12 hours every night. We can relate, as we do it ourselves every now and then.
A Seasoned Traveler
As Bale's mom was a circus performer, the entire family was on the road a lot when he was younger. This meant that as a child, he was constantly moving from one place to another along with the circus his mom worked for, meeting new people and experiencing different sceneries.
We think all those travels as a kid must have helped make Christian the interesting personality he is today.
Surrounded by Women
Christian Bale was surrounded by females from an early age, but we're not referring to him being a charismatic babe magnet. Bale actually has not one, not two, but three sisters! So he absorbed quite a lot of feminine energy growing up.
His sister Sharon is in computers, but the other two are artsy types like Christian: Erin is a musician, and Louise is a director and actress. Sounds like our kind of family.
Acting Genes
Other than having an actress sister and a circus-performing mother, Bale has some acting skills in his genes that go even further back.
It turns out that Bale's grandpa used to be a children's entertainer and a stand-up comedian back in the day! That's like, eons ago, but we still think it's super cool. Guess the acting bug really does run in the family, huh?
A US Citizen
People who hear Christian Bale speak English in a flawless American accent might find this hard to believe, but the Hollywood actor only became an official US citizen in 2014!
He applied for American citizenship back in 2010, but it took a while for the naturalization process to be completed. Anyway, it's all good now, and Christian is a true American.
His Attractiveness Precedes Him
Not that we need any titles telling us that Christian Bale is one of the hottest men alive, but it's always good to have formal recognition, isn't it? In 2007, Bale made it to Empire Magazine's list of "100 Sexiest Stars in the Film Industry".
We really can't think of anyone more deserving of it than him, but we might've been happier to know he made it to the top of the list.
Two Middle Names
Christian Bale has not one, but two different middle names! We're not sure how this information might serve you in your everyday lives, but Bale's full name is Christian Charles Philip Bale.
We think that actually goes well with his English origins. "Prince Christian Charles Philip Bale the Third" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Royalty definitely suits him.
A Decent Salary
In 2014, Bale came in 9th on Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid actors, with a more-than-respectable salary of $35 million. Personally, we find that kind of money intimidating and would never want to get paid this much.
Like, really, dealing with taxes and stuff, who needs that? Right? We're not crying over being poor, we just have something in our eyes.
Voice Acting Gig
Not many people know that Christian Bale lent his voice to one of the characters in the 1995 Disney animated film "Pocahontas." As avid Disney fans, we were super thrilled to find that out.
Bale voiced the character of Thomas, a friend of Captain John Smith. This may not have been a huge or memorable role, but we still think it's super cool.
Made by Gary
There are many famous actors to look up to, but Bale has stated that actor Gary Oldman is his main inspiration in acting, and even said Oldman was the key reason why he chose acting as his career, to begin with.
We think that's a pretty damn big compliment for Gary Oldman to have someone as talented as Christian Bale citing him as a professional role model.
Divorced Parents
Bale's parents divorced in 1991, when he was 17 years old, which made the entire family split up. While his mom and sister Sharon stayed to live in Bournemouth, England, Christian and his dad moved to Los Angeles.
This surely wasn't easy, but it probably got Bale closer to the entertainment industry, which in turn helped groom his acting career. So, all well that ends well…?
Baby Daddy
Christian has two kids with his wife Sandra: daughter Emmaline and son Joseph; and his sweet little family means the world to him. In his 2019 acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Bale referred to his children as "banana" and "burrito," making fun of how famous people tend to give their children weird names.
We couldn't agree more. We are all familiar with Apple and Brooklyn, and what about North? Sometimes you can just use pre-existing names for your kids, Hollywood.
Gorilla Fund Board Member
You may not be familiar with it but there's a real organization called "the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund," and Christian Bale is on the Board of Trustees of that org, along with his wife Sandra. The organization's mission is to protect and study gorillas worldwide.
Did we already mention how much we love celebrities that take the time to invest in charitable causes? Because we really do. To the extent of proposing to them.
A Man of Influence
Bale went into Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world back in 2011. We repeat: not in Hollywood, not in the US – in the entire world. But to be honest, this fact didn't catch us by surprise.
Being such a legendary actor, having such a unique personality, and contributing so much to social organizations – we think he's pretty much the epitome of "influential."
Awards and Nominations
Throughout his long career, Bale has been nominated for various awards. Just to name a few: four Academy Award nominations and one win (for "The Fighter"); two Golden Globe nominations and two wins (for "The Fighter" and for "Vice"); and eight Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations and two wins (for "The Fighter" and for "American Hustle").
He is for sure a hard worker and this recognition is the fruit his hard work bears (well also the trillion-dollar check he gets, but this too).
He Rides Horses
Bale's love for riding extends to more than just motorcycles! One of the actor's absolute favorite pastimes is horseback riding, and we can't say we're surprised. Bale was quoted saying that riding horses as a kid taught him a lot about nature and helped him gain self-confidence. Sounds like a fantastic therapeutic tool!
We can easily imagine such a noble creature on the back of another noble creature. Can you?
George W. Bale?
Here's one rather random almost-role Bale has in his record: he was once cast for the part of George W. Bush in the movie "W." Eventually, he decided he didn't want to go through with it, and actor Josh Brolin took the part of the former US president instead.
We can't say we're very disappointed, even though Bale could have probably made a decent Bush. We will probably never know.
Extraordinary Talent
We know there are many talented actors and actresses out there, but none of them is Christian Bale. It's not for nothing that Bale is often referred to as one of the most talented actors of his generation.
Many different critics have praised him for his versatility and totality throughout his impressive acting career, and we couldn't agree more. Just keep doing what you're doing, Christian.