Christian Bale is an incredible method actor, a fact that no one in or outside the film industry can ever deny. One may even sometimes find it extremely hard to find differences between his real-life persona and on-screen characters. However, before Bale entered mainstream cinema and got his Best Method Actor label, Sylvester Stallone was so engrossed in the craft that he ended up needing a 9-day trip to the ICU.
It was back when Stallone was shooting Rocky IV along with Dolph Lundgren that this infamous incident took place. Despite landing in the hospital, Stallone’s efforts bore fruit when the film ended up becoming a hit.
When Sylvester Stallone Took His Method Acting Too Far And Landed In The ICU
Sylvester Stallone is known for being an extremely good actor apart from being an equally talented director, screenwriter, and producer. If the Rocky franchise is as successful as it is now, it is all thanks to Stallone’s dedication, determination, and talent. Known for always keeping it real and bringing ‘real elements’ to his movies, Stallone is also a respected method actor.
While shooting for Rocky IV, the actor wanted to keep his fight with Dolph Lundgren, who portrayed his on-screen nemesis Ivan Drago, as real and as believable as possible. So when they began shooting, Stallone told him to really knock him out (via YouTube) and Lundgren, following his boss’s orders (via Invicta Fighting Championship) did exactly as he was told.
Stallone in his recent Netflix documentary, Sly, made the same claims stating,
“Later that night, my heart started to swell—which happens when the heart hits the chest—and then my blood pressure went up to 260, and they thought I was going to be talking to angels. Next thing I know, I’m in intensive care, where I’m surrounded by nuns, and I thought, ‘OK, that’s curtains.'”
It took him nine days in the ICU to recover and Stallone later joked that he felt like he was hit by a truck. While he did end up seriously injured, Rocky IV ended up grossing $300 million worldwide (via The Numbers).
Christian Bale Is An Impeccable Method Actor Despite Him Denying It
Christian Bale‘s entire filmography is filled with a vast variety of roles and genres, yet he appears indistinguishable in every role he undertakes. Whether it is losing weight for a role or gaining it or grueling in the gym to build up his physique, there is hardly anything that Bale has not done in his decades-long career.
His impressive transformations can be witnessed in movies like American Psycho, American Hustle, and The Machinist, to name a few. Widely hailed as one of the top method actors in the whole wide world, the actor doesn’t call himself one. While talking to UNILAD, the actor stated,
“You know, people call me that. And I don’t even really know what it is. I just kind of wing it.”
Adding on, he explained his reasons,
“Method actors study method acting. I’ve never studied any acting at all. I just don’t want to offend true method actors. I just do whatever I do. I don’t know what it is.”
And while the actor may not acknowledge that he is fond of the technique, it is but true that nobody does method acting better than Christian Bale. His dedication to roles is second to none, making him a true industry legend.
Rocky IV can be streamed on Max.
