Christian Bale has earned accolades and accolades for his performance in The Fighter, but it appears that he doesn’t handle criticism as gracefully. He expressed a desire to respond to a critic who had commented on his “signature weight loss” acting by saying he’d like to strongly disagree with their perspective.
The actor, well-known for his on-set breakdown during the production of Terminator: Salvation and a public rift with his mother and sister, shared his thoughts with the Australian version of Empire magazine.
Christian Bale Is Known For His Body Transformations
Christian Bale has previously undergone weight loss transformations for his roles in films like The Machinist and Rescue Dawn. In reference to his portrayal of Dicky Eklund, a welterweight fighter grappling with addiction in The Fighter, a role that required him to undergo another weight loss transformation.
Christian Bale expressed his perspective on the matter, finding it amusing that this aspect of his acting is sometimes regarded as a mere gimmick, which he views as patronizing. He went on to question whether people truly comprehend the arduous nature of the process.
The actor suggested that some may wrongly assume it’s effortless because he’s done it multiple times. Bale emphasized that it’s far from easy or enjoyable; in fact, he characterized it as a grueling experience.
Bale said (via DailyMail):
“To be honest, I find it laughable that it’s considered to be some f*cking gimmick – it’s so patronizing. For God’s sake, do people not understand what a pain it is to do? It’s as though it’s some comment about, ‘Oh it’s easy for him, because he’s done it a bunch of times’. It’s not easy, it’s not fun – it’s horrible.”
Christian Bale discussed the challenges of his role, emphasizing that he wouldn’t voluntarily choose such a transformation. However, the character he portrayed was a welterweight and a drug addict, which necessitated the physical changes.
He noted the impracticality of seeing a welterweight or a crackhead with excess body fat, leading to the need for physical adjustments. Bale also expressed his disdain for a critic’s comment about his “signature weight loss,” suggesting he strongly disagreed with that assessment.
Michael Caine Did Not Appreciate Christian Bale’s Rant
Christian Bale landed the leading role in the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise. Nonetheless, several months prior to the film’s release, an audio recording emerged, featuring an irate outburst by Bale on set. His fellow The Dark Knight co-star, Michael Caine, was questioned about this incident when he appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
In contrast, Michael Caine, famous for his role in The Great Escape, wasn’t particularly taken aback by Bale’s outburst, revealing that he too had a volatile temper in his earlier years.
Caine went on to mention that although Bale’s outburst extended for roughly 10 minutes, his own tantrums used to stretch out for almost an hour. He humorously added that his outbursts remained private because no one was recording them during that era.
Also read: Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight 4 Could Answer A Major Question Lingering Since Batman Begins
