True Detective, renowned for its stellar cast across seasons, now sees Jodie Foster in a prominent role for its ongoing fourth season. And the Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale could have been a potential addition to the impressive lineup. The actor was reportedly among some of the top contenders to lead the second season alongside Jessica Chastain. However, he turned down the role allegedly due to strict time constraints.
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Christian Bale Was Approached For True Detective Season 2
Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, True Detective soared to great heights, earning critical acclaim and Primetime Emmy nominations for its lead stars. The huge success of the first season fueled anticipation among fans and showrunners alike for the return of the gripping series, with hopes of assembling another stellar cast.
Christian Bale was also among many names that were rumored to be in the show. Rumors even had that the showrunners reached out to The Pale Blue Eye star for the role of Ray Velcoro, later portrayed by Colin Farrell.
Bale’s potential casting was deemed fitting for the gritty and immersive world of True Detective. However, much to the surprise of many, the actor turned down the offer. The role eventually went to Farrell who starred alongside Rachel McAdams in the second season of the HBO crime drama.
Why Did Christian Bale Turn Down True Detective?
Soon after discussions surrounding Christian Bale’s potential casting in True Detective Season 2 came out, The Wrap revealed that the actor has turned down the offer for the anthology crime drama. As per IMDb, he turned down the offer due to the “significant time commitment” it would have required.
However, reports also suggest that he passed on the opportunity to star in the film adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s book The Deep Blue Good-by. Bale was approached to play the protagonist of a 21-book series, Travis McGee, in the movie, which was set to be directed by James Mangold and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Deep Blue Good-by reportedly revolved around a self-professed beach bum and salvage consultant’s quest to safeguard a woman who has been emotionally torn apart by her manipulative ex-boyfriend. However, in 2015, Bale suffered a knee injury at his home in Los Angeles. The movie was initially halted, and Mangold moved on to work on the 2017 film Logan with Hugh Jackman.
The American Hustle star’s knee ligament injury prevented him from returning to the movie, as it required him to film some intense scenes. Brad Pitt was reportedly approached with the offer to star in the adaptation, but once he turned down the offer, the studio decided to cancel it. Despite the actor passing on the offer earlier, fans have continued to root for Bale to lead the popular HBO crime drama.
True Detective is available to stream on Max.
