When it comes to pushing the limits physically and mentally for a role, it is difficult to look past Christian Bale. The British actor is not just known for his memorable performances on screen, but also for his extreme modes of preparation that he adopts to get into the skin of his characters. From resorting to brutal diets for his roles in American Psycho and The Fighter to sacrificing sleep to play an insomniac in The Machinist, Bale has done it all for the love of his craft.
More recently, the Oscar winner was seen in Thor: Love and Thunder in another transformative role as Gorr the God Butcher. With his penchant for taking on complex parts, Bale is looking to push the envelope once again in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride for which he will go through some tangible changes to reportedly play the iconic Frankenstein.
Christian Bale Will Challenge His Limits Once Again in The Bride
Christian Bale is one of those actors who is willing to go the distance to ensure that any film involving him becomes unforgettable. A star who has wholeheartedly embraced the concept of method acting with many of the roles he’s portrayed, Bale will once again go through a transformative journey in The Bride. Directed by his co-star in The Dark Knight Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film will be a new take on the 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein in which the American Psycho actor will reportedly play Frankenstein.
The project also has a glittering all-star cast that includes Gyllenhaal’s husband Peter Sarsgaard, Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening, and Jessie Buckley who is reportedly playing the titular bride. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bale did not reveal too much about the role, but expressed his readiness to go through some radical physical changes for the character which sounded a lot like Mary Shelley’s mad scientist.
“I’ve got to shave my head next week. I’ve got to get busy getting on the rack, breaking my bones, eating lots of fertilizer or something to try and grow”
The Dark Knight actor who was thrilled to be in a film directed by his co-star, was also grateful to be sharing screen space with so many A-list Hollywood celebrities. The filming of The Bride is set to begin on March 4th, 2024. The story will follow the journey of Frankenstein and Dr. Euphronius who attempt to bring a murdered woman back to life.
How The Machinist Gave Christian Bale A Surreal High
Among the many challenging characters that Christian Bale has played over the years, 2004’s The Machinist ranks as one of his lesser-known, but extremely tough roles. In the film The Prestige, the actor played a disturbed insomniac who is haunted by unusual occurrences. In preparation for this role, Bale sacrificed sleep and resorted to brutal fasting to lose 27 kilos. Speaking to The Guardian, he recalled the exhaustion and pain, but also a strangely elevated and calm mental state that he was in despite putting his body and mind through torture.
It’s an amazing experience doing that. When you’re so skinny that you can hardly walk up a flight of stairs … you’re, like, this being of pure thought. It’s like you’ve abandoned your body. That’s the most Zen-like state I’ve ever been in my life. Two hours sleep, reading a book for 10 hours straight without stopping … unbelievable.”
Bale revealed though, that this surreal state was short-lived as the rollercoaster of emotions almost always came back with a vengeance once food entered his system. The actor said that he was ready to put his body through the wringer again and again for the sake of a film and a character that he believed in.
