Calling Christian Bale extraordinary would not be wrong, for the actor has displayed a talent that very few possess throughout his acting career. In his many roles, one can see the versatility the actor has, and he often goes the extra mile to bring a sense of authenticity to his portrayals, becoming one with his roles.
Over the years, while he has starred in many unforgettable roles, his role in the 2000 dramatic thriller comedy American Psycho remains the most unhinged one yet. What set him apart was the many improvisations he brought to the role, which often had the director burst into fits of laughter.
Christian Bale’s Brilliant Improvisations Would Leave Director Wheezing
American Psycho by Mary Harron was a film so conventional that it hardly seems even possible. An exceptionally gruesome yet comedic take on the theme of toxic muscularity, the movie helped Christian Bale propel to fame and recognition thanks to his spectacular performance. Not only did he leave the audience astounded by his performance, but showed critics the extraordinary range he possessed as an actor.
While making the movie Bale would often improvise thanks to his deep understanding of the character. Not only would he walk away from the script, but often his antics would leave everyone surprised while also making them burst out laughing. However, only some of these unexpected improvs ended up making the final cut and really helped put Patrick Bateman’s character into perspective.
During one scene that featured Bateman doing his training routines, Bale started to skip rope like a school girl which frankly surprised everyone on the set. Next when he was en route to kill Paul Allen, his surprising dance just before his gruesome act was also an improvisation that made Harron laugh out loud, leaving her wheezing for air.
Christian Bale Based His Iconic Role On Tom Cruise
To date, Patrick Bateman remains Christian Bale’s one of the most iconic and impressive roles. While the actor studied a lot for the role, he based his role on figures like Tom Cruise. In his interview with GQ, the actor stated,
“I mean, look, if someone had landed at that time and he was looking around for cultural alpha males, business-world alpha males, et cetera, then Tom Cruise certainly would have been one of those that he would have looked at and aspired to be and attempted to emulate.”
Likewise, the actor brought out Bateman’s alpha-male characteristics and eccentricity whenever he would be out and about functioning normally in society.
American Psycho can be rented on Google Play.
Source: The Things and GQ
