Christian Bale has continued to stun fans with his versatility and physical transformation, leading films of varied genres. But again, the kind of transformation the Dark Knight Rises star underwent for a 2004 film, came as his wife’s worst nightmare, who had to witness her husband undergo a drastic transformation. Bale pushed his limit a bit too far as he lost 63 lbs in just four months.
Christian Bale’s Wife Had To Watch Him Decline
During the filming of The Machinist, Christian Bale underwent an insane body transformation – losing 63 lbs in four months. The actor revealed that his diet consisted of practically nothing, further revealing:
“My daily thing was generally like a bit of a coffee and an apple if I felt like it. Well, I had to eat the pie in the scene, and then there was a scene of eating chicken as well.
But I tried not to swallow. Because it’s amazing how you can literally just have a couple of bites of something and your face will expand again if you’re really at that low point.”
But this wasn’t the tough part for Bale. It was letting his wife, Sibi Blazic, watch him go through this painful journey. The actor had to assure his wife that if he ever put his health at risk, he would abandon the project. He said:
“It was tough. Although my wife was with me the whole way, so it was a gradual decline, it wasn’t very pleasant for her to be around and witness. She did get pretty worried, and I promised her that if I ever felt something bad might happen, I’d just quit.”
Bale dropped an insane 63 lbs to portray the insomniac character, Trevor Reznik in the 2004 thriller, The Machinist, undergoing a strict diet consisting of water, an apple, and one cup of coffee each day. The movie, however, gained a cult status, courtesy of Bale’s captivating performance.
Christian Bale Admitted His Fear Of Being Mortal
Christian Bale’s diet for The Machinist is a classic example of why one shouldn’t push limits to such an extent. Even though Bale’s conviction to portray the “extremely skinny” factory worker is commendable, the diet he picked is surely dangerous for the body, and shouldn’t be attempted.
For his role in the Brad Anderson-directed movie, Bale ate only 5% of the general standard of 2000 calories. Pursuing such weight loss measures to the extreme can result in plenty of complications, including nutritional deficiencies, weakened bones, and a compromised immune system.
In a 2019 interview, Bale admitted that he wasn’t looking to “explore the option of undertaking any more drastic Hollywood transformations,” and confessed:
“I’ve become a little bit more boring now because I’m older and I feel like if I keep doing what I’ve done in the past I’m going to die. So, I’d prefer not to die.”
In another interview, the actor also confessed that he can’t keep doing such transformations, famously saying: “My mortality is staring me in the face.” Christian Bale previously fattened up for American Hustle, got down to single-digit body fat for American Psycho, bulked up for the Dark Knight trilogy, and then dropped an insane weight for Vice.
The Machinist is available for streaming on Netflix.
Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
