Christian Bale has solidified his image as an impressive method actor who can go to extreme lengths necessary to show perfectionism in his projects. From portraying a serial killer in the 2000 film, American Psycho to playing the villain role of Gorr the God Butcher in MCU, he has done it all.
Given that he has left a solid impression due to his insane physical transformations and versatility, many think that he just can’t say no to any situation if the film demands it, but the reality is otherwise.
Christian Bale Refused to Do Insane Stunt Scene in Rescue Dawn
The 49-year-old actor, Christian Bale was almost asked to risk his life while working in the 2006 war epic, Rescue Dawn with the mad director, Werner Herzog. However, Bale was quick enough to act against his wishes. The scene in question is his character, Lt. Dieter Dengler’s helicopter rescue scene where Herzog wanted to put him into a dangerous environment even disregarding the producer’s concerns.
Recalling the setting for that particular scene, he told GQ,
“I remember that day. We were in the helicopter… I love Werner, but with Werner you’re either just hugging and dancing together or you just want to kill each other. And we’re in the jungle on top of that. It was flown by these pilots that were crazy and they would take off in these crazy manoeuvres and you’d take out half a tree as you went.”
He continued,
“And I was standing, you know, on the rail, just hanging on from it. It was something else. I can’t remember what he suggested, but obviously in that moment I didn’t agree.”
Despite that, the Batman actor opened up about having quite an experience working with the mad director.
Christian Bale Shared His Experience Working With Werner Herzog
For the unversed, the latter has an infamous reputation that arose when he helmed Fitzcarraldo, which was a total disaster. During the film’s production, the cast and crew had to endure several issues, including multiple deaths and two plane crashes.
Given that the director wanted authenticity in his work, he often put his cast and crew in similar conditions as his films. Though Herzog’s personality is not a great subject among many, The Dark Knight trilogy actor talked about his experience working with the director.
“He can be the kindest of souls and then the most cantankerous man you’ve ever come across. There was never a dull moment. The thing with Werner is that he won’t be outdone by anyone else, especially not his lead actor. On set he would be diving into rock pools, crawling headfirst over rapids – all entirely unnecessary. But we enjoyed trying to outdo one another.”
Meanwhile, the film with a production budget of $10 million was unable to perform well at the box office despite the positive responses from critics.
Rescue Dawn is available on Hulu.
Source: GQ
