Christian Bale is known to be a perfectionist who goes to extreme lengths to get into the skin of a character. He always brings a distinct performance in every film of his and manages to look different each time, mainly due to the weight fluctuations that he does for a particular role. He has collaborated with director David O. Russell many times where he has played compelling characters.
Bale’s first collaboration with the director was for 2010’s The Fighter where he starred alongside Mark Wahlberg. Russell was known for being hard on his actors and the way that he wanted Bale to portray Dicky Eklund did not go along with how Bale wanted to approach the character. This led to many constructive arguments between them that proved beneficial for the film.
Christian Bale Did Not Agree With David O. Russell’s Approach for The Fighter
Christian Bale played real-life boxer Dicky Eklund in 2010s The Fighter directed by David O. Russell. The film required Bale to significantly reduce weight and undergo intense training in order to do justice to the role. Russell was known for his specific way of treating actors and would throw tantrums if the actor did not deliver.
For The Fighter, Russell wanted Bale to be able to switch on and off the character in an instant, which annoyed the actor. This led to a constructive argument where he told Russell how he did not want to approach the character that way. He told The New York Times,
‘“David would say a couple of times, ‘O.K., be Dicky,’ and that’s just not the way I work. I kind of slowly do it, like a frog that you stick in cold water and slowly turn up the heat so it never knows it’s being boiled alive. Eventually it’s just happening but it’s vague, the line where you started. And when you’ve done it that way, it can take a bit of time to wear off.”
Bale’s way of approaching the character and his hard work paid off as he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The duo collaborated further in films such as American Hustle, and Amsterdam.
Christian Bale Calls David O. Russell One of The Great Directors
Christian Bale collaborated with David O. Russell for three films including The Fighter, American Hustle, and Amsterdam. During the promotions of the latter, Bale talked about the film and how he enjoys working with Russell. He told Indiewire,
“It’s a very unique experience. David is unlike any other film director, and that’s what you want. That’s the whole point. A director brings a point of view, and a rhythm and everything, and the great ones are always unique. They’re singular. And David is that. Truly one of the greats.”
Bale most recently appeared in The Pale Blue Eye earlier this year. He is also among the actors voicing the English dubbed version of the Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron which will be released on December 8, 2023.
