Hollywood is no stranger to divisive remarks and occasionally flying sparks between actors. Tom Hardy’s The Dark Knight Rises co-star, Christian Bale, made one such statement. However, the former expressed his shock upon learning that his colleague had allegedly considered publicly attacking a critic who wrote about his unique weight loss acting.
As we all know, Bale is renowned for his dramatic physical changes in his films. The actor known for The Dark Knight trilogy has frequently been seen pushing the boundaries of method acting. The ability to devote so much time to a project is not something that everyone can handle.
However, some people never stop commenting on everything, and regrettably, a critic once made such dubious remarks about Bale’s method-acting techniques.
Why Was Tom Hardy’s DC Co-Star Let Down By The Critic?
Actors often take on extreme physical changes to accurately portray their characters as part of their artistic process. Famous for his unwavering dedication to his job, Christian Bale is also known for drastically changing his body for different roles as evidenced by his staggering transformation for The Fighter.
However, it appears that he is not as adept at handling criticism. In an interview with Empire Magazine, according to a report by Daily Mail, the Academy Award-winning star once responded vigorously to critics who frequently dismiss his transformations as gimmicks:
“To be honest, I find it laughable that it’s considered to be some f–king gimmick – it’s so patronising. For God’s sake, do people not understand what a pain it is to do? It’s as though it’s some comment about, ‘Oh it’s easy for him, because he’s done it a bunch of times.’ It’s not easy, it’s not fun – it’s horrible.”
Bale continued, saying that he wanted to “p**s” on the shoes of a critic who had criticized the necessity of his physical transformation for the 2010 David O. Russell film The Fighter. The 49-year-old actor further explained that the change was necessary for the project:
“I would never pick to do that, but it’s a part that I like and he’s a welterweight and he’s a crackhead. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a welterweight with any fat on him – or a crackhead. So it’s just what you end up having to do. Somebody told me that somebody wrote something about my ‘trademark weight loss’. I’d just like to p**s on that guy’s shoes.”
Tom Hardy’s Response To Christian Bale Criticizing A Film Critic
Tom Hardy and Christian Bale are both renowned actors who have gained admiration for their noteworthy performances throughout their careers. However, it seems like these actors may have different opinions on how to handle criticism in private. The former was stunned to learn that his DC co-star allegedly wanted to “pi** on the shoes” of a critic who had the audacity to comment on his impressive weight loss acting.
Hardy logically questioned (per The Guardian):
“Why would he [Christian Bale] want to p*ss anyone’s shoes?”
Did he react to journalists writing about his body with the same sensitivity as Bale? Hardy answered:
“Not yet. At the moment it’s a way of identifying me. That’s how people initially identified Christian Bale. Who’s he? He’s that bloke whose ribs you saw. Then he’s that bloke who swore at the DOP. Then he’s that bloke who was great in The Machinist.”
Anyhow, maybe his feelings would change once he had more experience. It could also be possible that he would embarrass interviewers and ruin their shoes. Hardy, 46, concluded by saying:
“Maybe. I have to make my bones with Hollywood to get in. And when I do maybe I’ll metamorphose from Mr Muscles or whatever it is I am now and become an irascible tosser.”
Hardy and Bale starred in Christopher Nolan’s superhero film The Dark Knight Rises, which was released in 2012. Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were also cast in it. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
You can watch The Dark Knight Rises on Netflix.
