Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the highest-paid actors in 2014.
Born in Wales to English parents, Bale had his breakthrough role at age 13 in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film Empire of the Sun. After more than a decade of performing in leading and supporting roles in films, he gained wider recognition for his portrayals of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy American Psycho (2000) and the titular role in the psychological thriller The Machinist (2004). In 2005, he played superhero Batman in Batman Begins and again in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), garnering acclaim for his performance in the trilogy, which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises.
Bale continued in starring roles in a range of films outside his work as Batman, including the period drama The Prestige (2006), the action film Terminator Salvation (2009), the crime drama Public Enemies (2009), the epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and the superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). For his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 biographical film The Fighter, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations came for his work in the black comedy American Hustle (2013) and the biographical dramedies The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). His performances as politician Dick Cheney in Vice and race car driver Ken Miles in the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019) earned him a second win and a fifth nomination respectively at the Golden Globe Awards.
Known for
The Dark Knight
Bruce Wayne
The Dark Knight Rises
Bruce Wayne
Batman Begins
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Thor: Love and Thunder
Gorr
The Prestige
Alfred Borden
The Machinist
Trevor Reznik
American Psycho
Patrick Bateman
HBO First Look
Self
Pocahontas
Thomas (voice)
Ford v Ferrari
Ken Miles
The Bride!
Frankenstein's Monster
Laurel Canyon
Sam
Shaft
Walter Wade, Jr.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Moses
Vice
Dick Cheney
Terminator Salvation
John Connor
The Big Short
Michael Burry
Equilibrium
John Preston
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
Self
Swing Kids
Thomas Berger
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Mandras
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Bagheera (voice)
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Self / Presenter
The Flowers of War
John Miller
American Hustle
Irving Rosenfeld
The Pale Blue Eye
Augustus Landor
Little Women
Laurie
Public Enemies
Melvin Purvis
Ending the Knight
Self
Treasure Island
Jim Hawkins
Hostiles
Captain Joseph J. Blocker
Knight of Cups
Rick
A Murder of Quality
Tim Perkins
3:10 to Yuma
Dan Evans
Heath Ledger: A Tribute
Self
The Portrait of a Lady
Edward Rosier
Amsterdam
Burt Berendsen
Prince of Jutland
Amled
The Fighter
Dicky Eklund
The Batmobile
Self
Tankman Begins
Batman (archive footage)
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
Self
I'm Not There
Jack / Pastor John
Reign of Fire
Quinn Abercromby
Empire of the Sun
Jim
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth
Newsies
Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
The Secret Agent
Stevie
Mio in the Land of Faraway
Jum-Jum / Benke
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Demetrius
The New World
John Rolfe
All the Little Animals
Bobby Platt
Henry V
Robin the Luggage-Boy
Madden
Al Davis
Harsh Times
Jim Luther Davis
Citizen Steve
Self - Actor
Rescue Dawn
Dieter Dengler
Out of the Furnace
Russell Baze
The Promise
Chris Myers
Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
Self
Shaft: Still the Man
Self
Metroland
Chris
Spielberg
Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna
Tsarevich Alexei
Velvet Goldmine
Arthur Stuart
E! True Hollywood Story
Self (archive footage)
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
Self
Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
Self
Best of Enemies
Gennady Vasilenko
Gotham Tonight
Bruce Wayne
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
Self - Gorr
Making of "The Flowers of War"
Sibyl
(Archive footage)
The Making of American Hustle
Self
The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
Self
Heart of the Country
Ben Harris
The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun
Self
Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
Self
Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'
Self
Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life
Self
Dying to Tell the Story
Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
Self
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn
Self
Wogan
Self
GMTV
Self
Entertainment Tonight
Self
Entertainment Tonight
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
The Early Show
Self