Christian Bale is a perfect example of what a beard can do to destroy the looks of a handsome man. He was clean-shaven back in his Batman days- and he should have stayed that way…
Top Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
Bottom: Batman
Former Vice President Dick Cheney was probably very flattered when he heard that Christian Bale was playing him in the film “Backseat,” but he might not be quite so thrilled when he sees the film. The handsome actor gained a whole lot of weight and he has an unflattering hairstyle. The movie is now in post production but Christian can’t start losing the weight until they are certain there won’t be any reshoots. Meanwhile he’s enjoying the anonymity of an ordinary schlub from the midwest. He’s not buying any nice large size clothing so he can go anywhere without being noticed. It must be odd NOT to have women staring at him and doors opening…
(Above Christian in New York in camo pants)
Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News
Here’s a body transformation that not even Robert DeNiro has ever attempted. Not only did Christian Bale pack on lots of pounds for his role as Vice President Dick Cheney in Backseat, but he went the extra mile by bleaching his eyebrows and sculpting his NECK. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after gaining weight, Bale felt his neck wasn’t thick enough so he hired a trainer to bulk up ONLY his neck muscles, working out in the gym. The movie has started filming (above) and we never would have recognized Bale.
Photo Credit: AKM-GSI
We’re betting Christian Bale, 43, can go just about anywhere these days without being recognized since he gained all that weight to play the most powerful Vice President in American history (who knew?) Dick Cheney. The bleached eyebrows also change his appearance. Cheney was probably flattered when he heard the handsome Bale was set to play him in “Backseat” – at least until all the discussion about weight gain. Above, Christian took his cute son Joseph to play in a Brentwood park.
Photo Credit: AKM-GSI
We agree with director David Fincher – only Christian Bale should play Steve Jobs in a biography of the complicated tech genius. Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) has researched and written the script. Fincher says the ONLY way he will direct the movie is if Bale plays the part, and the actor hasn’t even been approached yet. We can’t imagine him turning it down, in spite of the fact that Ashton Kutcher’s movie about Jobs was not successful. This new and dynamic combination of talent might make all the difference. Steve Jobs has not been forgotten.
Tom Cruise DID play a fat, balding Jewish studio executive named Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder long before Christian Bale assumed the role of the eerily similar Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle. Five years ago, in fact. Tom’s character Les was exceedingly vulgar, and besides wearing a fat suit and bald cap, Cruise had chest hair glued under the gold chains revealed by his unbuttoned shirt. Christian actually GAINED the extra weight and shaved his own hair for the comb-over. He went the extra mile because he had the leading role in HIS movie and Cruise’s part was a cameo. But the transformation brought them both a lot of favorable attention so they made smart choices.
Having recently seen Christian Bale looking gaunt in “Out of the Furnace,” we were floored by this photo of him in his soon to be released movie “American Hustle.” In two months he ate enough cheeseburgers to gain forty pounds. That, and shaving off his hair into a greasy comb-over, turned him into a very unappealing 1970’s con-man. Ever since Robert De Niro gained all that weight to play Jake La Motta in “Raging Bull,” younger actors have been following in his footsteps, with visions of Oscars dancing in their heads. Somehow we can’t picture Brad Pitt ever doing that.
We had to laugh when we heard this story about the filming of next Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises” with Christian Bale. According to Merle Ginsberg at The Hollywood Reporter, a huge location shoot was set up in downtown LA and residents are accustomed to shoots, so they rarely pay attention. But this scene featured the appearance of the futuristic Bat-copter that zigzagged through “Gotham City” rigged up on cables. The outrageous craft, flying low, attracted all kinds of attention and curious apartment dwellers stuck their heads out the window to gape. Producers realized it would be costly to remove all those heads in post-production and actually considered asking people to keep their heads inside! THAT notion didn’t fly, so the looky-loos will have to be deleted later. (Above, Batman in another hopped-up vehicle)
We imagine Clint Eastwood wasn’t thrilled to hear about Beyonce’s pregnancy because he hoped to start filming their movie “A Star Is Born” in February. Odds are it will be delayed. Clint really wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play the male lead but he passed on the part. Now we hear Eastwood has hired Christian Bale to play the celebrity husband who becomes emasculated as his wife’s popularity rises and his own eclipses. We’re thinking Bale will bring QUITE a different edge to the character. This will be the fourth remake of the movie – in the 1974 version, Elvis Presley was desperate to play the role opposite Barbra Streisand – he felt it would change his career. But Colonel Parker nixed the idea.
Photo Credit: Splash News
Terminator Salvation beaten at the boxoffice by Night at the Museum 2, but Christian’s costar in this movie stole the show just like Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight. Realistically, Australian actor Sam Worthington doesn’t match the charisma of Heath, but he did manage to stand out next to Christian in Terminator and he’s getting lots of attention. Christian’s characters often seem to be terse and angry, while his costars reveal more personality. Bale’s popularity took a dive after that tantrum tape appeared online. Having Sam Worthington steal his thunder doesn’t help.