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Christian Bale
Name: Christian Bale
DOB: 30 January 1974
Birth Place: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Claim to fame: Actor by day, Batman by night
Star Facts
- Christian first appeared on television in an advert for fabric softener Lenor in 1982.
- In 2008 an audio recording of Christian yelling at a photography director on a film set emerged and he had to give a public apology.
- Christian’s stepmother is feminist activist Gloria Steinem.
- He beat Jake Gyllenhaal for the role of Batman.
Biography
Christian was spotted by film critics when he was 13, having appeared in Steven Speilberg’s Empire Of The Sun. The constant attention of the press almost forced Christian to quit acting for good. However, seeing his talent, friends Kenneth Branagh and Winona Ryder were insistent on recommending him for movie roles.
In 1999, he played serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Leonardo Di Caprio was originally lined up for the role, but dropped out due to his commitment to the film The Beach.
Christian landed the role of Batman in 2005, but says that he felt ‘ridiculous’ in the Batsuit. He must be used to it by now though – he’s played the role throughout the trilogy, in The Dark Night in 2008 and The Dark Night Rises in 2012. Plus, we think he looks great in it!
He read a lot of Batman comics in preparation for the role (it’s a hard life), and decided to portray Batman as a savage beast. He puts on an American accent when doing interviews promoting the Batman films in order to avoid confusion.
Christian is married to former model Sandra Blazic, who just so happens to be Winona Ryder’s personal assistant. The couple married in 2000, and have a daughter, Emmeline, who was born in 2005.