Christian Bale Biography • Christian Charles Philip Bale Profile

Christian Bale is a British actor. He has starred both in blockbuster films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. Bale frequently works with directors Terrence Malick and Christopher Nolan.

Early Life

Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, the UK on January 30, 1974, to English parents Jennifer “Jenny” (James) and David Charles Howard Bale. His mother was a circus performer and his father, who was born in South Africa, was a commercial pilot. He was raised in England, Portugal, and California.

Quotes by Christian Bale

I have this theory that, depending on your attitude, your life doesn’t have to become this ridiculous charade that it seems so many people end up living.
I’m English. Our dentistry is not world famous.
I have a fear of being boring.
I like the idea of movies having a magic element. How many times have you seen an actor in a movie who you know only as the character? It’s wonderful, isn’t it?
Essentially, I’m untrained, so I just go with my imagination and try to put myself as solidly as I can into the shoes of whatever person I’m going to be playing.

Career of Christian Bale

Bale first caught the public eye at the age of 13, when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg‘s Empire of the Sun (1987), He auditioned with 4000 other kids for the coveted role of James Graham.

He made his professional debut opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson on the London West End stage. Bale roared into the next decade with a lead role in American Psycho (2000), director Mary Harron‘s adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel.

Bale went on to receive greater commercial recognition for his starring role as Batman in Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). His portrayal of Dicky Eklund in the David O. Russell-directed biographical film The Fighter (2010), earned him critical acclaim and a number of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has since gained further acclaim as well as subsequent Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Russell‘s American Hustle (2013) and Adam McKay‘s The Big Short (2015).

Bale segued into two indie features in the wake of Batman’s phenomenal success: The New World (2005) and Harsh Times (2005). He continued working with respected independent directors in 2006’s Rescue Dawn (2006), Werner Herzog‘s feature version of his earlier, Emmy-nominated documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997). Leading up to the second Batman film, Bale starred in The Prestige (2006), the remake of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and a reunion with director Todd Haynes in the experimental Bob Dylan biography, I’m Not There. (2007).

Personal Life of Christian Bale

On 29 January 2000, Bale married Sibi Blazic an American former model, make-up artist, and personal assistant to actress Winona Ryder; the couple has two children: daughter Emmaline (born 2005), and son Joseph (born 2014). Bale applied for US citizenship in 2010.