Christian Bale

Acting

Born Jan 30, 1974

From Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

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.

Christian Bale

Known For

The Bride!

The Dark Knight

The Prestige

Batman Begins

Thor: Love and Thunder

American Psycho

The Dark Knight Rises

Ford v Ferrari

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Terminator Salvation

Filmography — Acting

The Bride!

The Dark Knight

The Prestige

Batman Begins

Thor: Love and Thunder

American Psycho

The Dark Knight Rises

Ford v Ferrari

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Terminator Salvation

Public Enemies

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

The Big Short

Pocahontas

3:10 to Yuma

The Machinist

Shaft

American Hustle

Hostiles

Vice

Reign of Fire

The Fighter

Equilibrium

Amsterdam

The Flowers of War

Prince of Jutland

The Pale Blue Eye

Empire of the Sun

Little Women

Out of the Furnace

Knight of Cups

The Promise

The New World

Madden

Rescue Dawn

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

The Portrait of a Lady

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Spielberg

Treasure Island

Harsh Times

Swing Kids

Newsies

Laurel Canyon

Henry V

I'm Not There

Velvet Goldmine

Ending the Knight

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

Joker: Put on a Happy Face

Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale

Mio in the Land of Faraway

Metroland

The Secret Agent

Heath Ledger: A Tribute

Heat 2

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder

All the Little Animals

Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene

The Batmobile

The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan

Mary, Mother of Jesus

Citizen Steve

A Murder of Quality

Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'

The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun

Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square