Christian Bale is what would be considered an "actor's actor", being influenced by some of the greatest actors of today.
“Christian Bale, you commit to your roles in ways I could only dream of. You've never given a bad performance. It's maddening. I wish you would, just once. It just sucks for once. You'll be fine." Those were the words that Joaquín Phoenix gave when he received the SAG Award for Best Actor for his interpretation of Joker, which made dozens of actors praise him as one of the greats of this generation.
Although in that speech he spoke about the rest of the nominees, he expressed impressive respect for Bale, who is considered an acting institution, not only by Phoenix (who, at the Golden Globes, once again gave Bale a shoutout) but by a great huge wave of actors, actresses, and directors who know that if they have that actor, they will give a great performance.
Actors talk about Christian Bale
“I wanted to meet Christian because he is exciting and an awesome actor,” Tom Hardy said in an interview. “I think Christian brings quality and integrity (to Batman),” he said in another, and Hardy is just another of today's most acclaimed actors.
Of course, it's not surprising to know that there are plenty of respected actors who look to Christian Bale as a role model (and not just the best Batman). As Phoenix says, there is not a movie in which he gives a bad performance, and beyond the physical changes, he manages to transform himself in every sense, although he does not consider himself a method actor.
In the world of acting, the term "Actor's actor" exists, and that is what Christian Bale is. His dedication to his art, and willingness to change his appearance, his voice, and his personality, is something exceptional. “It feels like a cellular transformation,” said Amy Adams, who worked with him on American Hustle.
Michael Keaton, who was part of Batman in the late '80s, has pointed out Bale's talent. “He is a monster. He's a great actor,” he said when asked about Christopher Nolan's take on the character. And it is true. It doesn't matter if he plays a hero, a millionaire, an illusionist, an economist, a man with psychological problems, or even the former vice president of the United States, Bale is a chameleon, but not in the sense of Johnny Depp, but in another deeper. When we see him on screen we never see the same actor twice.
"Christan is a good example of someone who stays with the voice and the physique of the character for the whole time," Matt Damon says of his experience on the set of Ford vs. Ferrari, noting that Bale stays in character, but not on such a deep level or far from reality, rather he is himself but in the skin of another person.
The son of cinema
Having been a part of the film industry from a relatively young age, Christian Bale is undoubtedly one of cinema's greatest apprentices, having unparalleled talent and is truly dedicated to the art, and not the fame that he represents.
The best example of this perfect understanding of cinema is the experience he had in American Psycho, which could serve as the beginning of his series of hits on the big screen. When filming the tape, the man gave a completely exaggerated and even slightly comical performance, causing surprise among his colleagues, who came to think that he was the worst they had ever seen. However, he understood the vision of the story that he wanted director Mary Harron to portray: a satire of the yuppie world, and a man who can barely deal with his psychopathic thoughts. The result is considered one of the best roles in his career.
Now, it seems there isn't an actor who has anything negative to say about Bale (or a critic). The Real Man is an example of what acting work in the cinema should be (being one of the highest-paid actors in 2020), and if anyone can top him, it would be Joaquin Phoenix, but with a very different style.
