
Christian Bale
Biography
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.
Acting (72 movies)

The Dark Knight
2008

Batman Begins
2005

Shaft
2000

Terminator Salvation
2009

The Prestige
2006

American Psycho
2000

A Midsummer Night's Dream
1999

Pocahontas
1995

Captain Corelli's Mandolin
2001

Velvet Goldmine
1998

Empire of the Sun
1987

I'm Not There
2007

Swing Kids
1993

The Machinist
2004

3:10 to Yuma
2007

The New World
2005

Equilibrium
2002

Public Enemies
2009

Harsh Times
2005

Reign of Fire
2002

Metroland
1997

Little Women
1994

Treasure Island
1990

Rescue Dawn
2007

Citizen Steve
1987

Laurel Canyon
2003

Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
2008

Mio in the Land of Faraway
1987

The Portrait of a Lady
1996

Newsies
1992

Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn
2007

The Fighter
2010

A Murder of Quality
1991

The Secret Agent
1996

The Dark Knight Rises
2012

Heath Ledger: A Tribute
2009

All the Little Animals
1999

Prince of Jutland
1994

The Flowers of War
2011

Knight of Cups
2015

The Batmobile
2012

Exodus: Gods and Kings
2014

The Bride!
2026

Out of the Furnace
2013

American Hustle
2013

Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life
2020

Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
2008

The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
2007

Thor: Love and Thunder
2022

Mary, Mother of Jesus
1999

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
2022

The Big Short
2015

Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
2015

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
2022

Dying to Tell the Story
1998

The Promise
2016

Spielberg
2017

Tankman Begins
2005

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
2018

Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
1991

Hostiles
2017

Henry V
1989

Vice
2018

Ford v Ferrari
2019

The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun
1987

Amsterdam
2022

Ending the Knight
2012

Joker: Put on a Happy Face
2020

The Pale Blue Eye
2022

Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
2021

Sibyl
2025

The Making of American Hustle
2014
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Harsh Times | 2005 | Executive Producer |
| Amsterdam | 2022 | Producer |
| The Pale Blue Eye | 2022 | Producer |