Christian Bale
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.
Acted in
The Bride!
2025
as Frankenstein's Monster
The Pale Blue Eye
2022
as Augustus Landor
Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
2022
as Self
Amsterdam
2022
as Burt Berendsen
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Self - Gorr
Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Gorr
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
2021
as Self
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
2020
as Self
Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life
2020
as Self
Ford v Ferrari
2019
as Ken Miles
Vice
2018
as Dick Cheney
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
2018
as Bagheera (voice)
Hostiles
2017
as Captain Joseph J. Blocker
Spielberg
2017
as Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
The Promise
2016
as Chris Myers
The Big Short
2015
as Michael Burry
Knight of Cups
2015
as Rick
Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
2015
as Self
Exodus: Gods and Kings
2014
as Moses
American Hustle
2013
as Irving Rosenfeld
Out of the Furnace
2013
as Russell Baze
The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Ending the Knight
2012
as Self
The Dark Knight Rises
2012
as Bruce Wayne
The Batmobile
2012
as Self
Honest Trailers
2012
as Patrick Bateman (archive footage)
Honest Trailers
2012
as Bruce Wayne / Batman (archive footage)
The Flowers of War
2011
as John Miller
张艺谋和他的金陵十三钗
2011
The Fighter
2010
as Dicky Eklund
Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'
2009
as Self
Public Enemies
2009
as Melvin Purvis
Heath Ledger: A Tribute
2009
as Self
Terminator Salvation
2009
as John Connor
The Dark Knight
2008
as Bruce Wayne
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
2008
as Self
Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
2008
as Self
Gotham Tonight
2008
as Bruce Wayne
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn
2007
as Self
I'm Not There
2007
as Jack / Pastor John
3:10 to Yuma
2007
as Dan Evans
The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
2007
as Self
The Prestige
2006
as Alfred Borden
Rescue Dawn
2006
as Dieter Dengler
The New World
2005
as John Rolfe
Harsh Times
2005
as Jim Luther Davis
Batman Begins
2005
as Bruce Wayne / Batman
Tankman Begins
2005
as Batman (archive footage)
The Machinist
2004
as Trevor Reznik
Laurel Canyon
2003
as Sam
Equilibrium
2002
as John Preston
Reign of Fire
2002
as Quinn Abercromby
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
2001
as Mandras
Shaft
2000
as Walter Wade, Jr.
American Psycho
2000
as Patrick Bateman
Shaft: Still the Man
2000
as Self
Mary, Mother of Jesus
1999
as Jesus of Nazareth
All the Little Animals
1999
as Bobby Platt
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1999
as Demetrius
Dying to Tell the Story
1998
as Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
Velvet Goldmine
1998
as Arthur Stuart
Metroland
1997
as Chris
The Secret Agent
1996
as Stevie
The Portrait of a Lady
1996
as Edward Rosier
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Critics Choice Awards
1996
as Self - Nominee (credit only)
Pocahontas
1995
as Thomas (voice)
Little Women
1994
as Laurie
Royal Deceit
1994
as Amled
Swing Kids
1993
as Thomas Berger
HBO First Look
1992
as Self
MTV Movie & TV Awards
1992
as Self / Presenter
Newsies
1992
as Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
A Murder of Quality
1991
as Tim Perkins
Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
1991
as Self
Treasure Island
1990
as Jim Hawkins
Henry V
1989
as Robin the Luggage-Boy
The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun
1987
as Self
Empire of the Sun
1987
as Jim
Mio in the Land of Faraway
1987
as Jum-Jum / Benke
Heart of the Country
1987
as Ben Harris
Citizen Steve
1987
as Self - Actor
Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna
1986
as Tsarevich Alexei
Best Of Enemies
as Gennady Vasilenko
Gaming the System: The Making of 'Vice'
as Self