Christian Bale: Biography
Christian Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, of Celtic ancestry, on 30 January 1974, and grew up in Oxfordshire and Dorset in England, as well as in Portugal, and in California. He has no nickname, preferring to be called simply "Christian." He makes his home wherever he is filming and with family in the US and UK. Over 6 feet tall, Christian has brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a small scar under his right eye which he got from a sports accident in high school.
He is the youngest of four children and the only son. One sister is in the computer business; another is a musician; and another is an award winning theatre director. His father was a commercial pilot. His mother was a dancer and a clown in a circus. Both his grandfathers were part-time actors; one was a stage actor, the other doubled for John Wayne in two movies set in Africa. His great uncle, Rex Bale, was a lifelong professional actor with over twenty movies to his credit. Rex's cousin was the renowned Victorian stage actress and singer, Lilly Langtry. Christian is a newlywed - he and wife, Sibi, married in January.
Christian Bale: Career
In 1987, Bale made his feature film debut in the Steven Spielberg creation of Empire of the Sun. Christian was the lead role, Jim. An English schoolboy in the midst of World War II. He followed up with his roles in Kenneth Branagh's production of Shakespeare's Henry V and the TNT adaptation of the classic Treasure Island as Jim Hawkins. Here, he played opposite of Charlton Heston's Long John Silver.
Bale's other films include the wide fan based Newsies, Swing Kids, Little Women, The Secret Agent and Pocahontas. He contintued on to appear in A Portrait of a Lady with Nichole Kidman and John Malkovich. He then joined the cast of Metroland (with Emily Watson) and Velvet Goldmine (with Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhyse Meyers.) After that, he played the role of a slightly slow young man in All the Little Animals. In 1999, he was back in Shakespeare playing the role of Demetrius in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream opposite of Callista Flockhart (Ally McBeal.)
In more recent days, you can catch Bale in the critical acclaimed, and critically harassed, American Psycho. Bale was chosen to portray Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street serial killer. Though this role was called "career suicide" Bale did it anyway. This role definitely affected his fan base, that's for sure. Then, came Shaft. The continuation of the 1970's story.
Bale has finished Captain Corelli's Mandolin which should be released sometime this year, as well as Librium. This is a sci-fi thriller featuring Metroland co-star Emily Watson. He also will leave soon to start filming Reign of Fire with Matthew McConaughey and the rumored Jamie Bell.
Christian Bale: Films
The Samuel L. Jackson Ultimate Collection (2006), Harsh Times (2006), The New World (2005), Batman Begins (2005), Howl's Moving Castle (2005), The Machinist (2004), Laurel Canyon (2003), Equilibrium (2002), Reign of Fire (2002), Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001), Shaft (2000), American Psycho (2000), All the Little Animals (1999), A William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Metroland (1999), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Royal Deceit (1997), The Portrait of A Lady (1996), The Secret Agent (1996), Little Women (1994), Swing Kids (1993), Newsies (1992), A Murder of Quality (1991), Treasure Island (1989), Henry V (1989), The Mio min Mio (1988), Empire of the Sun (1987)
