Christian Bale: Anorexic? Devoted? Loopy?

[Frontier]

So a couple years ago, Christian Bale did a film called "The Machinist" in which he lost a ton of weight for the role. He was literally down to 112 pounds, and would have done more if the director hadn't stopped him. I remember reading he existed on little else but Diet Coke and Cigarettes during such.

He then had to bulk up, I believe for "Batman Begins" (I could be wrong) and was 205 lbs for that at peak.

He dropped a lot (not as extreme) for "Rescue Dawn" and then returned to normal.

Recently, he's done "The Fighter" where again, he's dropped a ton of weight and looks, once again, like a walking skeleton. I jokingly said when he did it for "Machinist" they should take advantage and do a holocaust drama with him, as he really just totally looks the part of those poor people who survived the concentration camps.

He's since returned to his normal weight. Again.

Now I read today, he's doing it again for a film called "Concrete Island" (http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/19414/bale-drops-weight-again-for-concrete-)

This can't possible be healthy for him. When he loses the weight, he does it through extremes. When he bulks back up, I remember reading something about nothing but cheeseburgers and donuts.

Could it be that maybe he's actually anorexic? We have so many female celebs who suffer from such, but could it be we actually have a guy who does to such extremes too?

Or is he just really devoted and, honestly, a little loopy for putting himself through such stresses?

I love the guy, either way. Great actor. When he was cast for "Begins" I went and watched virtually every film he's done, so I don't base my opinion only on his past 5 years work, but going back to his first film for Spielberg as a 10 year old boy.

Just seems... odd. Is all.

 

[JoeZhang]

Could it be that maybe he's actually anorexic?

No because he'd refuse to bulk up for roles. Since his normal weight is..em.. normal, I think you are barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I think he's just totally method, takes all his roles to extremes and isn't satisfied with any half-measures. Daniel Day-Lewis is similar. I'm no psychiatrist or psychologist but I suspect each has a bit of OCD or borderline Asperger's syndrome about them - total obsessiveness in the way they approach things.

I don't think he's anorexic, as following The Machinist Bale ate nothing but pizza to regain all the weight in time for Batman, then turning fat into muscle, so he wasn't Fatman. If you look at the bulk he's had in the Batman movies, no anorexic could maintain that body. He just seems to take everything to the extreme.

 

[Jax]

Hes being a pro when it comes to giving all to his parts. Bale seems to be the guy people love to hate at times and this recent stuff in the media about his weight issues are totally fucking stupid. Hes being a superb actor nothing more nothing less.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I agree with the others. i don't think he is anorexic nor do i think he has any kind of eating disorder. He is an incredibly dedicated actor. I agree with you, this cannot be good for his body (omg, he didn't even look human in The Machinest)....

He is most definitely my favorite (or in the top 3 anyway) actor. He gives 150% everytime. He's awesome.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I think he's just devoted. There's this story, in which he says:

It's not easy, it's not fun - it's horrible. I would never pick to do that, but it's a part that I like and he's a welterweight and he's a crack head. I don't know about you, but I've never seen a welterweight with any fat on him - or a crack head. So it's just what you end up having to do

So I guess if it's a part that he really likes he's willing to put his body through a lot to play the role effectively.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I wanna see him tackle a schlubby fat man's role next. Shades of Sylvester Stallone in Copland or Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull or the most recent case of Matt Damon in The Informant.

 

[JarodRussell]

It's method acting. Bale, Day-Lewis, Robin Williams, Adrien Brody, Viggo Mortensen do it, Heath Ledger did it for the Joker... and Sheen, Stallone, Schwarzenegger for all their roles...

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I seem to recall that Bale actually put on too much weight for Batman Begins, having lost so much of it in the previous film The Machinist, but eventually shaped up into a suitably muscular figure for Batman.

There are actors, there are method actors, and then there's Christian Bale. Apart from perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis, I don't think anyone takes method acting more seriously than him.

 

[JarodRussell]

I seem to recall that Bale actually put on too much weight for Batman Begins, having lost so much of it in the previous film The Machinist, but eventually shaped up into a suitably muscular figure for Batman.

There are actors, there are method actors, and then there's Christian Bale. Apart from perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis, I don't think anyone takes method acting more seriously than him.

He put on too much muscles for Batman Begins, from what I understood in the DVD commentary. They had designed the suit with the expectation that he'd be about 190lbs or something, but he trained so hard that he got much bigger.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I seem to recall that Bale actually put on too much weight for Batman Begins, having lost so much of it in the previous film The Machinist, but eventually shaped up into a suitably muscular figure for Batman.

There are actors, there are method actors, and then there's Christian Bale. Apart from perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis, I don't think anyone takes method acting more seriously than him.

He put on too much muscles for Batman Begins, from what I understood in the DVD commentary. They had designed the suit with the expectation that he'd be about 190lbs or something, but he trained so hard that he got much bigger.

Yes, that's what I heard too. It's such a level of dedication that puts the rest of us to shame.

 

[cultcross]

Indeed. I'm fairly sure the reason the Batsuit wouldn't fit me is not an excess of muscle.

 

[FPAlpha]

I think he's a bit obsessed.. not too far gone to be dangerous to his mental health but also not quite within "normal" areas.

I think he wants to give it the best at all times going to great extremes.. remember how he went apeshit on that poor guy on the set of Batman (or was it Terminator) just because he interrupted the work?

I like him a lot as an actor and if he wants to go these extremes let him be.. i cna only guess (and hope) that he does this under medical supervision and doesn't inflict longterm damage to his body.

 

[KB24]

He's just an extreme method man. He always has been, just perhaps people notice it now more. He might a a screw loose or two, but when your passionate for the sake of your art, it's just that- passion and art. As opposed to when one is just crazy and addictive and destructive to oneself purely for the addiction or no good reason at all.

I applaud Bale's intensity, but I wouldn't want to go there. How his wife deals with him when he's in for a part, I'll never know. Bless her!