“'3:10 to Yuma' was one that I just kept on talking and thinking about after reading it. And I think the reason is because, like in most Westerns, you have the very clear-cut bad-guy/good-guy, however, as the movie progresses, you kind of see that it's a very fine line that divides these two.” ThinkingKindTwoReasonGuyReadingLinesTalkingClearCuttingProgressFineDividesBad GuysGood GuyFine Lines Author:Christian Bale
“All I've ever ended up with in terms of achievements is the movie, some really stupid anecdotes, a bunch of crosswords that I didn't finish and maybe some old bicycle that I found lying around on set.” LyingFoundTermStupidAchievementBunchBicycleAnecdotesReally StupidCrosswords Author:Christian Bale
“All of the muscles were gone, so that was a real tough time of rebuilding all of that. But you have a deadline, you have an obligation. You've said that you will commit to this part, and I just can't live with myself for not really giving it as much as I can.” GivingSaidI CanRealGoneToughObligationCommitMusclesTough TimesDeadlineRebuilding Author:Christian Bale
“'Batman' took 10 months to film, and by the time I stopped working on it, it took a long time before my English accent came out again. I was actually having to try for it.” TryingLongFilmMonthsLong TimeAccents Author:Christian Bale
“But I enjoyed getting sick, I didn't mind it at all. So in that short amount of time, I did actually go from 121 right back up to 180, which is way too fast obviously. And that resulted in some doctors visits to get things sorted out.” WayMindAmountDoctorsSickEnjoyed Author:Christian Bale
“Everyone always tells you that you're the only one that can do this or that role right, and if you say no, they go to somebody else and tell them that they're the only one that can do it right. But when they're talking to you, you're always the 'Best Actor of Your Generation.'” IfsActorsCan DoTalkingRolesGenerations Author:Christian Bale
“I always figure hey, look, I'm not a rock star, I'm an actor. I'm somebody who's meant to be other people and I'm not meant to be here representing myself. I'm happier when I'm presenting myself as other characters.” PeopleLooksCharacterActorsStarsRocksFiguresHeyMeant To BeRock StarRepresentingPresenting Author:Christian Bale
“I always leave that for other people to decide, because some of the things I consider to be disasters are some people's favorite movies. And that's what I like so much, is that you never know. Something intrigues somebody and means nothing to somebody else.” PeopleKnowsMeanDisasterIntrigue Author:Christian Bale
“I don't get it when you get so much openness about the way movies are made, and the special effects and the behind-the-scenes stuff and all of that. I can't help but feel like this reduces it a little bit.” WayFeelsLittlesMadeI CanHelpingStuffBitsBehindsSpecialEffectsSceneLittle BitOpennessBehind The ScenesSpecial Effects Author:Christian Bale
“I tend to stay in character between scenes... to be rather serious on set, but here's why, and I think people will find it surprising. I'm one of the worst 'corpses' on a movie set, which means you can't keep a straight face. You start to get the giggles and you can't stop.” PeopleThinkingMeanCharacterFacesWorstSeriousSceneSurprisingCorpsesGiggleMovie SetsStraight Face Author:Christian Bale
“I will never say never, but I will say never to doing the more typical romantic comedies. You know, unless I'm getting audited and I'm on the street and I desperately need some dough and that's the only thing that I'm getting.” KnowsNeedsComedyStreetsTypicalDoughNever Say Never Author:Christian Bale
“I'd love to remain a secret and still work, but I also want people to see the movies I'm in and get a higher profile because of that. I like to think that as long as you continue choosing diverse roles, you can avoid becoming predictable.” PeopleThinkingWantLongStillsSecretRolesBecomingHigherDiversePredictableProfile Author:Christian Bale
“I'll find myself having dinner with people and someone will mention something and I will say I was in that situation once. Then I'll say, forget it, it was a scene I was in. That can get to be quite confusing.” PeopleForgetSituationSceneDinnerConfusingForget It Author:Christian Bale
“I'm not an actor that tends to care. I don't ask "Is this a close up? Is this a master? Is this a wide? What are you doing?" If I look up and notice the camera I go "Oh, it's a big one today, must be an IMAX." And that's kinda it for me because it doesn't affect what I'm doing.” IfsLooksBigsCareTodayActorsAsksMastersCamerasWideLook Up Author:Christian Bale
“I've always believed that the director does whatever the hell he wants. That's what you sign on for as an actor - I can't stand it when you have actors who are trying to leverage directors into doing things they don't want to do.” WantTryingDoeI CanActorsHellDirectors Author:Christian Bale
“If I'm not working, I really have nothing to do with it - I'm not hanging out and mixing with film people. Not that I have anything against film people; they're some of the best people around and some of the worst people around, just like in any business... they just gesticulate a little bit more.” PeopleIfsLittlesFilmBitsWorstLittle BitHanging OutMixing Author:Christian Bale
“In terms of the romantic kind of lead, I just never enjoy those movies very much. Maybe they'll come to interest me more as I get older. I doubt it, but maybe. Romantic comedies tend to be, for me, an oxymoron.” KindEnjoyTermInterestDoubtComedyRomanticRomantic LoveOxymoron Author:Christian Bale
“It's about pursuing it rather than waiting to see what comes along. That's partly because I found myself getting typecast, as everyone does unless they pursue roles that are very different from what they've done before.” DoeDifferentDoneFoundWaitingRolesPursueTypecasting Author:Christian Bale
“One of the places where we lived when I was growing up had this big wood out the back. And starting when I was about 8, I used to enjoy just walking alone through the wood late. Eleven p.m. Midnight. Later.” BigsUsedEnjoyGrowing UpGrowingWalkingLateStartingWoodsMidnightElevenWalking Alone Author:Christian Bale
“Putting on weight is easy all the way through. But after the first couple of weeks, the novelty wears off very quickly, and your body is groaning and starting to really shout at you, saying, 'Why? Why? Why? Why are you doing this?'” WayFirstsBodyEasyWeekCoupleWeightStartingYour BodyNoveltyGroaning Author:Christian Bale
“So yeah, a good director will be able to listen and hear everything, but have a confident vision of his own that he can say, 'oh yeah - that's a great point.' And you never know; often you can help far more than you think you can, because there's so much more that he's juggling than an actor.” ThinkingKnowsHelpingAbleActorsVisionDirectorsYeahJugglingGood Directors Author:Christian Bale
“There are movies that require fantasy and slightly more fantastical acting. Lines that are good for certain movies, in real life circumstances, would be absolutely unbelievable things to really say, and you would look at these people like they're freaks for conversing that way. But somehow for certain styles of movies, it works, and it seems fine.” PeopleWayLooksRealSeemsWould BeCertainLinesActingFantasyStyleFineCircumstancesReal LifeFreakUnbelievableUnbelievable Things Author:Christian Bale
“There are movies where actors aren't characters but movie stars, being cool beyond belief throughout the whole movie. That is what it is. And we reveal ourselves when we act, very often without noticing. But if I can manage to do a character without showing anything of myself, then that's the ultimate goal for me. No leakage.” IfsI CanWholeCharacterActorsBeliefStarsGoalUltimateManageMovie StarNoticingBeing CoolUltimate GoalLeakage Author:Christian Bale
“There was a great complexity to my father. He was a devoted family man. But, in the same breath, he simply was not suited to an anchored life. He should have been somebody who had a backpack, an old map, a bit of change in his pocket and that was it - roaming the world.” MenWorldShouldHas BeensFatherBitsShould HaveBreathsComplexityPocketsMapsDevotedShould Have BeenRoamingFamily Man Author:Christian Bale
“We are starting off with our own different characters and our own laws and everything, looking at Bruce Wayne and how he came to be the person that he was and how he comes to be this man that jumps around in the Bat suit.” MenPersonsDifferentCharacterLawStartingSuitsBatsWayneDifferent CharactersBruce Wayne Author:Christian Bale
“You're creating a different world and the actor's job is to be able to convince the audience to enter into that world, whether it be actually something that you recognize from your own life or not.” WorldDifferentAbleJobsActorsActingAudienceCreatingConvinceDifferent Worlds Author:Christian Bale
“It's the actors who are prepared to make fools of themselves who are usually the ones who come to mean something to the audience.” InspirationalMeanMotivationalActorsActingAudienceFoolPrepared Author:Christian Bale
“It's about pursuing it rather than waiting to see what comes along.” WaitingActingTypecasting Author:Christian Bale
“Essentially, I'm untrained, so I just go with my imagination and try to put myself as solidly as I can into the shoes of whatever person I'm going to be playing.” TryingPersonsI CanImaginationActingShoesBootsMy Imagination Author:Christian Bale
“When it comes to films, people often don't differentiate between the message of a bad central character and the message of the film itself. They are two separate things.” PeopleTwoCharacterFilmActingMessagesSeparationDifferentiate Author:Christian Bale
“Obviously there are times with acting when exactly what is required is just going through the motions, and when doing nothing is the best thing. But at other times, you have to make that leap beyond the immediate environment of people putting up lights on the set.” PeopleLightActingEnvironmentBest ThingsLeapDoing Nothing Author:Christian Bale
“Nuclear apocalypse-who do you need? Actors are probably not top of the list. What can I do for you? I can pretend to be somebody who can grow you some nice crops.” NeedsI CanActorsGrowsNiceListsNuclearApocalypseCropsNuclear BombSome Nice Author:Christian Bale
“I always want to confuse people in terms of any kind of image and be unpredictable in any kind of movie I make.” PeopleWantKindTermUnpredictable Author:Christian Bale
“I'm not really looking forward to wearing a black rubber suit in the summertime in humid Chicago. If you see a pool of sweat through the city, follow it and you will find me.” IfsBlackCitiesSuitsChicagoSweatPoolLooking ForwardFind MeRubberSummertime Author:Christian Bale
“I don't think I was particularly in need of superheroes. I never had any fascination with Superman or Spider-Man or a Batman kind of character. If it happened at all, it was imagined characters that I had invented. My dad was a role model for me. He was a fascinating man. There was intrigue and entertainment growing up with him. He gave me an edict that I still pursue: “Life should never be boring."” IfsThinkingMenNeedsShouldKindStillsCharacterRolesGrowing UpGrowingHappenedDadModelsMy DadEntertainmentBoringPursueFascinatingRole ModelsIntrigueSuperheroSpidersFascinationSpider Man Author:Christian Bale
“I don't want to know about the lives of other actors and I don't want people to know too much about me. If we don't know about the private lives of other actors, that leaves us as clean slates when it comes to playing characters. That's the point, they can create these other characters and I can believe them. I think if you're a good enough actor, that's the way to longevity in the film business. Keep everybody guessing.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsWayWantBelieveI CanEnoughCharacterFilmActorsToo MuchCleanGood EnoughLongevityPrivate LifeLives Of OthersGuessingSlateClean Slate Author:Christian Bale
“I've had some painful experiences in my life, but I feel like I'm trivializing them by using them for a scene in a movie. I don't want to do that. It just makes me feel kind of dirty for having done that.” WantFeelsKindDoneScenePainfulDirtyNaughtyPainful Experiences Author:Christian Bale
“I find something fascinating about the quiet man in the background who has no desire to be the center of attention.” MenDesireAttentionQuietBackgroundsFascinatingCenter Of AttentionQuiet Man Author:Christian Bale
“You say something bad about Newsies and you have an awful lot of people to answer to.” PeopleAnswersAwful Author:Christian Bale
“We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three Batman films. That's enough. Let's not get greedy. It's a torch that should be handed from one actor to another. So I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with.” ShouldEnoughFilmThreeActorsEnjoyCome UpFortunateGreedyLooking ForwardTorches Author:Christian Bale
“You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me. Set the dogs on me. Because that's what needs to happen. Because sometimes truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.” PeopleNeedsSometimesEnoughHappensDarkDogTruth IsDeserveGood EnoughHuntsDark NightBatman MovieDeserve MoreBatman Dark Knight Author:Christian Bale
“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed, but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.” PeopleMenNeedsI CanBloodExampleFleshDestroyedSymbolsDramaticShakesApathyIgnoredEverlastingWayneFlesh And BloodDark NightTrilogiesBatman MovieBruce WayneBatman Dark Knight Author:Christian Bale
“Sometimes the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people have got to have their faith rewarded.” PeopleSometimesEnoughRealityTruthDarkTruth IsGood EnoughSuperheroDark NightBatman Dark Knight Author:Christian Bale
“I met my grandfather just before he died, and it was the first time that I had seen Dad with a relative of his. It was interesting to see my own father as a son and the body language and alteration in attitude that comes with that, and it sort of changed our relationship for the better.” FirstsBodyFatherLanguageMy OwnInterestingAttitudeChangedSonDadMetsFirst TimeDiedRelativeOur RelationshipGrandfatherMy GrandfatherBody LanguageAlterations Author:Christian Bale
“And being as I'm somebody who loves movies like The Machinist, I also love going along to big mass entertainment movies. I get in the mood for all kinds of movies, and so I like to try each of them.” TryingKindBigsChristianMassEntertainmentMoodAll KindsChristian LivingMovie Love Author:Christian Bale
“In honesty, there are probably a lot of stories that can be told with Batman. I like the idea of him growing older and he can't quite do it as much anymore.” IdeasStoriesGrowingHonestyGrowing OldGrowing Older Author:Christian Bale
“And I not only inherited an aversion to the nine-to-five routine, but the sense from my parents that being bored and boring is the worst thing that you can be.” ParentFiveWorstBoringNineBoredRoutineWorst ThingsAversionBeing Bored Author:Christian Bale
