Christian Bale
Acting • Born 1974-01-30
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.
Filmography
90 credits
The Dark Knight
Movie • 2008
Bruce Wayne
Batman Begins
Movie • 2005
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Shaft
Movie • 2000
Walter Wade, Jr.
Terminator Salvation
Movie • 2009
John Connor
The Prestige
Movie • 2006
Alfred Borden
American Psycho
Movie • 2000
Patrick Bateman
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Movie • 1999
Demetrius
Pocahontas
Movie • 1995
Thomas (voice)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Movie • 2001
Mandras
Velvet Goldmine
Movie • 1998
Arthur Stuart
Empire of the Sun
Movie • 1987
Jim
I'm Not There
Movie • 2007
Jack / Pastor John
Swing Kids
Movie • 1993
Thomas Berger
The Machinist
Movie • 2004
Trevor Reznik
3:10 to Yuma
Movie • 2007
Dan Evans
The New World
Movie • 2005
John Rolfe
Equilibrium
Movie • 2002
John Preston
Public Enemies
Movie • 2009
Melvin Purvis
Harsh Times
Movie • 2005
Jim Luther Davis
Reign of Fire
Movie • 2002
Quinn Abercromby
Metroland
Movie • 1997
Chris
Little Women
Movie • 1994
Laurie
Treasure Island
Movie • 1990
Jim Hawkins
Rescue Dawn
Movie • 2007
Dieter Dengler
Citizen Steve
Movie • 1987
Self - Actor
Laurel Canyon
Movie • 2003
Sam
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
Movie • 2008
Self
Mio in the Land of Faraway
Movie • 1987
Jum-Jum / Benke
The Portrait of a Lady
Movie • 1996
Edward Rosier
Newsies
Movie • 1992
Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn
Movie • 2007
Self
The Fighter
Movie • 2010
Dicky Eklund
A Murder of Quality
Movie • 1991
Tim Perkins
The Secret Agent
Movie • 1996
Stevie
The Dark Knight Rises
Movie • 2012
Bruce Wayne
Heath Ledger: A Tribute
Movie • 2009
Self
All the Little Animals
Movie • 1999
Bobby Platt
Prince of Jutland
Movie • 1994
Amled
The Flowers of War
Movie • 2011
John Miller
Knight of Cups
Movie • 2015
Rick
The Batmobile
Movie • 2012
Self
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Movie • 2014
Moses
The Bride!
Movie • 2026
Frankenstein's Monster / 'Frank'
Shaft: Still the Man
Movie • 2000
Self
Out of the Furnace
Movie • 2013
Russell Baze
American Hustle
Movie • 2013
Irving Rosenfeld
Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life
Movie • 2020
Self
Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
Movie • 2008
Self
The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
Movie • 2007
Self
Thor: Love and Thunder
Movie • 2022
Gorr
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Movie • 1999
Jesus of Nazareth
Best of Enemies
Movie
Gennady Vasilenko
Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
Movie • 2022
Self
The Big Short
Movie • 2015
Michael Burry
Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
Movie • 2015
Self
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
Movie • 2022
Self - Gorr
Dying to Tell the Story
Movie • 1998
Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
The Promise
Movie • 2016
Chris Myers
Spielberg
Movie • 2017
Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
Tankman Begins
Movie • 2005
Batman (archive footage)
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Movie • 2018
Bagheera (voice)
Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
Movie • 1991
Self
Hostiles
Movie • 2017
Captain Joseph J. Blocker
Henry V
Movie • 1989
Robin the Luggage-Boy
Vice
Movie • 2018
Dick Cheney
Ford v Ferrari
Movie • 2019
Ken Miles
The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun
Movie • 1987
Self
Amsterdam
Movie • 2022
Burt Berendsen
Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'
Movie • 2009
Self
Ending the Knight
Movie • 2012
Self
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
Movie • 2020
Self
The Pale Blue Eye
Movie • 2022
Augustus Landor
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
Movie • 2021
Self
Madden
Movie • 2026
Al Davis
Sibyl
Movie • 2025
(Archive footage)
The Making of American Hustle
Movie • 2014
Self
Heat 2
Movie
Heart of the Country
TV • 1987
Ben Harris
The Early Show
TV • 1999
Self
Wogan
TV • 1982
Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
TV • 1999
Self - Guest
GMTV
TV • 1993
Self
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Self (archive footage)
MTV Movie & TV Awards
TV • 1992
Self / Presenter
Making of "The Flowers of War"
TV • 2011
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
Gotham Tonight
TV • 2008
Bruce Wayne
HBO First Look
TV • 1992
Self
Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna
TV • 1986
Tsarevich Alexei
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981