Christian Bale

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.

Known For

The Dark Knight

Wogan

Batman Begins

MTV Movie & TV Awards

The Bride!

The Dark Knight Rises

GMTV

The Prestige

All Movies (79)

• Madden2026 · as Al Davis
• Waffle F1 The Movie: 22026 · as Himself
• The Resurrection of Christ2026
• The Bride!2026 · as Frank
• Sibyl2025 · as (Archive footage)
• The Pale Blue Eye2022 · as Augustus Landor
• Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer2022 · as Self
• Amsterdam2022 · as Burt Berendsen
• Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder2022 · as Self - Gorr
• Thor: Love and Thunder2022 · as Gorr
• Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale2021 · as Self
• Joker: Put on a Happy Face2020 · as Self
• Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life2020 · as Self
• Ford v Ferrari2019 · as Ken Miles
• Vice2018 · as Dick Cheney
• Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle2018 · as Bagheera (voice)
• Hostiles2017 · as Captain Joseph J. Blocker
• Spielberg2017 · as Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
• The Promise2016 · as Chris Myers
• The Big Short2015 · as Michael Burry
• Knight of Cups2015 · as Rick
• Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'2015 · as Self
• Exodus: Gods and Kings2014 · as Moses
• The Making of American Hustle2014 · as Self
• American Hustle2013 · as Irving Rosenfeld
• Out of the Furnace2013 · as Russell Baze
• Ending the Knight2012 · as Self
• The Dark Knight Rises2012 · as Bruce Wayne
• The Batmobile2012 · as Self
• The Flowers of War2011 · as John Miller
• The Fighter2010 · as Dicky Eklund
• Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'2009 · as Self
• Public Enemies2009 · as Melvin Purvis
• Heath Ledger: A Tribute2009 · as Self
• Terminator Salvation2009 · as John Connor
• The Dark Knight2008 · as Bruce Wayne
• Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight2008 · as Self
• Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene2008 · as Self
• Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn2007 · as Self
• I'm Not There2007 · as Jack / Pastor John
• 3:10 to Yuma2007 · as Dan Evans
• Rescue Dawn2007 · as Dieter Dengler
• The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan2007 · as Self
• The Prestige2006 · as Alfred Borden
• The New World2005 · as John Rolfe
• Harsh Times2005 · as Jim Luther Davis
• Batman Begins2005 · as Bruce Wayne / Batman
• Tankman Begins2005 · as Batman (archive footage)
• The Machinist2004 · as Trevor Reznik
• Laurel Canyon2003 · as Sam
• Equilibrium2002 · as John Preston
• Reign of Fire2002 · as Quinn Abercromby
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin2001 · as Mandras
• Shaft2000 · as Walter Wade, Jr.
• American Psycho2000 · as Patrick Bateman
• Shaft: Still the Man2000 · as Self
• Mary, Mother of Jesus1999 · as Jesus of Nazareth
• All the Little Animals1999 · as Bobby Platt
• A Midsummer Night's Dream1999 · as Demetrius
• Dying to Tell the Story1998 · as Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
• Velvet Goldmine1998 · as Arthur Stuart
• Metroland1997 · as Chris
• The Secret Agent1996 · as Stevie
• The Portrait of a Lady1996 · as Edward Rosier
• Pocahontas1995 · as Thomas (voice)
• Little Women1994 · as Laurie
• Prince of Jutland1994 · as Amled
• Swing Kids1993 · as Thomas Berger
• Newsies1992 · as Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
• A Murder of Quality1991 · as Tim Perkins
• Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square1991 · as Self
• Treasure Island1990 · as Jim Hawkins
• Henry V1989 · as Robin the Luggage-Boy
• The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun1987 · as Self
• Empire of the Sun1987 · as Jim
• Mio in the Land of Faraway1987 · as Jum-Jum / Benke
• Citizen Steve1987 · as Self - Actor
• Best of Enemies— · as Gennady Vasilenko
• Heat 2—

All TV Shows (13)

• Making of "The Flowers of War"2011
• Gotham Tonight2008 · as Bruce Wayne
• The Early Show1999 · as Self
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn1999 · as Self - Guest
• E! True Hollywood Story1996 · as Self (archive footage)
• GMTV1993 · as Self
• HBO First Look1992 · as Self
• MTV Movie & TV Awards1992 · as Self / Presenter
• Heart of the Country1987 · as Ben Harris
• Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna1986 · as Tsarevich Alexei
• Wogan1982 · as Self
• Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
• Entertainment Tonight1981