Lord help me, but I’m really enjoying Christian Bale’s vibe these days. He just went through another Oscar season as a third-time nominee, and the guy didn’t campaign at all. Because he already has an Oscar, and he hates the game. Still, he came out to every show and seemed to be in a good mood. I think this is the kinder, gentler Bale. Anyway, these are photos from Tuesday night’s LA premiere of Knight of Cups, the Terrence Malick film that is about nothing and everything and hedonism and love and who knows? To promote the film, Bale sat down with The Daily Beast and ended up giving a lengthy, wide-ranging interview. You can read the full piece here – some highlights:
Going to the Oscars: “They’re very novel experiences. I always tend to sit there and stare at the ceiling. I find the ceilings to be the most interesting things. They’re incredible! And I had a very nice view of the orchestra, so I ended up watching them.”
On Chris Rock’s monologue: “I loved Chris Rock. In my mind he’s one of the smartest, funniest people around. And we’re better for it, to have the whole [diversity] conversation. I loved that he kept on going with it. I’ve heard a lot of people going, ‘Oh, he went too far.’ No! He could have gone further! I loved it. And it gave it a point: It wasn’t just self-aggrandizing. Well it was, but it wasn’t just that. I thought he was great.”
On Knight of Cups: “What I like about [Knight of Cups] is that I kind of view it more like a piece of music than a film. I love making films, but for what I do I don’t feel like I have to watch any films, ever—I think directors have to watch films, and actors have to watch people. But I’ve always been more affected by music and by literature. When I look back on my life, those are the things that meant most to me, the reason being regardless of what they mean to the musician or the writer, what becomes important is what it means to me.”
Working with Malick on The New World: “We had a script, but he would throw it away most of the time. He just went, ‘Let’s not even bother having a script. We don’t need that.’”
He drives a pickup truck around LA: “I love motorcycles so I put them in the back of the truck. It’s practical and all my friends need it for moving stuff! Once you have a pickup truck, you don’t go back to anything else. And also I don’t give a crap if it gets scratched, no one wants to steal it, no one thinks there’s anything of value in it. I bought it second-hand and I’ve had it for 13 years!”
He actually loves LA: “You know, I hated L.A. when I first came out here. It was the only place where I could get any work, but I hated it and I would leave as soon as I could. Gradually I came to realize that I absolutely adore it. And obviously for me, I’ve got family now and my children were born here and I’ve got deep roots here. But aside from that, there’s a real ugliness to it and an absolute beauty to it as well, and I see this film as a real love story for L.A.”
This is the most I’ve ever known Bale to reveal in an interview. The Daily Beast’s reporter must have been so pleased! He drives a pickup truck that he bought second-hand 13 years ago? He loves LA? He stares at the ceiling at the Oscars? I mean… I think some of this is just “look at me, I’m a normal guy.” But I think some of it is actually Bale being extraordinarily “normal” compared to most Oscar-winning movie stars in LA. As for all the Malick stuff… just the idea of throwing out the script annoys me. I get that actors love working with him, but the whole experience sounds like a major pain in the ass.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’ve worn the same pair of Doc Martins for four years. Whatever works for you….
He actually has/had a pair of shoes that is/was older than his daughter. And since it is him, I’m not ashamed for knowing this.
Psh, I still have a pair from ’96 I wear. Doc quality can’t be beat! The car thing is probably about that too. Comfort, finding what works for you and sticking with it. Having a car for 13 years didn’t used to be such an unusual thing!
Mine are black with a flowered print. At first everyone said OMG I love your shoes. Now silence. There are holes on both sides but these babies are going down with me. Can’t find another pair like them…and Lord knows I’ve looked!
@nancy, try Etsy they have a lot of Dr. Martin’s for sale.
Have always loved this man – one of the best actors out there.
Him and Leo are my faves.
That’s one of the best interviews I’ve read with him. I wonder if it was just that day or if he’s just more comfortable in his skin generally.
And I’ve always said isn’t it fascinating that he lives in LA and we still aren’t sure of his children’s names. It can be done…*cough* Affleck *cough* Garner.
To be fair some actors, even if they aren’t as technically famous or well regarded in the industry, are just more popular with the tabloids and the public (e.g. Chris Hemsworth)…That said Affleck and Garner totally play the PR game and Bale totally makes an effort to fly under the radar.
Oh I agree, but some actors seem to make parenthood part of their publicity game. Bale, while I’ve seen pictures of his kids (and he’s never reacted angrily) sticks to “yeah the kids are great, let’s talk about my movie”. I know some will say I mentioned Garner and Affleck because I dislike them overall so I’ll even give credit to someone I can’t stand, Julia Roberts. There’s three more kids I couldn’t pick out of a lineup and never see.
That’s really not accurate. Those actors that you believe are “more popular with the tabloids” court that attention. On purpose. Its been proven over and over.
Maybe vibed good with the interviewer? Christian seems to be a high introvert, so probably opens up to those those he feels comfortable with at the time.
Have always been a fan if his but he does seem to have an intense personality and most of his co stars have good things to say about working with him. Saying that there have been cheating rumours about him over the years – not sure how true they are. A few co star flings.
I so doubt that is true. I’ve only known of one shaky rumor and I would bet my house that isn’t true for lots of reasons.
His family travels with him, and I had the pleasure of being around them quite a bit when he was filming The Dark Knight Rises. I was doing some work as a production assistant, very low on the totum pole and I had a misperception that he was a jerk because of the Bale-Out thing and that he would be all Method-y. The family is surprisingly down-to-earth in comparison to other actors on the set, and other than him not using his English accent he wasn’t method at all. I have worked on sets with obnoxious, method-y actors, and he really didn’t strike me as that, even during last looks. Mostly though, the guy was really gracious and his wife was so pleasant, funny, and easy to talk to. He really seemed to enjoy talking to her and playing with his little girl, too. Not that others don’t but it was just different and honestly they just seemed to genuinely enjoy being around each other. Overall, just really nice people, and so whenever I see stories about how he is a rage monster or whatever, I just like to share that it certainly wasn’t my experience. I don’t post much, so carry-on, but to me he seemed like a really decent guy and it was over a long course of months on a very stressful and high stakes production.
thank you for that account. i think he’s awesome – so extremely talented and i loved how he comes across in this interview. so nice to hear that he was a pleasant person on the set too.
Thank you for sharing that. I’ve read numerous accounts of people who had nothing but nice things to say about working with him.
He and his wife seem devoted to each other and their family, and I’m glad they have as much privacy as they do.
I think yes he he had a fling with Anne Hathaway,come on,even if he enjoy talking to her that mean nothing.there is many stars enjoy talking to their wives,suddenly we hear rumors about cheating ……..so we don’t know what is happening behind …….
That’s true we don’t know what happens behind closed doors but he didn’t have a fling with Hathaway. I do know that.
KD, do you know him personally.or maybe christian tell you what he is doing in his personal life.lol.anyway,everyone know his story with anne and they have proof.If you don’t see that it’s your opinion.
i was on that set. So you filmed the sex tape that is your “proof?” No matter how you may feel about his wife, I can’t see him jeapordize any family breakup with his daughter, and Sibi would be gone. She doesn’t f around. I can’t speak to anything other time, but I was around the three of them from rehearsals to the end, and they were all pleasant and not even close to awkward or tension. Sure they can all be acting and liars, but the family is a genuinely happy family, and Anne is a good one herself.
I know this is a gossip site, but tthere are a lot of a — hole celebrities to stir shit about that deserve it. This is a family who loves each other and is devoted to one another, and is nice and kind and generous to those around them. Nobody knows what anyone does, but their family is solid and lovely and he has a successful marriage. Why anyone would want to dog on them during this nice story speaks more about them than it does the bales.
Oh no,no comment……..lol.
He always seemd like a surprisingly normal guy, and while this would seem fake from other acors, he kinda sounds genuine. Apart from that one incident on set, I’ve never heard anything bad about him. Him defending Amy from DOR was also really something. And he’s one of my favourite actors.
I’m looking forward to that movie. I’m sure it will be a jumbled but pretty mess, but he looked really good in all the clips and shots I’ve seen from it.
“directors have to watch films, and actors have to watch people” – great way to put it.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Bale, even though he’s had his problems, and the Amy Adams news made him more endearing. One of the reasons is that I like that he repeatedly made undercover trips, sometimes dressed as Batman, to kids in hospitals and the only reason it ever came out was because there were photos on twitter. I give JLaw and a few other celebrities the same credit since it is pretty rare…when they make hospital visits there aren’t “official/posed” photos and just photos families have shared.
Loved him since “Newsies”. He’s such an amazing actor.
His comments about the truck sound exactly like what my male friends say (and we live in a truck heavy area). Older and scratched up is better, because ‘it’s a truck!’ And you have to have one after experiencing the convenience and utility, they claim.
I would love LA too if I lived in Pacific Palisades.
I love it…I’ve driven the same honda civic for the past 14 years and I have an awesome fifteen year old pair of Blundstone boots that I can’t/won’t give up. My niece may inherit the car next year when she gets her drivers license. My motto has been drive it ’till it dies!
Amen! I have had the same Honda CRV since 2005 and it’s so easy to maintain that I can’t imagine giving it to anyone except my kid when he is driving age.
He sounds very likable, and hey, if it runs keep on driving it. I only gave up my 20 yo, 500,000+ miles Corolla when it gave its last gasp in the middle of a 600 mile trip home.
I love and am as passionate about my broken down but always reliable and practical ol’ pickup truck as much as he does. For real. Nothing can beat having a pickup.