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A couple of weeks ago, CB showed us some pictures of the now manorexic-looking Christian Bale on the set of his new film, The Fighter. The film is based on the true story of boxer-turned-trainer-turned-crackhead Dicky Eklund. Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams also star, but it’s Bale who keeps getting most of the attention. This is because Bale is some kind of extreme “method” actor, and he’s determined to play a crackhead with as much authenticity as possible. Even if authenticity comes at the price of looking like this. If you hadn’t told me this was Christian Bale, I would have thought the paparazzi just took some photos of a random street addict. I guess I have to give it to Bale, he looks… authentic. Is that the right word? Is there a word for “no thanks, I’m never going to be interested again, even if he gets hot again a year from now”?
It seems even the paparazzi are getting a bit worried about Christian, because the photos included this note: “The method actor has always been known to really dive into his roles headfirst, and take on all of the physical challenges called for, but these pictures makes one wonder if the actor is taking it too far to play the crack addled Dicky.” So here’s a question… just how “method” is Bale? If he was playing a crack addict, I would think he’s “method” enough to try, to experience, to use crack. Or is this all dieting and makeup?
Interestingly enough, Entertainment Weekly’s PopWatch is worried about Bale too – by their count, The Fight will be Bale third method-anorexia performance, and at this point, the Academy just needs to give him an Oscar already:
Poor Christian Bale. The guy has already gone super-method on us not once, but twice — when he essentially starved himself for roles in The Machinist and Rescue Dawn — but it looks like he’s ditched the hamburgers and Ensure once again based on photos from the set of The Fighter, his new movie about a drug-addled boxer.
Seriously, the Academy: How much weight does Bale have to lose before you finally award him an Oscar? What don’t you f–king understand? Nicole Kidman only had to don a fake nose to nab the prize! But let’s just go ahead and give him one before he slips through a crack on the street, ‘mkay?
Does Bale’s repeated attempts to become emaciated for the sake of his art freak you out as much as it does me?
Especially when actors like Matt Damon — who lost 40 pounds to play a heroin addict in Courage Under Fire — have been told their heart health could suffer from such a rapid diet?
[From Entertainment Weekly‘s PopWatch]
One of the most under-reported “method” weight loss/gain stories in film lore, for me, is the one of Vincent D’Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket. According to sources, Vincent put on 70 pounds to play Private Pyle, beating out Robert DeNiro’s Raging Bull 60-pound weight gain. Considering it was one of Vincent’s first roles, no one really recognized his extraordinary transformation, and Vincent wasn’t nominated for any acting awards for what should have been his breakthrough performance. Now that is a man I can get behind, forever and always. Team D’Onofrio.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Awards, Christian Bale, Eating Disorders
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33 Responses to “Will Christian Bale’s crackhead performance win him an Oscar?”
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Now that is a man I can get behind, forever and always. Team D’Onofrio.
WORD. I don’t even fancy him, I just think he’s awesome. Bale may be dedicated to his craft, which is admirable, but if it gets to the stage where he’s basically killing himself over it then it’s tipped over into mental disorder.
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How many times is Bale going to do this to himself before his body just decides it doesn’t want a damned Oscar THAT bad and kaputs on him. It wasn’t that long ago that he had muscled up for Terminator, and now he’s almost a skeleton. It’s not natural or healthy.
Also, Vincent D’Onofrio is one of my favorite actors. Totally underrated. Did you know he was the host body that the evil cockroach alien was hiding in from Men in Black? I think his name was Edgar. All twisted and awkward, I never realized it was him until I IMDB’d him a few years ago.
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OH MY WORD MY EYES ARE MELTING.
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I love Vincent too.. I am a big fan..
But regarding Bale.. he needs to just get a grip.. Every crack addict is not always skinny.. But I get the method actor, but come on.. the Oscar is not the be all. There are just too many who should have won and did not.. and waaaaay to many that won and should not have. MY point is. and CB this would make a great thread. HOW many past Oscar winners are still relevant and making great movies.. plus BO bank. and what Oscar winner fell to the curse. Win the Oscar and you disappear. I would be interested in seeing that. He should on some level be glad he has not won.. Hunger drives you to excellence sometimes. There are actor who have won and they are No where now.
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Give the man an oscar, he deserves it. He’s a good actor, even if he does take it to extremes at times. Give it to him, that way he can relax and not do this to his body.
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Wow I didnt recognize Christian. I still think he’s a great actor.
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I can’t get in to Vincent D’Onofrio ever since he did that really creepy movie with JLO I think it was called The Cell, he just gives me the heebee jeebees. Christian Bale looks like his personality – SHIT!!!!
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Oh man I used to have the hots for him.
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HE IS THE BEST ACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Just because Christian Bale goes to extremes by gaining or losing frightening amounts of weight to stand out in a movie in a bid to possible win an Oscar, does not make him a great actor. From all the movies that I saw him in, he always manages to be upstaged by someone else. Relax Bale, winning an Oscar is not that big of a deal for God’s sake, it is not the Nobel Prize. Jeez. Nothing is worth doing that to your own body.
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I think he’s a very good actor and he did some pretty good movies for a guy who could’ve been just a nice body (cough…Ryan Reynolds…cough). I admire actors who are willing enough to make sacrifices for their parts.
But I don’t think Bale is doing crack or anything, he probably has doctors watching his weight loss.
He’ll do fine in the movie and I hope he’ll get the recognition he deserves.
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I love him. I want to have his babies. I think he does this because he is a true artist, he is an amazing actor, he is an intense and extreme person and that is why I love him. Some people are jealous to see a man with so much passion. He is also the sexiest thing alive right now, even sexier because of the passion he has for his craft. I fell in love with him in little women and have been ever since – he and Johnny Depp are my only celebrity crushes.
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WOW. It kinda blows my mind that Vincent was never nominated for anything, since he’s arguably kinda the moral center of that whole movie.
Weird.
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I have always loved Vincent. He is an actor that wears many hats and is very skilled at it. Love Vincent!
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Wow, judging from the pictures he deserves it. He looks like every crackhead I’ve ever met right down to the creepy grin. You can tell he’s waiting on an opportunity to rob you blind for drug money.
I would hope he wouldn’t be so stupid to try drugs like the article seemed to imply.
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I wonder if Bale even gives a shit about the Oscars. I’d like to think he’s above caring. Gary Oldman doesn’t have an Oscar yet Julia Roberts does. It’s been seriously devalued, IMO. Bale is one of the greatest actors of all time, space, and dimension. He doesn’t need a statue.
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i love this guy’s intensity… granted he’s not curing cancer or anything but he’s decided that it’s important enough to him to give it all he’s got… a little nutty yes… but i like nuts
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How do celeb do this so fast? I’d lvoe to know. No crash diet will do this, nor will excersizing-because that makes you look good.
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Holy CRAP!! I didn’t recognize him. Now that is commitment to a role.
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Obvious, when he did The Machinist, I remember he said in some interview that he lost weight with exercise and that he stopped eating virtually everything. He ate apples, or something of the kind.
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Bale is a good actor, but not a great one YET! My favorite role is the character in American Psycho. Frickin’ frightening!
The minute Bale wins an Oscar heaven help film crews, directors, and fellow actors.
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LOL, I’m cracking up with all the Team D’Onofrio people in here!
VINCENT RULEZ!!!
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I read that he loses weight that fast by taking up smoking during filming and eating an apple and a can of tuna in water once a day. Thats it. No wonder he is an ass on set- if it was me on that diet I’d be a little unpleasant too.
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love him – he is always able to lose himself in the role, through accent, movement, etc. it’s not the weight gains/losses that make an actor great – christian is an amazing actor at any weight. and i’d still hit it!
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I highly doubt he does it for the Oscars or to try to get an Oscar. The dude doesn’t really do interviews except when forced to by the studio and generally never talks about anything, ever.
If he wanted an Oscar, he’d be out trying to get publicity for the “good” films he does and putting his name out there “for your consideration” and all that nonsense.
He’s just a nutty actor-like Daniel Day-Lewis. Both of them are completely crazy and get so into their characters that they never seem to stop during filming (Day-Lewis WAS Bill the Butcher, even when the cameras were off).
He seems to just enjoy getting way into characters and really feeling what that character would be feeling and really doing what the character would be doing.
By the way, “method” doesn’t necessarily mean that one goes to extremes nor does it mean that the person is weird for doing it. Method acting just refers to using feelings from within, rather than trying to manufacture them from the outside. Like if your character was sad because her fish died, but you’d never had a fish. You could either fake cry or recall a memory of your dead dog and cry for real.
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ugh. I’m not impressed AT ALL. infact I really hate it when actors do this. it’s desperate and pathetic. and dangerouse! bale should think about his wife and child.
also, why don’t the producers or whatever just cast a skinny guy to begin with, put some sickly make up on him and call it a day?
if you want an actor to play a fat character – get a fat actor. if you need a plain nerdy girl to play opposite megan fox – don’t hire Amanda Seyfried and give her glasses.
I understand part of being an actor is changing your look and that but it seems most actors and film makers care more about the big hoopla that comes their way as a result, rather then the film itself.
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“Now that is a man I can get behind, forever and always. Team D’Onofrio.”
Freaking A! Full Metal Jacket, the Cell, Men In Black, Law and Order. Whatever role, the man is awe. some.
I love me some Bale too, no matter how he looks but I hope he doesn’t take it too far this time.
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“From all the movies that I saw him in, he always manages to be upstaged by someone else.”
Say what!!!! Did you see Rescue Dawn? American Psycho? He was the lead in both those films and he did an amazing job. Heck he was effing brilliant and creepy as hell and sexy and funny all at once in American Psycho (what can I say, I like dark humour). But hey you’re entitled to your opinion. I’ll just end by saying that I vehemently disagree.
Yes Trillion. Exactly!
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He doesn’t look so thin in these photos. I know he’s lost a lot of weight in the past, but I think ‘the dangerous weight loss’ people are talking about in this case is just hype.
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the homless guy under the bridge looks better than he does. oh my. his teeth look really bad. what’s up with this. why can’t he just make himself look bad with make up, like the joker did or even benjamin button. no need to do this. his kids, if any, and wife must be worried. eat a steak, please. Who wants to see a movie with someone who looks dead already. take care
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a dead man walking is what he reminds me off.not good, and surprised some of you like this look even for a movie.
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SeR uNa NiÑa WeNnA Y k mE AmEn MeReSk N SuFrIr +
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this is nothing compared to his role in The Machinist. That was just sick.
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