This video is loud, abusive and contains many “F” words. It is NSFW or around kids at all
When Christian Bale was accused last summer of being abusive to his mother and sister, many of us blamed the victim, so to speak. A lot of us felt that Christian was being unfairly accused of something that was simply a misunderstanding between an extremely talented actor and his fame-hungry money-seeking relatives.
Turns out, there may have been something more to it. In an explosive audio tape, recorded on the set of Bale’s new film Terminator Salvation, Bale is heard reading the riot act to the director of cinematography, a man named Shane Hurlbut. Bale drops the “f-bomb” nearly forty times, and threatens physical violence against the guy. Star has details.
Days before Dark Knight Christian Bale was accused of assulting his 61-year-old mother last year, he had a major meltdown on the set of Terminator Salvation, threatening to stop production and beat up the director of cinematography. Now, there‘s an audio clip of the actor’s profanity-laced tirade, during which he drops the f-bomb nearly 40 times — in four minutes!
While filming a scene for the thriller, which opens in May, cinematographer Shane Hurlbut apparently interfered with a shot that involved Christian and his costar Bryce Dallas Howard by walking behind Bryce to adjust a light. Suddenly Christian went crazy, calling Hurlbut every name in the book.
“I’m going to f—ing kick your f—ing ass if you don’t shut up for a second,” Christian screamed — in one of many insults.
Hurlbut, speaking in a quiet tone throughout the incident, apologized to the actor, but that didn’t help. So director McG tried to calm down the star — suggesting that they halt production for a minute to compose themselves — but that just made the actor crazier. He demanded that they immediately do another take, but warned Hurlbut: “You do it one more time and I’m not walking on the set if you’re still hired. You’re a nice guy, but that don’t f—ing cut it when you’re bullsh–ting and f—ing around like this on set.”
Then he spit at Hurlbut: “You and me are f—ing done professionally.”
This must have been a heckuva week for the actor. Days after this July incident, he was arrested following an altercation with his mother and sister in London. The women claimed that he physically assaulted them — allegations that he denied. Christian was questioned by police but no charges were filed.
From Star Magazine
I have no problems believing that Christian Bale is an angry, intense, tightly-wound, anal-retentive guy who freaks out if one little thing goes wrong. I also think he’s probably one of the most talented actors working today. This is a very unfortunate incident, one in which it’s pretty obvious Bale totally over-reacted. I wonder if we consider him “intense” and “talented” because he’s a man. What would we be calling him if a he was woman who acted this way? Not anything so complimentary, that’s for sure.
Christian Bale is shown below at the DGA Awards on 1/31/09. Credit: PRPhotos
I don’t care how talented you are or intense this is ridiculous he is talking to another co-worker who I doubt makes nearly as much as Christian Bale and probably doesn’t need to be talked to like that at work. At any other work environment he would have been fired or had other serious repercussions.
I will think twice before i see another one of his movies.
If he is acting this way to his mom ,sis and fellow actors just think what he does to his wife. I see him going to jail in the future for slapping his wife around or something.
If I remember correctly, this was actually reported already when the mom abuse story came out? And the rumour was that at the time, he was still depressed about heath’s death, and tired and stressed from promoting batman all over the world.
Cant say that what he did is acceptable, but I don’t want to judge him based on one out-of-context clip. I’ve had bad weeks when I was in mourning and stressed and was snapping at people left and right. It wasn’t right but it’s not who I usually am, and I apologized. PLus, I think throwing himself into his roles the way he does, he’d really be tightly wound. DOesn’t lessen my opinion of him.
I have seen most of his films and as much as he passes himself as a serious actor, he is not a talented one just mediocre at very best. Lets call it like it is, Christian Bale is a egotistical mega bitch.
I hope the people who blindly took his side after him being accused of being abusive to his mother and sister and blamed the victims can wake up and see this guy for what he really is, a total psycho.
I think it’s obvious that he has mood problems *however* let’s not forget that the *ss who walked in while he was playing didn’t even apologize for doing so. Put yourself in his shoes… you’re having a bad day (or PMS) or both and yet you’re stoically working. Then all of a sudden a ding dong walks in, ruining your pretty scene. I know that bad language is abusive but the feeling behind is is TOTALLY justified.
Rona, snapping is different than a five minute rampage-he seems to have a serious rage disorder. most people would have been done after 30 seconds or a minute, but he escalates himself into a frenzy that lasts way longer than necessary.
i have no doubt he is verbally abusive to people in his life-probably his wife too.
No Bale’s behavior was not at all justified because 1) you can hear that guy apologizing more then ones to Bale 2) the scenes get re filmed again anyway 3) the films then are edited easily 4) small, yes this is a small mistake, happens 5) Bale is not the boss and he did not need to go on and on and on about it and 6) it does not matter what type of mood you are in NO ONE has the right to talk to another person like that, NO ONE. Who does Bale think he is, he is an actor on a film set, not an emergency doctor in ER.
He did apologize . Bale is obviously a nut case
If he were speaking to his wife like that, he’d get jumped for spousal abuse. If he were speaking to his kids like that, he’d get jumped for child abuse. Just because it’s a grown adult he’s screaming to, doesn’t make it okay. Get over yourself, take a deep breath and step away from what’s pissing you off. No one ever deserves to be talked to like that, and especially not for something so small.
If you listen to the background you can hear the guy apologizing, and it only makes Christian Bale angrier. Clearly the guy has some anger issues.
Seriously? Anger issues? Rage problems? A nut case? Man… it’s a good thing I don’t have cameras following me around, I went pretty batsh*t crazy last nite at the bakery on some poor woman who didn’t notice the cake she sold me was half yellow and half chocolate! I had only two hours sleep and I’m facing surgery on Friday — not an excuse to behave that way, but a reason why I was so over the top. Went back, sincerely apologized for my behavior and made it right but still — none of us have any idea what else went on before or after this little clip. Tightly wound? Probably. But rage issues and a psycho because he flew off the handle? I don’t buy it…
Ehh, cut him some slack. I’ve been known to lay into people who do thoughtless things, and get even madder when they apologize. I know, not very cool of me either in retrospect, but the way I look at things is, why do something if you’re going to be sorry for it? My poor younger brother has been the target of more than a few of my threat laden tirades against thoughtless buffoonery. Bale is a notorious perfectionist (The Prestiege anyone?) and doesn’t like for his work to be shat upon by someone elses thoughtlessness.
A bit OTT? Sure, but remember this is his lifes work. You don’t take a piss in Picasso’s paints and then shrug it off with “oops sorry”.
No one mentions that at the end, CB says, “You’re a good man.” Just the “but…”
It was the second time the dude walked into the scene to distract CB. If someone is in my space while I’m working, I’d be a bit ticked, too.
Still, this tape made me sick to my stomach. I see a public apology coming in 3… 2… 1…
At first I was thinking dude, dial it down, it’s nothing to get too worked up about it then I remembered the f-bomb laden rant that I went on about a month and a half ago, the brunt of which my husband got. I won’t make excuses for my behaviour but it had been building for a while then something touched off a nerve and well, boom went the dynamite. I would like to think that that’s not Bale’s usual behaviour anymore than it was mine. I can’t know for sure so I won’t get all judgy on him just yet.
how many actors and actresses do this?probably more then one?ten?hundred?
he got caught so what?how long in the day was he working?up to how many times was he repeating that scene?was he in front of a blue screen and has to act has if there things around him?everybody has a bad day.I’m still going to see his movies!
What an ass-I’d never speak to someone like that if he almost dropped the light on my head.
He definitely has an anger problem…I’d say one sentence of his 4 minute rageathon would even be crossing the line. That’s not even his job, he’s just an actor, show up and say your lines and let the director and set managers deal with everyone else.
What an asshat.
I like Bale as an actor but the director should have come after his ass for that one. It’s work, he should be more professional and respectful to his coworkers. A public apology is in order, indeed.
Bros is absolutely right: this wasn’t just a few seconds of bitchiness. The man comes completely f*cking unhinged. There’s simply no excuse for that kind of behavior. We’ve all had to function on very little sleep, and worry ourselves sick about upcoming challenges, but that doesn’t excuse verbally abusing other people for making a small mistake that, in the long run, makes no real difference.
The man has rage issues.
didn’t know guys dealt with extreme PMS! won’t look at this “prima donna” actor with admiration ever again…the crew of a movie should be held in high regard, bale would be nothing without them.
Rage issues? Please. We *all* fly off the handle sometimes. Imagine you at worst, yelling at someone and it’s recorded. You’d be surprise at hearing what you said played back. The nicest people in the world have a dark side. It’s that we don’t usually *see* it.
If you never yelled at someone in anger then fine, let you judge. But I don’t think many people can say that without being both a hypocrite and liar.
I don’t even want to listen to the tape. Those kind of things make me feel so uncomfortable for that person. I love Bale, so hopefully this won’t continue. He may have had another bad day, but that doesn’t excuse what he said. Situations can be held much better than that. I also sense a public apology in the near future, heh.
Sure, he’s just a “nice guy” who had a “bad day.” Sounds remarkably similar to the types of things an abusive person says to their partner during the “honeymoon” phase of the cycle. Sorry, but if you act like a prick, then you’re a prick, talented or no. How is that hard to understand?
Good Lord, the way Christian is going on, you would think he was about to cure cancer and this guy distracted him. You are an actor! You are a clown that dances for our entertainment. Get over yourself.
Totally not defending him, but being an actor isn’t a regular job. I mean, part of the job is being driven to tap into emotions that aren’t always rational. We don’t know how the director “worked him up” for the scene, not an excuse, but perhaps contributed… for all we know, it was planned to get him pissed off for the scene.
Also, it’s weird how, in finding the words to describe his behavior, we always seem to go to “female” stuff, like “PMS” “Bitchy” “Prima Donna” why is that? I vote for “prick”, I always liked that term. LOL!
Kraiser
Why are you making excuses for Bale
just because he is talented actor ACTOR the most pissy’est profession pleassee @@ doesnt give him the right to do that. May you never have an employer who rips into you like Bale
Da-hamn. Wow. What do you think of your sex symbol now, ladies?
I guess I’m wondering about the timing on this. Why didn’t it come out last summer? So does swearing at someone or ranting for 5 minutes = rage disorder or a verbally abusive person. There’s not enough evidence yet. I’m too familiar with verbal abusive, but I’ve also been around reasonable people who had a lapse in judgment due to pressure.
As for the family argument and arrest. Crown Prosecution Service declined to press charges in some part based upon his mother and sister’s input.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/news/worldnews/bales_assault_charges_dropped__police_124468.htm
However, as a person and actor, considering the wide play the Terminator rant got, he’d be well advised to be more judicious in his speech and actions.
Seriously Bale you’re in the TERMINATOR movie this isn’t Schindlers List. I mean sure the other guy messed up but that in no way excuses Bale’s berserk tirade.
I mean if that sets him off what happens when his costars crack up or mess up a line during filming? Don’t they ruin the scene for him as well? But nah he wouldn’t do that, Bale will only go off when he thinks he can get away with it.
Think he’ll do this to Speilberg? Streep? DeNiro? Nope, he’d keep himself in check.
What an a**hole.
the part that makes me cringe most is when he says, “give me an answer!” to the guy. as if the guy committed a huge crime.
he is in need of some extensive and expensive therapy.
i hope hollywood shuns him for this.
Ok, so the guy thoughtlessly walked onto the set. I still don’t see the justification for Bale to drop the f-bomb and scream like a crazed freak. He could have asked what the hell his problem was instead of making himself look and speak like an ignorant fool.
I find the reasons that you people come up with for going off on people to be lacking in any sort of maturity or intelligence. Oh, I did it because I am tired! Stop and think, people, before you open your rude mouths. Do you really think everyone is on your same wavelength? Honestly, get over yourselves because after a while, your apologies mean nothing.
‘Mate, could you get off the set please, you’re distracting me’ would have done.
Dallas: I totally agree with you. I don’t think he would have the guts to go off on a respected cast member.
Sarah: I think you are right in the fact that so many people are lacking in basic common decency these days.
@Codzilla – fu*cking unhinged – that’s absolutely what came to my mind when I listened to this. This is not ‘bad day’ anger, this is explosive, uncontrollable and, I would imagine, genuinely frightening for the people at the end of that tirade and any observers.
I don’t care what caused it, Bale has major issues, no excuse for this.
that is so hot.
I don’t think the incident with his mother has to do with this.
She might still be a money-hungry exploitative “mother” that tried to blackmail him, when he finally got a lot of money.
I can understant that extremely talented people can’t be upset when careless people ruin their work.
He has to be a total professional and put 200% into what he’s doing to be able to pull such extraordinary performances.
He needs a lot of concentration and he must be a perfectionist, so it’s not suprising he is not patient when someone is not only careless, but also just ruined his work for the second time.
I think he is under too much stress and deserves to work with people who are better professionals.
Seriously, dude, you’re not saving lives, youre making a movie. Get over yourself. But I agree with CB, this makes me think that there’s more to what his sister and mother were saying. I don’t care what problems you are having or what stress you are in, it does not give you the right to speak to other people in this way. EVER. For those of you defending his actions by saying he must’ve been under stress… what if he took the next step and became violent (he certainly threatened it) or even worse…killed someone…would his stress and bad mood be an excuse? Absolutely not. We all have problems, it doesn’t give us a pass to mistreat others. He’s psychotic and a mediocre actor at best.
Steroids. The guy was jacked for batman, plain and simple.
Sociopath. Hopefully he screwed up on his taxes like Joe Francis and will get what’s coming to him…
Wow, that was just rude. You have to be completely self involved to berate someone – in front of a ton of other people – for that length of time and to that extreme. Guys a serious prick, IMO.
This is a day at the office in Hollywood. In case one has forgotten Hollywood is a city full of huge egos. This stuff happens all the time. I was in a room once with a very sweet sitcom “Mom” who popped a gasket and threw her diet coke can at an assistant in front of say 40 people. The only difference here is someone caught it on tape. Then they probably tried to blackmail Bale over it’s release and he said no. I’m not saying it’s right it’s just a fact of life. If you don’t like it, get a job at the insurance company and go away, there are literally thousands of people waiting in line for a job here.
“I wonder if we consider him “intense” and “talented” because he’s a man. What would we be calling him if a he was woman who acted this way? Not anything so complimentary, that’s for sure
kaiser, you took the words right out of my mouth!
He needs a time out. Play a happy fluffy character if only to give his (and everyone else’s) blood pressure a rest.
Something’s a-brewing.
Someone (Hurlbut) from the studio released this audio with only one thing in mind; to hurt Bale’s image. This happened last summer and this audio suddenly surfaces?
I don’t condone what he said, but we are only hearing a snippet that could be taken out of context.
None of us were there to see what led up to this, or what really happened.
Maybe his Mother is using it in a civil suit against him for some payola.
This is fucking amazing:
http://www.wwtdd.com/post.phtml?pk=18511
Aleach: Oh yeah. My first reaction. I don’t care if I’m wrong.
I find it amusing that some people still blame everything (or he is too stressed or he is a perfectionist blah blah blah) and everyone else (like his mom and sister) for Bale’s violent behavior.
Also, all these things we heard about Bale being apparently ‘blackmailed’ or whatever by his mother and sister for money and that was the reason he lost it with them last summer, how do we know that all that was not made up by Christian Bale’s people to make him look like the victim and blame someone else because after all the studios had The Dark Night to promote and did not want bad publicity to prevent ticket sales.
The bottom line is that Bale proved that he is someone who can dangerously loose it way too easy with anyone over anything. Unless people finally call him and anyone else who acts like this on their sh*t then they will never change.
L.O.S.E.R.! You made him a star and obviously made his lose his humility. Who is he?
Oh man, the fact that this video got out is SOOOOO gonna piss him off. 😉
Sure we have all had a bad day and we may have all gone a little off the deep end, but this is way over the top, way over! I get it he ruined your scene, let him know, even yell and curse for about 30 seconds, but for almost 4 minutes, maybe someone needs a little anger management. And how many of us could do this at our jobs and not get fired???? What a douch.
Well, I can’t and won’t critiscise Bale for this as this is “slightly irritable’ in comparison to when I lose my temper. I’ve said far worse to people – far far worse. Thankfully the last time it happened I was called out on it and I felt terribly and determined not to let things get that far again.
As for the “f-bombs” (a phrase even more irritating than “at the end of the day” or “acting chops”). If your ears are that sensitive never, ever, EVER visit Dublin or go on a building site.
As far as I’m concerned the f-word is practically a comma. Mind you, I don’t often swear at someone if I can help it – you never know when you’ll wind up in court.
@ Enonymous – loved your comment esp the “not a dr in ER” part. I agree. Listening to it I was wondering, is he the director or something? Is he funding this movie? It can’t be THAT serious, especially not to go on and on like he did. He’s a scary dude.
On another note, is it true that originally the f word stood for Fornicate Under Consent of the King?
Sign me up for being a raging psycho too…I lost it on some bottom feeder at Kinko’s who took 15 minutes to print something out for me. The words that came out of my mouth were up there, but I’d like to think more creative than Bale.
From what I know of this, I’d be pissed too…it wasn’t the first time the lighting guy messed up the scene. What’s more, Bale is a method actor. He was playing a guy who in the film isn’t happy either. Hell, he didn’t break his American accent while yelling, so yeah I’d say there is some cirmstantial stuff that you don’t just get from audio.
And judging by pics from filming the movie, he’s super skinny, so probably hungry. I’m really mean when I’m hungry. 🙂
hello: I know it seems hard to imagine, but that “bottom feeder” is a human being with bills to pay and maybe even a family to feed.
Aleach, Trillion: Where others see a minefield, we see fireworks. What an animal!
Well Jaundice, glad I’m not alone and hopefully not too awfully freaking weird. Anonymity is quite the confessional booth isn’t it? Did you go to that link I posted? Seriously. It’s awesome. Even if you don’t like re-mixes in general, it’s worth a few minutes.
Bruce Franklin, an assistant director and associate producer on the fourth Terminator film, tells E! News that Bale, a “consummate professional,” just had a bad day.
“If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove…It was the most emotional scene in the movie,” said Franklin. “And for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn’t walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed.
“This was my second movie with Christian, and it has always been a good experience with him,” added Franklin, who also worked with the actor on 2000’s Shaft. “He is so dedicated to the craft. I think someone is begging to make some noise about this, but I don’t think it’s fair. The art of acting is not paint by numbers, it’s an art form.
well there you have it folks!
I am SO completely fed up and sick to death with people who see cruelty, abuse, and other methods of inexcusable behavior…and spend all kinds of time coming up with “reasons.”
I don’t give a rat’s ass WHY he did this. There is no why that excuses it. There is nothing that makes this okay. NOTHING. His “being an actor?” Really. That’s a reason to be an abusive, threatening bully? That’s a reason to threaten assault?
Wow. I hope you who feel this way don’t have kids…cause with a compass that broken at the helm, there is no telling what direction they’ll go in as adults.
I have flown off the handle. Everyone does. I have never flown off the handle at such a slight provocation and gone on, unabated and insensible of the apologies or attempts to help fix the situation, for endless minutes at a time. I have never looked a friend, family member, co-worker, or even an animal in the eye and screamed profanity at the top of my lungs for four minutes. If you HAVE…then you have a problem. There is nothing normal about that. Ever.
I’m sorry that Christian Bale isn’t a nice man. I’m sorry that he raged for more than four solid minutes without any modicum of self control at a man who didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry for it…but I don’t excuse it…because there is no excuse.
Losing your temper is one thing, we’ve all done that. Going out of your way to make someone else feel like a piece of shit – like he does here – is something else. I don’t give a crap how annoyed he was, or how much ‘in the moment’ he was, you don’t talk to other people like this. Speaks volumes about him. Love him as an actor but he comes across here as a really shitty nasty piece of work.
I’ve never been able to look at Christian in the same light since seeing this photo comparison with Kermit:
http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/27350111.html#cutid1
Codzilla:
I realize that person may have bills to pay and mouths to feed, however I doubt it because it was a student from the university near by who was doing jack and getting paid for standing there like a moron.
Maybe she should have paid attention when they were assigned “Wealth of Nations” and took a page from the part about fast commodity production means more time to produce more, which means more money to pay said bills.
Just a thought.
opinons are like..well you know ! point in this case, mistakes, people will make, normal everyday mistakes. All this crazed maniac did was show the real deal! when push comes to shove, he in the end of his exsplosive blow up (5 min) made a complete statement of what he is about. ENRAGED ASSEHOLE ! Who wants to sign up for the job ? seriously step aside and let the one trip all over himself that wants to EVER work with this one, do yourself a favor, pass it up. It will get worse.
Well, I think Christian Bale needs an anger management class, and from reading some of the responses here, some people could join him. I am not understanding all of the “I can understand him going off on a tirade for 4 minutes. It happens. I’ve done it myself” comments. If you can be so “tolerant” of other peoples’ foibles, why did you go off on the lady at the bakery b/c she got your cake wrong? A truly tolerant and understanding person would have no personal temper tantrum experiences to draw upon. I think there is only tolerance here b/c we’re talking about an actor and not a no named girl in a bakery shop. And that is not fair. This sort of behavior is not acceptable anywhere, anytime, and kudos to the person who taped and released this b/c the guy did not deserve someone hurling “F” bombs at him for 4 minutes straight.
Holy crap. That tape is awful. Esp. the part “you’re such a f*ing amatuer, man”. WTF does this guy think he is?
OH and pleeease, spare me the bullshit about how intense the “art form” of being a thespian is, that a person in his line of vision could distract him AT ALL – let alone warrant this kind of humiliating, abusive tirade against a CO-WORKER. You’re all making the same stupid f*ing movie I will never see.
Try doing MY job you ass*ole. I have to BILL at least 8 hrs. a day which means I must be able to function in my job being surrounded by …*distractions*. 8 hrs. of solving math problems to build complicated sheet sets in Civil3D, which can be *stressful* and *emotionally draining* and f*ing frustrating.
It’s called a *real job*.
Christian Bale is dead to me.
As a DP, it is not uncommon for us to do a “hot tweek”, particularly if a relationship between actor and the cameraman has been established.
That being said, the DP probably could have waited until the “take” was completed before making any
adjustments….however…Christian was waaay out of line with his response and as someone who would know, I’m guessing he’s on something and has been for some time. Probably powder!!
man i’m sorry but i can’t stop laughing at this…
Well, his true colors really shine through. All I can think is that an anger management session may be required. Totally turns people off. Especially his fans.
ziggybutterfli, your post cracks me up. There’s truth in it though. ITA
Geronimo, you are on the mark with your post. ITA
I thought Bale was doing Hamlet, but it’s freaking Terminator 4, another franchise movie. GTFOH with that b.s. I’d be dammed if any actor speaks to me in such a rude an disrespectful manner.
I see him in a completely different way. There is no excuse to making someone feel like crap.
Alison said: “You are a clown that dances for our entertainment.”
My thoughts exactly…thank you for phrasing that so well!
Has anyone thought about the possibility of drugs here? Steriods possibly? Here is an actor who needs to fill a roll for an action hero. Put on weight, hit the gym and bulk up, quickly. You may not remember movies like “The Machinist” where he lost so much weight. He is CLEARLY one of those actors who will do ANYTHING to nail the part. Distractions during a performance would be a HUGE problem for him. Charging up his emotions for action sequences and the possible side effects from drugs helping him fit the role would cause just these kinds of outbursts and incidents.
just my 2cents.
somebody needs some anger management…