Christian Charles Philip Bale was born on January 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK, to English parents Jennifer "Jenny" (James) and David Bale. His mother was a circus performer, and his father, born in South Africa, was a commercial pilot. The family lived in various countries during Bale's childhood, including England, Portugal, and the United States, which he acknowledges influenced his career choice.
Bale's first acting job was a cereal commercial in 1983, followed by a West End stage debut in "The Nerd" the next year. A role in the 1986 NBC mini-series "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, leading to his well-documented role in "Empire of the Sun" (1987). Bale earned a special award from the National Board of Review for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor for his range of emotions displayed in the war epic.
As he adjusted to fame and struggled with attention, Bale appeared in Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" (1989) and starred in a TV movie version of "Treasure Island" (1990). He worked consistently throughout the 1990s, acting and singing in "Newsies" (1992),"Swing Kids" (1993),"Little Women" (1994),"The Portrait of a Lady" (1996),"The Secret Agent" (1996),"Metroland" (1997),"Velvet Goldmine" (1998),"All the Little Animals" (1998),and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1999).
Toward the end of the decade, Bale became one of the most popular online celebrities, though he maintained a private, tabloid-free mystique. He roared into the next decade with a lead role in "American Psycho" (2000),director Mary Harron's adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel. Bale played a murderous Wall Street executive obsessed with his own physicality, a trait for which he would become a specialist.
Bale was truly on the Hollywood radar at this time, and he turned in a range of performances in the remake "Shaft" (2000),"Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (2001),"Laurel Canyon" (2002),and "Reign of Fire" (2002). Two more cult films followed: "Equilibrium" (2002) and "The Machinist" (2004),the latter of which gained attention mainly due to Bale's physical transformation - he dropped over 60 pounds for the role of a lathe operator with a secret that causes him to suffer from insomnia for over a year.
Bale's abilities to transform his body and to disappear into a character influenced the decision to cast him in "Batman Begins" (2005),the first chapter in Christopher Nolan's definitive trilogy. The film also resurrected a character that had been shelved by Warner Bros. after a series of demising returns, capped off by the commercial and critical failure of "Batman & Robin" (1997). A quiet, personal victory for Bale: he accepted the role after the passing of his father in late 2003, an event that caused him to question whether he would continue performing.
Bale segued into two indie features in the wake of "Batman's" phenomenal success: "The New World" (2005) and "Harsh Times" (2005). He continued working with respected independent directors in 2006's "Rescue Dawn" (2006),Werner Herzog's feature version of his earlier, Emmy-nominated documentary, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" (1997). Leading up to the second "Batman" film, Bale starred in "The Prestige" (2006),the remake of "3:10 to Yuma" (2007),and a reunion with director Todd Haynes in the experimental "Bob Dylan biography," "I'm Not There" (2007).
Anticipation for "The Dark Knight" (2008) was spun into unexpected heights with the tragic passing of Heath Ledger, whose performance as The Joker became the highlight of the sequel. Bale's graceful statements to the press reminded us of the days of the refined Hollywood star as the second installment exceeded the box-office performance of its predecessor.
Bale's next role was the eyebrow-raising decision to take over the role of John Connor in the Schwarzenegger-less "Terminator Salvation" (2009),followed by a turn as federal agent Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" (2009). Both films were hits but not the blockbusters they were expected to be.
For all his acclaim and box-office triumphs, Bale would earn his first Oscar in 2011 in the wake of "The Fighter" (2010)'s critical and commercial success. Bale earned the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund
