Christian Bale
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 30, 1974
- Birthplace
- Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
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.
Filmography
Heat 2 TBA
as Vincent Hanna
- Best of Enemies
Best of Enemies TBA
as Gennady Vasilenko
Madden 2026
as Al Davis
The Bride! 2026
as Frank
Sibyl 2025
as (Archive footage)
- Fatal addiction: Heath Ledger
Fatal addiction: Heath Ledger 2023
as Self (found footage)
The Pale Blue Eye 2022
as Augustus Landor, Producer
Amsterdam 2022
as Burt Berendsen, Producer
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder 2022
as Self - Gorr
Thor: Love and Thunder 2022
as Gorr
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale 2021
as Self
Joker: Put on a Happy Face 2020
as Self
Ford v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life 2020
as Self
Ford v Ferrari 2019
as Ken Miles
Vice 2018
as Dick Cheney
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle 2018
as Bagheera (voice)
Hostiles 2017
as Captain Joseph J. Blocker
Spielberg 2017
as Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
The Promise 2016
as Chris Myers
The Big Short 2015
as Michael Burry
Knight of Cups 2015
as Rick
Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' 2015
as Self
Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014
as Moses
The Making of American Hustle 2014
as Self
American Hustle 2013
as Irving Rosenfeld
Out of the Furnace 2013
as Russell Baze
Ending the Knight 2012
as Self
The Dark Knight Rises 2012
as Bruce Wayne
The Batmobile 2012
as Self
The Flowers of War 2011
as John Miller
The Fighter 2010
as Dicky Eklund
- Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'
Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies' 2009
as Self
Public Enemies 2009
as Melvin Purvis
Heath Ledger: A Tribute 2009
as Self
Terminator Salvation 2009
as John Connor
The Dark Knight 2008
as Bruce Wayne
Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene 2008
as Self
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight 2008
as Self / Bruce Wayne (archive footage)
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn 2007
as Self
I'm Not There 2007
as Jack / Pastor John
3:10 to Yuma 2007
as Dan Evans
Rescue Dawn 2007
as Dieter Dengler
The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan 2007
as Self
The Prestige 2006
as Alfred Borden
The New World 2005
as John Rolfe
Harsh Times 2005
as Jim Luther Davis, Executive Producer
Batman Begins 2005
as Bruce Wayne / Batman
Tankman Begins 2005
as Batman (archive footage)
The Machinist 2004
as Trevor Reznik
Laurel Canyon 2003
as Sam
Equilibrium 2002
as John Preston
Reign of Fire 2002
as Quinn Abercromby
Captain Corelli's Mandolin 2001
as Mandras
Shaft 2000
as Walter Wade, Jr.
American Psycho 2000
as Patrick Bateman
- Shaft: Still the Man
Shaft: Still the Man 2000
as Self
Mary, Mother of Jesus 1999
as Jesus of Nazareth
All the Little Animals 1999
as Bobby Platt
The Alien Legacy 1999
Thanks
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1999
as Demetrius
Dying to Tell the Story 1998
as Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
Velvet Goldmine 1998
as Arthur Stuart
Metroland 1998
as Chris
The Secret Agent 1996
as Stevie
The Portrait of a Lady 1996
as Edward Rosier
Pocahontas 1995
as Thomas (voice)
Little Women 1994
as Laurie
Prince of Jutland 1994
as Amled
Swing Kids 1993
as Thomas Berger
Newsies 1992
as Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
A Murder of Quality 1991
as Tim Perkins
Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square 1991
as Self
Treasure Island 1990
as Jim Hawkins
Henry V 1989
as Robin the Luggage-Boy
The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun 1987
as Self
Empire of the Sun 1987
as Jim
Mio in the Land of Faraway 1987
as Jum-Jum / Benke
Citizen Steve 1987
as Self - Actor
Credits from TMDB.