Christian Bale is nuts, check this picture!

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Skyler--That Grey Box

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Christian Bale keeps going "missing" on the set of his new movie.

The actor has bemused co-stars on his new movie 'The Fighter' - which he is filming in Massachusetts with Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams - with his insistence on "getting into character" and refusing to be seen when he isn't filming.

A source told 'E!': "You only see him when it's time for his scenes. Other than that, no one has any idea where he is. He just goes missing."

Bale is determined to accurately portray former crack addict d*cky Eklund in the movie - which follows the life of boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward - and has stunned people with his appearance.

The source explained: "Christian has lost almost as much weight as he did for 'The Machinist'. He is so gaunt. They have even thinned his hair - he just looks sickly."

The 35-year-old star famously lived on just a can of tuna and an apple a day and lost 60lbs while filming 'The Machinist', in which he played a paranoid insomniac.

Bale has previously said he would not want to go to the dieting extremes he did for 'The Machinist' ever again - but admitted he thrived on the "mental challenges" it presented him with.

He said: "I wouldn't want to take it to that extreme again. But it was necessary to lose weight for that role - not as much as I did - but it was a challenge mentally to see if I was capable of doing such a thing.

"I know that I can now, so there would need to be a certain gimmick if I was to do that all over again. But I do like the notion of seeing how far you can push yourself so I'm very happy that I did that. Everybody told me that I was risking my health the first time around, so doing it twice? I'm probably being an idiot."

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http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20090817/425.wahlberg.bale.lr.081709.jpg

:eek:
 
It's kinda funny that despite all the effort he goes to to "get into character" for these roles it doesn't change the fact that the performance is completely average.

I suppose it helps to distract from the crapness and dullness of the films.
 
Yes, and imo the physical state detracted from his performance as a viewer.

Method acting is the biggest artistic con-trick there is.
 
Yep. It was as dull as ditch water. Which I guess is why they seemed to focus so much on his weight loss for the role - as impressive as it was. It was more interesting than the movie itself.

So here we are with his next movie. More extreme preparation and odd behaviour. Deflecting from another entirely ordinary movie? Probably.
 
It's supposed to be acting the role, not living it.

I do get a little miffed when reading about these actors commiting themselves to roles but then again some of them are the best, for whatever reason.

I think Bale is a very good actor. So is De Niro. Not sure if Gary Oldman is a method actor but he always got into his roles and he was one of my fave actors.
 
The Machinist was still an excellent film I thought.

I don't mind the changing the way you look, but the not speaking to others and so on, staying in character outside of filming, well Tilda Swinton says it best, and I completely agree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvMd9Rhlhq4

She talks about it at the 2.00 minute mark of this video.
 
As an ex-actor I have to agree with you to certain extent. I wouldn't call it a con-trick so much, and each to their own on how they want to get into character. But a good enough actor doesn't need to go to extremes. I've never really seen it pay off on screen next to actors who are 'acting' (if that makes sense). In fact sometimes I find it makes performances more 'acted'.

At the end of the day it is drama, not real and therefore does not require ultimate reality for an audience to engage with a character.
 
I'm a bit torn here. On one hand I remember Olivier's request to Dustin Hoffman in that he should just try acting and on the other think of Robert de Niro as Al Capone.
 
Of course Christian Bale is a borderline headcase, but that's part of the reason I like him so much.

While I'm not exactly convinced as to his acting ability, I like seeing him on screen, so that's half the battle won.
 
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