Christian Bale is a distinctive actor. To say his essence is brimming with talent would be underestimating the years of effort he has put into his roles. From starring in endeavors like American Psycho, which many deemed a “career suicide”, to exceeding the physical capabilities of human transformation in roles like Trevor Reznik in 2004’s The Machinist — the renowned figure has constantly surpassed audience expectations.
However, when a talent of such a masterly stature attests to feeling dull on-set, one can only wonder who else would parallel the amount of precision and dedication exuded by Bale if not for Heath Ledger. The late actor, whose illustrious, magnetic, spine-chilling role as the Joker in The Dark Knight earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, posthumously, put on such a performance that will forever remain imprinted on the minds of people.
In a video posted by GQ, Bale emphasized that such an acclaimed role threatened to put even his embodiment of the Caped Crusader to shame.
Christian Bale Reflects On His Batman Role
In the video, where Bale delved deep into some of his career-defining roles, a section dedicated to The Dark Knight Trilogy revealed interesting tidbits. The Christopher Nolan-directed premise received extensive fan appreciation. From tackling a grittier, darker tone and a realistic, grounded side to Batman, to featuring a refined depiction of one of the best comic supervillains to ever exist — the artistic endeavor is memorable in more than one way.
Hence, it is not a shocker to see Christian Bale shower the trilogy with numerous praises. As he reflected on it, the actor first revealed that many people had warned him against the pursuit of such a movie. Much like how people associated American Psycho with “career suicide”, others told the actor that playing Batman would result in a pigeonholed treatment; a situation where he could not play “anything else” again.
Read also: The Dark Knight Trilogy: 6 Most Rewatchable Scenes Of All Time
However, the actor proved everyone wrong on both occasions. While American Psycho garnered a cult-classic reputation, The Dark Knight Trilogy featured arguably one of the best live adaptations of the famed DC character.
Continuing with his train of thought, Bale complimented Christopher Nolan and expressed his gratitude to have worked with the ever-so-talented director. He furthermore established how his role in the trilogy opened up the door to innumerable possibilities of starring in other films. Eventually, the actor moved on to elaborate on his experiences of having worked with Heath Ledger.
Christian Bale Praises Heath Ledger
Christian Bale was full of praise when he mentioned his late co-star Heath Ledger. He lauded the 10 Things I Hate About You alum for his astounding, mind-blowing performance as the notorious, uber-iconic DC villain, Joker. Following is what he had to say about it:
“Heath Ledger, who, oh my God, you know, what a performance. What a pleasure to have gotten to work with him. Just to see him, and you know, how much he put himself into the Joker.”
Taking on a humorous undertone, the actor remembers watching Heath Ledger in his element and going, “This is absolutely fantastic. Are we in trouble here?” Bale then emphasizes that when he first sat down with Nolan, they discussed the problems with Batman. What they deduced was that the villains that faced off against The Defender of Gotham were almost always more interesting.
What the two had then decided on was to never let Batman become dull, bleak, and lukewarm in comparison to the villains of the series. Alas, Heath Ledger‘s embodiment of Joker did end up making feel Bale “dull in comparison.” Here’s how the Amsterdam actor remembers it:
“When Chris and I first sat down, we said, you know the problem with Batman is that the villains are always more interesting, right? … So, let’s never let him become dull by comparison. Unfortunately, I was sitting there going, “I’m feeling a bit dull in comparison.” Cause Heath is just like… killing this.”
On a lighthearted note, the actor concluded the segment by saying that The Dark Knight was “absolutely extraordinary.” He also expressed his gratefulness to have worked alongside Ledger, who remains a legend in the hearts of many. Calling the Joker actor “a very talented individual” and a “great soul to be around,” the actor stated that he misses him dearly.
To say that Bale made a resounding claim that thousands of fans can resonate with would be an understatement. In the hearts of many, Ledger’s remarkable depictions and heartfelt portrayals will forever stay immortalized. As for the Vice alum, he keeps on making staggering feats in the world of Hollywood. Despite the obliteration of his character in Thor: Love and Thunder, Christian Bale has proved time and again that his versatility knows no bounds.
The actor has recently starred in Amsterdam, which saw its release on October 7th, 2022. It is currently playing in the nearest theatres.
Source: GQ
