Christian Bale’s portrayal of Patrick Bateman in the legendary film American Psycho was nothing short of remarkable. To this day, it is difficult to envision anyone else embodying the role with such bone-chilling authenticity and intensity. But it wouldn’t have been the case for a moment as the role almost went to the Titanic star, Leonardo DiCaprio. It is Bale’s sheer determination and commitment to the character that brought the role back to him.
His performance not only brought the complex and disturbed character of Patrick Bateman to life but also solidified Bale’s reputation as a transformative actor capable of immersing himself completely in his roles. The character and the movie are celebrated to this day, all thanks to astounding performance.
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Christian Bale Almost Lost the American Psycho Role to Leonardo DiCaprio
Although it may sound weird, thinking back no other actor could have portrayed the psychotic, and deranged Patrick Bateman any better than Christian Bale. His commitment to the character’s psychopathic nature, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to seamlessly transition between Bateman’s facade of charm and the sinister of the world inside his mind captivated the audiences so much so that it is still one of the most talked about films ever. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his experience of bringing such a character to life, the actor confessed that he almost lost his dream role to the 90’s heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.
He said, Mary Harron, who wrote the screenplay for the movie, could not find words to deliver the unfortunate news to the much-excited actor. He narrated,
“I remember calling [director] Mary Harron and leaving a message on her machine at home saying, ”Hi Mary, I’m just really excited about getting going because I can’t wait to really get stuck in on Bateman. Give me a call.” And then I went out, and I came back and there was a message from Mary: ”Um, um, um, oh, oh, um” — an awful lot of that. And then, ”Give me a call.””
Although it would have been interesting to find out how DiCaprio would have approached the role, and he probably would have done justice to it but the world still would have lost a gem.
Christian Bale Did Not Take ‘No’ for an Answer
The actor did not budge, no matter how many people asked him to forget about it, he did not. He fought for the role, after all, it was his dream role, and he wasn’t wrong. The role of Patrick Bateman allowed Bale to showcase his exceptional talent and versatility, propelling him into the spotlight and earning critical acclaim. Thus, he was right about it being an opportunity of a lifetime, he said,
“Everybody around me was like, forget it! You’re getting fixated on this. And I wouldn’t. With any other script that came in, I’d say, ”Well look, I quite like it but no, because ‘American Psycho’ might come up. I’m not risking it.” I just refused to admit that it wouldn’t happen.”
The success of American Psycho opened several shiny doors for him as an actor. It showcased his ability to inhabit psychologically intricate characters and contributed to his subsequent casting in a wide range of interesting roles any actor would dream of such as The Machinist, The Fighter, and the most notable among all, the Batman trilogy. Hence, the film served as a launching pad for his career, marking a significant milestone that propelled him to great heights of fame all while providing him an opportunity to work on his craft. Thus, his fans are very proud the actor did not back out and fought and earned his position in the industry.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
