The legendary actor Christian Bale called a “favourite”
From his early days of working as a teen actor in movies like Empire of the Sun and Newsies to his career-defining roles in American Psycho, The Machinist, and The Dark Knight trilogy, Christian Bale has always given unforgettable performances. While he emerged as a film actor in the late 1980s, his early childhood was spent appearing in adverts and taking dance lessons, paving the way for Bale to become one of the most lauded British actors of his generation.
You might think that Bale had always dreamed of becoming an award-winning star, desperate to follow in the footsteps of his idols, but in actuality, the young actor didn’t go into the profession with the intention of making it his career. Inspired by his sister, who had landed a role on the West End, he realised there was something in acting that was worthwhile.
However, Bale certainly struggles with his place in the industry at times, once telling The Hollywood Reporter, “When I love it, I love it. When I hate it, I just can’t. It’s just disgusting, this vanity-fueled profession. I mean, I just can’t stand it. I can’t stand the people, and I hate them all, and I hate the films, and I don’t want to see a film again in my life. And then I’ll find something, and I’ll go, ‘Yeah, forget everything I just said. I want to go back in. I want to go back into it.’”
One of the best aspects of the job for Bale, however, is the chance to work alongside his idols, who have taught him a lot about the profession. “I did a film, and I worked with Robert Duvall, who’s one of my favourite actors, I think an awful lot of people’s favourite actor,” he once revealed.
The pair worked together on Newsies, with Bale playing a 17-year-old newspaper seller while Duvall played newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. The musical, directed by Kenny Ortega, failed to make a dent in the box office, earning $2.8million against a budget of $15m. Still, Bale was able to work with a Hollywood icon, who surely taught the budding star a lot about becoming an actor.
Interestingly, the two actors reunited several decades later for Pale Blue Eye, released in 2022. While Bale was just 17 when he appeared in Newsies, by the time he led Pale Blue Eye, he was 48. Getting the ability to work with Duvall again, even though this time around, the Hollywood veteran only had a cameo part, must’ve been a delight for Bale.
Duvall rose to prominence in the 1960s, making his film debut as Boo Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird. He has earned seven Oscar nominations, including one for his unforgettable part in The Godfather, although the role that allowed him to take home a winning golden statuette was his leading performance in Tender Mercies. Alongside these performances, he has appeared in movies like True Grit, Apocalypse Now, Bullitt, The Conversation, Network, and countless other acclaimed titles – it’s no wonder Bale holds him in such high regard.
