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Christian Bale is known for his dramatic transformations that affect both his appearance and personality to the point where, if you've seen his interviews pre and post-shoot, you would think they are different people.
The man can shift absolutely everything in super-quick time - from gaining over 70 pounds for 2004's 'The Machinist' to dropping 78 pounds for The Fighter in 2010. And it's beginning to seem that no matter how much fat he adds or takes away, he's always completely weightless.
Christian Bale’s Weight Loss/Gain Journey
To get in shape to play the lead character of a morbidly obese insomniac in “THE MACHINIST” (2004), Christian Bale ate only one apple and one cup of coffee per day, drank whiskey and chain-smoked cigarettes. To have the look for the role, Bale worked out for four months prior to the start of filming.
For four months during pre-production, Bale ate only one apple and a tin of tuna per day. To get his body ready for the role, Bale tried many different diets before finally settling on one.
Bale put on 100 pounds of muscle in six months to bulk up for his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. To do so, he worked out every day, focusing on different muscle groups. He did three sets of eight to ten repetitions, depending on what he was working on.
Bale revealed that the key to his extreme weight loss for his role as a drug-addicted boxing trainer in “The Fighter” was running. In a 'Latino Review' interview, Bale said he typically ran for three or four hours at a time and has enjoyed the health benefits of the workout.
For his other movie 'The American Hustle' the character's weight fluctuated between 185 and 228 pounds, Bale consumed doughnuts, cheeseburgers and whatever he could get his hands on. He even shaved his head to play the role.
For his part as the British race car driver Ken Miles, Bale had to lose the weight he gained for Vice. Bale als lost more weight due to the tightness of the cars in which he had to perform.
To gain muscle for the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, Christian Bale followed a strict diet and exercise regimen:
"He wanted to look like he could fight and run, even though it was all done with wires," Bale said.
Bale achieved his weight fluctuations over the course of his career by smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey.
Takeaway
Christian Bale has been known to go to great lengths to play his roles in movies. His commitment and dedication as an actor is outstanding. He has made it part of his job to get himself into shape for his roles.
Bale recently admitted that he's not going to continue doing this kind of intense weight transformation in the future. It’s dangerous from a health standpoint, and it’s also difficult to ignore the mental toll these extreme transformations take.
It will be interesting to see how he continues to lead roles without these kinds of dramatic changes for his future films.
