Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Christian Bale Does Details Magazine
Christian Bale, our very own Dark Knight himself, is featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Details magazine which hits newsstands on June 3. In an interview with Details' Gadabout Blog, Bale talks about (among other things) the late Heath Ledger, claustrophbia in the batsuit, which of his characters his wife fancies the most and how unfamous he thinks he is:
Here is a portion of Christian's Q&A with Details:
What did you think when you first saw yourself in the Batsuit?
I was standing on the back lot where they were creating the suit, and I had a few minutes to myself, staring up close in the mirror, just thinking, "This isn't going to work. I'm claustrophobic, I can't breathe, I'm getting a headache already, and this is all going to go very badly."
What persuaded you otherwise?
I just said to myself, "Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Try this out. Don't run around yelling and making an ass of yourself trying to pull the whole thing off." I wasn't going to get it off by myself. It takes three people. I just had flashes of what an asshole I would feel like saying "Well, I wasn't able to play that character, because I panicked every time I got in the suit."
Michael Caine has talked about the intensity of Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. How did you find working with him?
He was incredibly intense in his performance but incredibly mellow and laid-back. Certainly there was this great anarchistic streak to it—just getting dirtier than anybody's envisioned the Joker before. This character has power because he has no limits—absolutely nothing to lose.
How has Ledger's death changed the way you look at the film?
Naturally it was something I wanted to share with him—and expected to do so. And I can't do anything else but hope that it will be an absolutely appropriate celebration of his work.
Which character that you've taken home with you has your wife liked least?
I'd say Jim [the war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder in Harsh Times]. There were probably not a lot of wonderful memories about him. He's not getting invited back any time soon.
What about the one she's liked the most?
That's quite surprising—any time Trevor from The Machinist wants to come around the house, he's always welcome.
How good do you think you are at being famous?
I don't really understand the question. Because there are people that you would undeniably call famous, and I'm not. You can go to many, many people and say "Christian Bale" and they have no idea who the hell you're talking about. They might have seen a number of my movies, but they'll still have no idea who you're talking about. So I don't think I'm qualified to talk about fame.
I just love Christian Bale. He is such a fascinating man ... his body of work is so varied (Reign of Fire) and impressive (Velvet Goldmine) and he never ceases to entertain. When I think about my favorite actors, he's always the one that comes to mind. He can play funny or serious (Little Women), scary and alluring (American Psycho). When you consider how humble he is and how devoted to his family he is -- well, he just couldn't get any dreamier. I cannot tell you how much it thrills me that he will be playing Batman in this latest franchise. Christian Bale may be hot but Christian Bale in rubber is downright criminal. I'm pretty sure I'll be a fan for life! Click HERE to read the rest of his Details Q&A. [Source]
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Here is a portion of Christian's Q&A with Details:
What did you think when you first saw yourself in the Batsuit?
I was standing on the back lot where they were creating the suit, and I had a few minutes to myself, staring up close in the mirror, just thinking, "This isn't going to work. I'm claustrophobic, I can't breathe, I'm getting a headache already, and this is all going to go very badly."
What persuaded you otherwise?
I just said to myself, "Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Try this out. Don't run around yelling and making an ass of yourself trying to pull the whole thing off." I wasn't going to get it off by myself. It takes three people. I just had flashes of what an asshole I would feel like saying "Well, I wasn't able to play that character, because I panicked every time I got in the suit."
Michael Caine has talked about the intensity of Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. How did you find working with him?
He was incredibly intense in his performance but incredibly mellow and laid-back. Certainly there was this great anarchistic streak to it—just getting dirtier than anybody's envisioned the Joker before. This character has power because he has no limits—absolutely nothing to lose.
How has Ledger's death changed the way you look at the film?
Naturally it was something I wanted to share with him—and expected to do so. And I can't do anything else but hope that it will be an absolutely appropriate celebration of his work.
Which character that you've taken home with you has your wife liked least?
I'd say Jim [the war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder in Harsh Times]. There were probably not a lot of wonderful memories about him. He's not getting invited back any time soon.
What about the one she's liked the most?
That's quite surprising—any time Trevor from The Machinist wants to come around the house, he's always welcome.
How good do you think you are at being famous?
I don't really understand the question. Because there are people that you would undeniably call famous, and I'm not. You can go to many, many people and say "Christian Bale" and they have no idea who the hell you're talking about. They might have seen a number of my movies, but they'll still have no idea who you're talking about. So I don't think I'm qualified to talk about fame.
I just love Christian Bale. He is such a fascinating man ... his body of work is so varied (Reign of Fire) and impressive (Velvet Goldmine) and he never ceases to entertain. When I think about my favorite actors, he's always the one that comes to mind. He can play funny or serious (Little Women), scary and alluring (American Psycho). When you consider how humble he is and how devoted to his family he is -- well, he just couldn't get any dreamier. I cannot tell you how much it thrills me that he will be playing Batman in this latest franchise. Christian Bale may be hot but Christian Bale in rubber is downright criminal. I'm pretty sure I'll be a fan for life! Click HERE to read the rest of his Details Q&A. [Source]
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