Acting · Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK · Born January 30, 1974
Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the highest-paid actors in 2014. Born in Wales to English parents, Bale had his breakthrough role at age 13 in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film Empire of the Sun. After more than a decade of performing in leading and supporting roles in films, he gained wider recognition for his portrayals of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy American Psycho (2000) and the titular role in the psychological thriller The Machinist (2004). In 2005, he played superhero Batman in Batman Begins and again in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), garnering acclaim for his performance in the trilogy, which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises. Bale continued in starring roles in a range of films outside his work as Batman, including the period drama The Prestige (2006), the action film Terminator Salvation (2009), the crime drama Public Enemies (2009), the epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and the superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). For his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 biographical film The Fighter, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations came for his work in the black comedy American Hustle (2013) and the biographical dramedies The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). His performances as politician Dick Cheney in Vice and race car driver Ken Miles in the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019) earned him a second win and a fifth nomination respectively at the Golden Globe Awards.
Madden
2026
as Al Davis
MovieThe Resurrection of Christ
2026
MovieThe Bride!
2026
as Frank
MovieSibyl
2025
as (Archive footage)
MovieThe Pale Blue Eye
2022
as Augustus Landor
MovieWerner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
2022
as Self
MovieAmsterdam
2022
as Burt Berendsen
MovieMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Self - Gorr
MovieThor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Gorr
MovieCatwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
2021
as Self
MovieJoker: Put on a Happy Face
2020
as Self
MovieFord v Ferrari: Bringing the Rivalry to Life
2020
as Self
MovieFord v Ferrari
2019
as Ken Miles
MovieVice
2018
as Dick Cheney
MovieMowgli: Legend of the Jungle
2018
as Bagheera (voice)
MovieHostiles
2017
as Captain Joseph J. Blocker
MovieSpielberg
2017
as Self - Segment "Empire of the Sun"
MovieThe Promise
2016
as Chris Myers
MovieThe Big Short
2015
as Michael Burry
MovieKnight of Cups
2015
as Rick
MovieKeepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
2015
as Self
MovieExodus: Gods and Kings
2014
as Moses
MovieThe Making of American Hustle
2014
as Self
MovieAmerican Hustle
2013
as Irving Rosenfeld
MovieOut of the Furnace
2013
as Russell Baze
MovieEnding the Knight
2012
as Self
MovieThe Dark Knight Rises
2012
as Bruce Wayne
MovieThe Batmobile
2012
as Self
MovieThe Flowers of War
2011
as John Miller
TVMaking of "The Flowers of War"
2011
MovieThe Fighter
2010
as Dicky Eklund
Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies'
2009
as Self
MoviePublic Enemies
2009
as Melvin Purvis
MovieHeath Ledger: A Tribute
2009
as Self
MovieTerminator Salvation
2009
as John Connor
MovieThe Dark Knight
2008
as Bruce Wayne
MovieBatman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
2008
as Self
MovieGotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
2008
as Self
TVGotham Tonight
2008
as Bruce Wayne
MovieMaking of a True Story: Rescue Dawn
2007
as Self
MovieI'm Not There
2007
as Jack / Pastor John
Movie3:10 to Yuma
2007
as Dan Evans
MovieRescue Dawn
2007
as Dieter Dengler
MovieThe Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
2007
as Self
MovieThe Prestige
2006
as Alfred Borden
MovieThe New World
2005
as John Rolfe
MovieHarsh Times
2005
as Jim Luther Davis
MovieBatman Begins
2005
as Bruce Wayne / Batman
MovieTankman Begins
2005
as Batman (archive footage)
MovieThe Machinist
2004
as Trevor Reznik
MovieLaurel Canyon
2003
as Sam
MovieEquilibrium
2002
as John Preston
MovieReign of Fire
2002
as Quinn Abercromby
MovieCaptain Corelli's Mandolin
2001
as Mandras
MovieShaft
2000
as Walter Wade, Jr.
MovieAmerican Psycho
2000
as Patrick Bateman
Shaft: Still the Man
2000
as Self
MovieMary, Mother of Jesus
1999
as Jesus of Nazareth
TVThe Early Show
1999
as Self
MovieAll the Little Animals
1999
as Bobby Platt
MovieA Midsummer Night's Dream
1999
as Demetrius
TVThe Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999
as Self - Guest
MovieDying to Tell the Story
1998
as Narrator / Dan Eldon (uncredited) (voice)
MovieVelvet Goldmine
1998
as Arthur Stuart
MovieMetroland
1997
as Chris
MovieThe Secret Agent
1996
as Stevie
MovieThe Portrait of a Lady
1996
as Edward Rosier
TVE! True Hollywood Story
1996
as Self (archive footage)
MoviePocahontas
1995
as Thomas (voice)
MovieLittle Women
1994
as Laurie
MoviePrince of Jutland
1994
as Amled
MovieSwing Kids
1993
as Thomas Berger
TVGMTV
1993
as Self
TVHBO First Look
1992
as Self
TVMTV Movie & TV Awards
1992
as Self / Presenter
MovieNewsies
1992
as Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly
MovieA Murder of Quality
1991
as Tim Perkins
MovieBlood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
1991
as Self
MovieTreasure Island
1990
as Jim Hawkins
MovieHenry V
1989
as Robin the Luggage-Boy
MovieThe China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun
1987
as Self
MovieEmpire of the Sun
1987
as Jim
MovieMio in the Land of Faraway
1987
as Jum-Jum / Benke
TVHeart of the Country
1987
as Ben Harris
MovieCitizen Steve
1987
as Self - Actor
TVAnastasia - The Mystery of Anna
1986
as Tsarevich Alexei
TVWogan
1982
as Self
TVEntertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
Best of Enemies
as Gennady Vasilenko
MovieHeat 2
