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Christian Bale is known for his extreme dedication and commitment to the role he plays, with him going as far as transforming physically for the character. The actor has lost and gained weight depending on the character multiple times in his filmography. The Oscar-winning actor has gone through insane diets and unhealthy practices to do so.
However, Bale seems to have gotten over his obsession with changing his body for the role. He mentioned in an interview that one of his most celebrated transformations in the psychological thrillerThe Machinistultimately was not worth the effort as he did not get a lot of money in it and he was yet to be an A-list star in Hollywood.
Christian Bale Lost 62 Pounds ForThe Machinist
BeforeChristian Balebecame a worldwide star after starring as Batman in Christopher Nolan’sBatman Begins, he was only known for his filmsAmerican Psychoand his role as a child actor in Steven Spielberg’sEmpire of The Sun. Bale has faced a series of setbacks in his career afterAmerican Psychoas he had not delivered a hit yet.
The actor mentioned that he wanted to explore a character where he could be completely immersed as he was not satisfied with the roles he had played for the past few films. Christian Bale chose the role of Trevor Reznik, an insomniac with a mental illness in the psychological thrillerThe Machinist.
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In an interview withGQ, he spoke about the character of Trevor Reznik and how he wanted to challenge himself by transforming himself physically,
“I’d come off of making a couple of films that I’d been less than satisfied with and just really wanted something where I could become immersed and obsessed with it. You know?…it was something that I really wanted to challenge myself and kind of see if could I achieve that. Could I fulfill how I imagined the part Trevor should be played? You know? And tested myself.”
To bring out the physicality of the character’s depreciating state of mind, Christian Bale reportedly lost 62 pounds and was on an insane diet. The actor mentioned that he would be on a diet of water, an apple, coffee, and whiskey. He also mentioned that he would smoke a lot while playing the part.
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Christian Bale Regretted His Decision To Lose Weight ForThe Machinist
Christian Bale’s role as the malnourished insomniac Trevor Reznik inThe Machinistwas only the beginning of a career filled with radical physical transformations. Right after filmingThe Machinist, the actor reportedly had to bulk up to join the production of Christoper Nolan’sBatman Begins.
The actor lost weight again for his Oscar-winning role as a cancer patient inThe Fighter. Bale also gained weight for his role in David O Russell’sAmerican Hustleand then gained more weight for the role of Dick Cheney inVice. He then had to lose that weight to film the sports dramaFord v Ferrari.
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Christian Bale has mentioned that he has come to regret the rapid physical transformations, including that ofThe Machinist. The actor mentioned that he now felt that the effort was a bad idea as it did not fetch him anything in the end. He said to GQ,
“There was no money in it and it was like, ‘Ooh bloody hell, I’m gonna lose my place or [where] I’m living,’ and I was quite newly married and all that, so it wasn’t the business smart thing to do.”
The Machinistwas made at a modest budget of $5 million and grossed only $8.2 million upon release. The film gained critical praise due to Bale’s performance and commitment and has since attained cult status.
The Machinistis currently streaming on Paramount+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
