Talk:Christian Bale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Christian Bale article.
Article policies
Good article Christian Bale has been listed as one of the Arts good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can delist it, or ask for a reassessment.

Contents

[edit] Welsh and English?

How can someone be Welsh born and be an English actor? Surely this should read Welsh born and British actor? 68.219.227.41 02:50, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

Correct, he is Welsh, but he's turned his back on his country to pretend he is English so his popularity in America increases. No matter what he likes to think, he is Welsh.

Will you please listen to yourself, its pathetic. "He's turned his back on his country", this isnt the middle ages! He was born in Wales to English parents, and has never lived there since a very young age. As you will see from the discussion below, other famous people were born abroad, but that doens't make them that nationality. Angela Thorne was born in Pakistan, is she Pakistani? No. This applies to many people. Bale is of English ancestry, English upbringing and, its believed, called himself English; to say he's Welsh because he was born there is totally illogical. --Berks105 16:14, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Angela Thorne was born in Pakistan, is she Pakistani? No.'

That is completely different, Wales and England are not independent states where citizenships and such like exist. Christian Bale's parent are of British citizenship, not English so he can not simply choose to be English. Angela Thorne can choose to be British, as her parents are of British citizenship, and I'm assuming she now is, but she can not choose to be English.

There again you are wrong. Angela Thorne is English, she was born in Pakistan (then India) because her parents were working there at the time. Your sentance "Christian Bale's parent are of British citizenship", then put him as British then! Not one is of English, Scottish or Welsh citizenship as they are not independant countries, but people from those countries and with that heritage are that nationality. See more at your Talk Page. --Berks105 18:45, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
How exactly does this Angela Thorne (whoever she is) qualify to be English? --Wiki119
Because her parents were English, she grew up there, lives there. You cannot, as you seem to suggest, judge someone nationality by their place of birth. --Berks105 20:17, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
How ridiculous. His parents are of English ancestry, therefore he is English. Fact. --Krsont 17:47, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

Of course you can have different Nationality than that which you were born to, otherwise Kiefer Sutherland would be English and John McEnroe would be German! Madjackmcmad 20:01, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Is Bruce Willis German? Whataboutbob 19:55, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Can't the problem be solved by changing it into "He's a British actor"??? --Nikachu 11:26, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

How do people actually know his parents are of English ancestry? According to David Bale his father was born in South Africa. Gustav von Humpelschmumpel 14:25, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

I'd come here to read more about Mr Bale having seen Empire of the Sun again for the umpteenth time. Highlighting the fact he was born in Wales in the opening paragraph is misleading, in that the reader is lead to believe the subject is of Welsh extraction. And he isn't, his mother happened to have given birth there. Eddie Izzard was born in Aden but he's not Yemeni is he? ThwartedEfforts (talk) 18:15, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

Bale has stated several times that he was born in Wales but considers himself English. His parents are English and he is English. Being born in a country doesnt necessary mean that you take it's nationality. For example my cousin was born in Singapore, it doesnt make him Singaporean. If someone can find a quote of Bale saying that he is English (im sure i've seen this a few times) and cite it then we can put 'an English actor' then put 'Welsh town, Wales' under place of birth. As far as i know this is the normal procedure for people born in places they do not identify themselves as being nationals of. Also, the comment about Wales not being independent but having a GBR passport is not relevant in this situation because if it were the case then all people born in Britain would be listed as 'British' rather than Welsh, Scottish, English etc. Anyway, i think in this case that we should cite Bale and use his view of his nationality as fact.LufbraDan (talk) 06:01, 5 June 2008 (UTC)LufbraDan

[edit] Religion

Has Christian Bale ever stated what his spiritual beliefs are? I'm just wondering, and I find it interesting that not much is known about his personal life. The only reason I'm bringing this up is so we can have every angle on Christian Bale. I'm not sure if somebody missed this detail, or if he's never given it.



Who cares what the man's religious beliefs are, isn't he entitled to some privacy? Having "every angle on his life" is just ridiculous. Effj00 16:48, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

Most of this section needs to go: e.g., "has two dogs called Mojo and Ramone and three cats called Miriam, Molly, and Lilly." An encyclopedia article is an overview or summary of human knowledge about a topic, not collection of trivia. — Matt Crypto 00:31, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Weight Loss/Gain

Bale didn't actually "gain back his original weight plus 20 pounds" for Batman--the fact that he gained the weight back and then some was actually a real problem, and he had to work out with a trainer in order to get in good enough shape to fit in the Batsuit. He comments in the DVD extras that that some of the crew members who knew him asked jokingly "Are we doing Batman or Fatman?" nmw 08:43, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Beard/Method

Who edited this page and took away that bearded pic of Christian and wrote Method Actor, he isn't a method actor, he's a character actor, calling him a method actor is insulting. --Killingthedream 11:28, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

I've no idea regarding your question, however I came here to ask whether Bale would be classified as a method actor, as he is often referred to in sources (e.g. here) and there's no such reference in the article. What makes him a character actor and not a method actor? Why would that be an insult anyway, since method actors are often highly regarded? No interest in ruffling any feathers here  :-) , just curious and trying to present the best article possible. --Estarriol talk 14:05, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

That's fine and all but Wikipedia should be about Truth. It doesn't matter if Method actors are highly regarded, he isn't one. In fact that is not true, many film fans consider 'the method' a lazy form of acting. Bale himself has said he isn't one because Method actors rely on their own emotions and memories to create a character, they also stay in character during a shoot. Bale creates characters from the inside out and doesn't believe in relying in ones own memories to act. That's why he isn't a Method actor.--60.240.123.229 (talk) 11:14, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Great Britain

Does Bale really speak with a Welsh accent? I don't see how that's possible, since he left Wales before he could talk. He has repeatedly stated over the years that, while he has no objection to being thought Welsh, he considers himself English. To my Yank ear, his accent is indeed typically English and not identifiably regional (i.e., Cockney, Cornish, Liverpuddlian, etc.).Magicmote 22:21, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 5 images!?

Isn't that way too many? We don't need all of them, and most of them should go. Atropos 04:28, 31 March 2006 (UTC)


And shouldn't there be a main non-character photo of Bale in the top right of the page (with DOB etc)? --KevinClayton 14:39, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Parentage

I would like to say that I posted a question as to whether it was definite as to who his mother is. This was erroneously removed as vandalism for some reason. There is ,i would like to point out , a significant debate as to who Bale's natural mother is and for that reason i don't think it should be definitively stated as Jenny James.

[edit] Dragon Ball Z

A sentence in the article of the character Vegeta from Dragonball Z stated that Dragonball Z was going to be made into a film, and that Bale had signed up to play Vegeta. Is this true?

Well common sense would suggest that's not true, considering he's too tall. At one point however, Hugh Jackman signed on to play Goku, but he dropped out.

LOL I could see him playing the pissed off Sayain prince but I could also see him playing Piccolo

[edit] Name?

Is it Christian Charles Philip Bale or Christian Morgan Bale? Searches on both yield significant results. --Antrophica 00:28, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

I have found Yahoo movies more accurate so I'd go with Morgan. Arniep 21:17, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Good Article listing

With the excellent referencing, NPOV and well-written prose, I believe this article meets Good Article standards, and have marked it as so. Please discuss any disagreement in this section. — Estarriol talk 11:41, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Well, hopefully it does. I spent two and a half straight days on it. --Antrophica 12:02, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Re-Submit to WP:FA?

This article looks very good. One section could use expanding or just a merge. Early life and Career. That's about it.. Bugs5382 09:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fat 'Conversion'

In the section regarding Bale's weight shifts from 'The Machinist' to 'Batman Begins' there is an (understandable) error: "gaining exactly one hundred pounds in six months. He then worked toward converting most of it into muscle". This is a physiological impossibility, you do not convert fat into anything other than usable energy for the body. Muscle and fat are two different tissue types... -- romeo_uva 01:42, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

To be fair, that implies that he converted his extra weight rather than specifically fat into muscle. --AJKGordon 14:10, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Christian Bale is English

christian bale who has English parents and was brought up in England allways considers himself English like the English born John Rhys-Davies considers himself Welsh.

  • I can sift through the internet and find interviews, articles, etc. that say Christian Bale is Welsh. Apparently Michael Caine told an interviewer that Bale calls himself Welsh. Being a British actor working in the United States, that quote could have just been Bale yielding to the common practise of Americans to call anyone from the British Isles "English" (with the exception of the Irish of course). I don't think that is legitimate proof of what Bale considers himself, which is really unimportant anyway. If you were born in Wales, you are Welsh. I am not going to change it again, because it is not important enough and I don't see the need for "edit wars". Movementarian (Talk) 03:02, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm afraid i too can sift through the internet and on IMDB alone find two quotes where he calls himself English, he also has a clear English accent (when it is not American!). You cannot seriously believe that a persons place of birth defines their nationality, there are plenty of examples of that not being the case on Wikipedia. I also have to say that i find it hard to believe that if he thought of himself as Welsh he would openly say he was English to please the Americans! Considering he left Wales at the age of 2 and has English parents i fail to see how he could see himself as Welsh. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.3.114.157 (talk • contribs)

  • I can say he is Welsh because he was born there, it is called Jus soli. An excellent arguement can be made either way, or you could go the other by saying he is Portuguese. Movementarian (Talk) 08:41, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
    • I don't think this really applies as Wales and England are legally the same country (UK). The fact he was born in Wales gives him no special citizenship rights he wouldnt have got if he was born in England. --Berks105 10:03, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

That very article describes objective nationality as being the mainstay, i think that is far more approriate here. Nationality is what you percieve yourself and nothing to do with Jus Soli. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.166.67.227 (talk • contribs)

  • I disagree. Nationality has much to do with where you were born. There are other ways to determine ones nationality, but birth has much to do with it. I can believe that I am Japanese all day long, but that does not make it true. Movementarian (Talk) 09:18, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
  • The fact Christian Bale was born in Wales is totally immaterial. Angela Thorne was born in India/Pakistan but now one is calling her Indian. This applies to many other actors. You are Welsh born in you have Welsh heritage but then move abroad, to American say. Someone who has English parents, who was born in Wales and lived their for only 2 years is not Welsh-born. Bale even calls himself English (as referenced), so putting Welsh-born is totally riduclous. --Berks105 09:59, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
    • Someone who is born in Wales is Welsh-born, it seems kind of simple. If Wales and England are the same country, as you say above (you aren't Welsh are you?) why not call him a British actor? Movementarian (Talk) 10:36, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
      • Legally Wales and England are the same country. I would not wish to call him British as it is too general, and importantly he himself calls himself English. The country of someone's birth is totally immaterial to their nationality, as I said before would you call Angela Thorne Indian-born or Francesca Annis Brazillian-born? No of course you wouldn't, so there is no reason to call Bale Welsh-born.--Berks105 11:07, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
        • Please don't assume that you can answer a question for me, it is insulting and patronising. You never know if I would consider Angela Thorne an Indian or Francesca Annis a Brazilian, which is not the best of analogies anyway. This is more akin to whether a Canadian who is born in Quebec is a French-Canadian even though his parents are from Ontario. It is much more palatable to call Bale a British actor, rather than alienating the Welsh or English (BBC Wales calls him Welsh, you can scour the internet and make a case for either.). One quote in one interview does not make a concrete case for nationality. The fact that his parents are English is just as immaterial, as his father is now an American. Why does he have to be one or the other, why can't he be British? Movementarian (Talk) 11:56, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
          • I just believe that British is too general, we could describe everyone from the whole of the UK as British. His parents are English (someone's parents do have a baring on the child's nationality to an extent), and I really don't believe that spending the first two years of his life in Wales means that he has to be British not English. He has lived in England ever since, has English parents and calls himself English. Surely this is enough? --Berks105 12:27, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
            • Bale spent his childhood in Wales, England, Portugal, and the United States. He called himself English one time, in one interview. His dad is now an American. Movementarian (Talk) 12:37, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
              • I thought his father was dead? But anyway, I think the important thing is what he calls himself (see also Keira Knightley, where we sourced her calling herself English). He also calls himself English according to this [1] (look to the bottom of page). --Berks105 12:41, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
                • If you want Christian Bale then you have to take Madonnna too. Movementarian (Talk) 12:44, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
  • I've changed the entry back to welsh-born english actor, since welsh born british actor makes no sense at all. All Welsh born people are british citizens anyway.

[edit] Profile Picture

Alright, what sense does it make to have a picture of Bale as a child?? Especially since his success has come post-2000.

  • Reply: Yeah, I agree with your opinion. It seems a a-bit stupid to have a picture of him as a "Man-Child". The Bale article also has many POV statements without citing any sources.
    • I didn't even see the discussion, but I changed this already. -Mike Payne 15:19, 16 March 2007 (UTC)


Um... Why is that obviously photoshopped picture of Christian Bale in place of the previously decent Equilibrium picture? Someone asleep at the wheel or what?

[edit] 11-year gap

The article starts dealing deeply with his very first performances up to 1989, and then suddenly goes straight to 1999, leaving a 11-year gap. That is hardly a "good article" feature, no matter how well written is the rest. I mean, there is obviously a need of development there, even if Bale's career "really" started with American Psycho. Nazroon 17:11, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

I started just a little something in regards to his early career. I haven't seen all of those movies in the '90s, but I have seen those two. Perhaps someone can expand on that.Splent

This is an excellent article read concerning Christian Bale for whom I earlier confused with Jim Cavaziel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Berniethomas68 19:00, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Slight factual error!

In the reference "Bale is an admirer of howl's moving castle", the interview has nothing at all to do with it. Inaccuracy or am i overlooking something? ♥♥ ΜÏΠЄSΓRΘΠ€ ♥♥ slurp me! 21:11, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Filmography

Someone has added in Metal Gear Solid as a movie he is attached to.Their have been no rumours or mention of him being anyway involved in the project.Suggest that it should be removed as their is no verifiable information regarding it.

No he's not attached He did express interest and Kojima-san said he wanted Bale or Hugh Jackman--Change is coming and potter should have died

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:420464253 e110e7347f.jpg

Image:420464253 e110e7347f.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 13:24, 26 October 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Not a Method Actor

Method Actors rely on their own memories and emotions to create a character. Bale has often said he doesn't believe in that style and instead creates characters from the inside out, and learnt by just observing people as stated even in this new interview http://aintitcool.com/node/33824. Method Actors(varied examples being Daniel Day-Lewis, Angelina Jolie, David Morse) also stay in character during shoots whilst Bale has said he doesn't find it necessary. Method Actors are generally taught a 'Method' of acting, hence the name, Bale is self taught. --Killingthedream 18:57, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The Machinist - doctor

In the article it states that the director and Bale's doctor forbade him from losing anymore weight, but in this interview Bale says he wasn't under a doctor's care during the filming of The Machinist. I'm sure it could be fixed easily, but I couldn't put it into the right words. Someone else mind doing it? Chickenmonkey (talk) 09:05, 5 May 2008 (UTC)