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Actors adopting the method acting approach isn’t a rare phenomenon in Hollywood. From Daniel Day-Lewis learning boxing for 18 months for the movieThe Boxerto Al Pacino taking advice from a school for the blind forScent of a Woman, fans have come across plenty of eccentric stories of actors breaking barriers to better their performances.
However, not many can boast of having immersed themselves so deep into their pursuit that they become unrecognizable. That’s exactly what Christian Bale achieved with his preparations forAmerican Hustle, surprising even Robert De Niro.
Read more:“I couldn’t piss for three movies”: Christian Bale Revealed His Batman Suit Was a Nightmare After Meeting Ben Affleck in Halloween Shop
How Christian Bale Confused Robert De Niro During the Filming of American Hustle
Christian Baleplayed the role of Irving Rosenfeld inAmerican Hustle, the story centered around con artists Irving and Sydney (Amy Adams), who are forced to work for an FBI agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper).
Bale’s character was loosely based on con artist Melvin Weinberg, one of the main figures in the 1970s sting operation Abscam. He needed to look out of shape and overweight to fit Irving’s description.
Most actors would wear a fat suit to achieve the appearance, but theAmerican Psychoactor instead decided to put on a lot of weight and simply eat everything he could get his hands on. He toldPeople:
“I ate lots of doughnuts, a whole lot of cheeseburgers, and whatever I could get my hands on. I literally ate anything that came my way. I was about 185 and went up to 228. I’m still working it off.”
The actor also started sporting a bald look to get further closer to his target. However, the 43-pound weight gain and that hairdo made him appear so different thatRobert De Nirofailed to recognize him. Speaking toContact Music, director David O. Russell recalled the meeting:
“We wanted to do something he’d never done before. When he met the whole cast he shook their hands and said, ‘Who’s that guy?’ And I said, ‘You just met him, that’s Christian Bale’. He goes, ‘Wow, he looks so different. He looks great!’ He didn’t realize he just met him and I had to reintroduce them.
De Niro joined theAmerican Hustleteam for an uncredited cameo appearance as Mafia boss Victor Tellegio.
Read more:“What a diet for a mother to prescribe”: Christian Bale’s Mom Wanted Him on a “s*x, drugs and rock’n’roll” Diet for $8.6M Box Office Disaster
How Christian Bale Prepared for His Role in The Machinist
Bale’s hard work did pay off, earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. However, his acting catalog is so esteemed that his portrayal of Irving would struggle to come close to some of his best performances.
In particular, the Oscar-winning actor’s fans cherish his performance inThe Machinist, wherein he played the role of Trevor Reznik, an insomniac lathe operator, who experiences unusual occurrences at work and home, having not slept for months.
He lost around 60 pounds and weighed 120 pounds for the 2004 Indie drama. For diet, he depended on a can of tuna and apple a day, in addition to whisky and cigarettes. Bale later admitted (viaGQ) that he went too far in preparing for the role.
Read more:Christian Bale Claims One Oscar Winning Actor, Who Gained 60lbs For a Movie, is Better Than Him at Body Transformations
Vishal Singh
Articles Published :513
Vishal Singh is a Content Writer at FandomWire. Having spent more than half a decade in the digital media space, Vishal specializes in crafting engaging entertainment- and sports-focused stories. He graduated from university with an honors degree in English Literature.
