It's hard to think that this is the same Christian Bale that once played 'Batman'. With a shaven head, and a bit more weight than we're used to seeing, Bale introduces us to his new character in the upcoming film 'Backseat'.
Bale will play the ex Vice President Dick Cheney, George Bush's second in command, and for the role, he's had to eat like your typical American on Thanksgiving. "I've just been eating a lot of pies", the actor told Variety, who revealed his character in a press release in LA just this week.
This isn't the first time the actor has had to undergo a dramatic change for a role. Bale lost a significant amount of weight, until he was almost skeletal, for his role in 'The Machinist' back in 2004. He then, regained the 32kg he lost, and hit the gym in preparation for 'Batman', for which he gained a further 14kg in muscle in just one year. Following that project, Bale lost weight for 'The Fighter' in 2010, and had to gain a beer belly for 'American Hustle' three years later.
It's unhealthy
It's crazy to think that it's the same person in each of the above photos. Whilst the change is admirable, it's not exactly good for your health, so there's no doubting Christian Bale's dedication to his roles. At 43 years old, the actor has admitted that he can't put his body through the same sort of extremes as he has done in the past. "I thought I was going to lose the weight I gained for American Hustle... It's almost six months later. Now I know that when I was in my early 20s it would have been two months and that's it", he said to USA Today.
We hope the actor hasn't put too much strain on his body, and that he begins to take a bit more care of himself. For now however, we can't complain given his long list of cinematic successes. We're sure 'Backseat' will be just as entertaining, but we'll have to wait until 2018 to find out.
