Share

Christian Bale biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Christian Bale
  • OCCUPATION: Film Actor
  • BIRTH DATE: January 30, 1974 (Age: 39)
  • EDUCATION: Bournemouth School
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
  • Full Name: Christian Charles Philip Bale
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius

Best Known For

Christian Bale is an award winning actor who as a child starred in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, and is also know for his roles in Batman movies.

Videos see all videos

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now
Christian Bale - Full Episode watch more videos (1)

Synopsis

Christian Bale was born January 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. In 1987 he played the starring role in Empire of the Sun. In 1994, Bale had a supporting role in the film adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women. Proving his range,

Bale played a preppy 1980s serial killer in American Psycho in 2000. He played Batman in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008).

Early Life

Born on January 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Starting his career as a child, Christian Bale has emerged as one of the most versatile actors in the entertainment industry. It seems that performing is in his genes with a mother who was a dancer and a clown and an older sister who was an actress. Even his grandfather was in the business, working as a stunt double for John Wayne on the 1962 film Hatari!

Bale landed his first commercial at the age of nine. Soon after, he was appearing on the London stage with comedian Rowan Atkinson in The Nerd. Steven Spielberg picked Bale out of 4,000 other young actors to play the part of Jim Graham in Empire of the Sun (1987). In the World War II drama, he played a young English boy growing up in China who ends up in a Japanese internment camp.

Bale's remarkable performance won him rave reviews as well as the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture and the National Board of Review's award for Best Juvenile Performance. Only 13 years old at the time, Bale found all of the attention unnerving at times. He was known to excuse himself from an interview to go to the bathroom, and then he would simply leave the building.

On the Big Screen

More parts followed, including a small role in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989). A few years later, Bale found himself in the musical Newsies (1992). He had signed on to the project about young people who sold newspapers on the street—called newsboys— before the musical numbers were added. A box office dud, the project ended up becoming one of the lowest-grossing films ever made by Walt Disney Pictures.

In 1994, Bale had a supporting role in the film adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women, starring Winona Ryder as Jo March. He played Ryder's love interest, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence. Soon after this film, Bale tackled another famous literary character, Edward Rosier, in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), opposite Nicole Kidman.

Reunited with Kenneth Branagh for A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Bale had a more substantial role this time around. He played Demetrius, a young man in love with Hermia (Anna Friel) who does not return his affections and instead is in love with Lysander (Dominic West). In turn, Demetrius is loved by Helena (Calista Flockhart). All sorts of craziness ensue when the four venture into a forest inhabited by faeries.

ADVERTISEMENT
328688 328688
profile id: 328688
profile name: Christian Bale
profile occupation:
related profile id: 328688
related profile name: Christian Bale
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/B/Christian-Bale-328688-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/christian-bale-328688
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups
      33 others

      Onscreen Superheroes

      The world craves the idea of unattainable perfection, and the superhero—an aspirational figure who is stronger, faster and smarter than the average human—is the epitome of human perfection. For more than two centuries, philosophers, comic book artists, writers and academics have debated the role of the superhero, from how they should interact with society to what they should wear when they're saving the world. And now, with the rash of superhero films in Hollywood, the debate becomes who should portray these larger-than-life characters on the big screen. Here are the actors and actresses who have been chosen to represent the mighty superhero. Whether it's running faster than the speed of light or stopping a speeding train with one hand, these performers are renowned for bringing the vision of the superhero to reality.

      View group

      Onscreen Superheroes 36 people in this group

      13 others

      Famous Welsh People

      View group

      Famous Welsh People 16 people in this group

      19 others

      Hotheads

      Any press is good press, they say. These celebrities have fame, fortune, and trouble controlling their anger. Some of Hollywood's biggest personalities, they take the drama off-camera into their real lives. Famously feuding with family, staff, and other actors, here are some of the most outrageous Hollywood hotheads.

      View group

      Hotheads 22 people in this group

    See all related groups

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!