Christian Morgan Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales on January 30, 1974. He is the son of circus performer Jenny Bale and former commercial pilot David Bale. He grew up in England, Portugal and the United States of America. His education includes attending secondary school in Bournemouth, England and college in Southern California in the mid-1990s. He is currently married to Sibi Blasic (aka Sandra Blasic, Sandra Bale).
Bale's first job in front of audiences was in a Pac-Man cereal commercial. He then made his stage debut at the age of ten, playing opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson in The Nerd. In 1986, he debuted on television as Alexis in the miniseries Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. He caught the eye of co-star Amy Irving, who was Steven Spielberg's wife at the time. The director cast Christian in his next project, Empire of the Sun (1987) which gave Bale excellent publicity. In 1992, Bale had a starring role in Disney's Newsies and later on went to play roles in Swing Kids (1993) and was hand-picked by Winona Ryder to play Laurie in the adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women (1994).
He has also worked in independent films, appearing with Nicole Kidman in Portrait of a Lady (1996) and Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine (1998). Bale starred alongside Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rupert Everett in a lavish adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1999. His most famous role to date is his starring role in the controversial adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho. Most recently, he has starred in Reign of Fire (2002) and Equilibrium (2002).
Trivia:
His father David married feminist icon Gloria Steinem on September 3, 2000.
He supports various charities and is active in many organizations, including Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Foundation and a charity for streetkids in Rio De Janeiro.
His grandfather doubled for John Wayne in two movies, in Africa.
Quote:
"I don't want to know about the lives of other actors and I don't want people to know too much about me. If we don't know about the private lives of other actors, that leaves us as clean slates when it comes to playing characters. That's the point, they can create these other characters and I can believe them. I think if you're a good enough actor, that's the way to longevity in the film business. Keep everybody guessing."
Awards and Nominations:
1987 - Won the NBR Award for Best Juvenile Performance for: Empire of the Sun (1987)
1989 - Won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for: Empire of the Sun (1987)
1993 - Nominated for the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture for: Newsies (1992)
1994 - Nominated for the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Motion Picture for: Swing Kids (1993)
2001 - Nominated for the Empire Award for Best British Actor for: American Psycho (2000)
2001 - Nominated for the ALFS Award for British Actor of the Year for: American Psycho (2000)
2001 - Nominated for the OFCS Award for Best Actor
for: American Psycho (2000)
Filmography:
As an actor:
Machinist, The (2004) (pre-production) .... Trevor Reznik
Equilibrium (2002) .... John Preston
Reign of Fire (2002) .... Quinn
Laurel Canyon (2002) .... Sam
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) .... Mandras (The Greeks)
Shaft (2000) .... Walter Wade, Jr.
American Psycho (2000) .... Patrick Bateman
Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999) (TV) .... Jesus of Nazareth
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1999) .... Demetrius
All the Little Animals (1998) .... Bobby Platt
Velvet Goldmine (1998) .... Arthur Stuart
Metroland (1997) .... Chris
Portrait of a Lady, The (1996) .... Edward Rosier
Secret Agent, The (1996) .... Stevie
Pocahontas (1995) (voice) .... Thomas
Little Women (1994) .... Laurie
Prince of Jutland (1994) .... Prince Amled
Swing Kids (1993) .... Thomas Berger
Newsies (1992) .... Jack Kelly/Francis Sullivan
Murder of Quality, A (1991) (TV) .... Tim Perkins
Treasure Island (1990) (TV) .... Jim Hawkins
Henry V (1989) .... Falstaff's Boy
Empire of the Sun (1987) .... Jim
Mio min Mio (1987) .... Yum Yum
"Heart of the Country" (1986) (mini) TV Series .... Ben Harris
Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) (TV) .... Alexei
As himself:
Dying to Tell the Story (1998) (TV) (uncredited) .... Narrator/Voice of Dan Eldon
American Film Institute Salute to Steven Spielberg, The (1995) (TV) .... Himself
China Odyssey: 'Empire of the Sun', a film by Steven Spielberg, A (1987) (TV) .... Himself
Notable TV Guest Appearances:
"Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The" (1999) playing "Himself" 16 July 2002
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/Name?Bale,+Christian
http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/B/bale_christian/index.shtml
http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Bio/0,128,212,00.html
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&cf=gen&id=1800018597
http://www.cinema.com/search/person_detail.phtml?ID=40
http://www.skymovies.com/skymovies/article/0,,11027427,00.html