Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is an English actor who is known for his roles in the films Newsies, Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, The Prestige, and Batman Begins. Bale is also known for his versatility as an actor, including mimicking accents, harsh regimens of shedding and gaining weight (particularly for The Machinist, Batman Begins, and, most recently, Rescue Dawn), and generally inhabiting the characters he plays. Before he found success in playing Batman, he was heavily involved in independent films.
He's 33!
Bale first caught the public eye when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun at the age of 13, playing a British boy who becomes separated from his parents and subsequently finds himself in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Since then, he has portrayed a wide range of characters. Bale is especially noted for his cult following. The tenth anniversary issue of Entertainment Weekly hailed him as one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures of the Past Decade", citing his impressive cult status on the Internet. Entertainment Weekly also called Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment", after his performance in American Psycho.
Christian Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, the youngest of four children, to English parents, the businessman David Bale and circus performer Jenny James. Bale spent his childhood in several countries including the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the United States. David Bale was the driving force behind Christian Bale’s entry into acting, and his resignation from his job as a commercial pilot allowed him to fulfill a desire to travel the world and manage his son’s burgeoning career. The Bale family left Wales in 1976, when Christian Bale was two years of age. Having a mother who made her living at a circus was an interesting experience for him; he recalled receiving his first kiss from an acrobat named Barta. As a child, he trained in ballet and on the guitar. His sister Louise's work in theatre also influenced his decision to become an actor. Bale's family settled for four years in Bournemouth, where he attended Bournemouth School and participated actively in rugby.
Bale’s first foray into acting was a Lenor commercial in 1982, when he was 8. He appeared in a Pac-Man cereal commercial playing a child rock star a year later. In 1984, he made his stage debut in the West End play The Nerd, opposite Rowan Atkinson.
Personal Life:
On January 29, 2000, Bale married Sibi Blazic, who had formerly been a model, a make-up artist, and a personal assistant to Winona Ryder. He now lives with her in Los Angeles. Together they have a daughter who was born on March 27, 2005 in Santa Monica, California. Bale, notoriously private, has not publicly divulged her name.
Bale has three older sisters – Erin Bale, a musician; Sharon Bale, a computer professional; and Louise Bale, a theatre actress and director. The Bale family is deeply rooted in show business, especially theatre. Bale is a distant relative of British actress Lillie Langtry, while his uncle, Rex Bale, and maternal grandfather were actors as well.
Like his father David, Bale is known as a conservationist and an animal lover, and is a supporter of conservation and animal welfare groups like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund. Bale gained the famous feminist activist Gloria Steinem as a stepmother through his father’s marriage to her on September 3, 2000, before his death in 2003. Ironically, Steinem was one of the most vocal opponents of Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho.
Other January 30th Birthdays:
Gene Hackman-Actor -77
Phil Collins-Singer -56
Wilmer Valderrama-Actor -27
Published 1/30/07 by
Allie Is Wired
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