Christian Bale's Co-Stars Called Him 'Worst Actor Ever' During Filming
The Batman star discovered years later that his American Psycho castmates thought he was terrible during production, completely unaware of their harsh judgment until a co-star revealed the truth.
Few performers in Hollywood match Christian Bale's range. From Batman in Christopher Nolan's trilogy to experimental films like Terrence Malick's The New World, his career spans blockbusters and art house cinema alike. Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun launched his career in 1987, but Mary Harron's American Psycho made him a star.
Playing Patrick Bateman, the murderous Wall Street executive, Bale created a character that still captivates audiences decades later. Bret Easton Ellis doubted his novel could work on screen, yet the film became a cultural touchstone. Its savage takedown of capitalism and consumer culture resonates today, turning Bateman into internet meme gold.
The Hidden Criticism
Critics praised Bale's performance then, and it's only grown in reputation since. But in a candid MovieMaker interview, Bale revealed a shocking truth: his castmates despised working with him. They thought he couldn't act at all.
He remained clueless during filming. Josh Lucas broke the news years later when they worked together again. "Josh Lucas and I did a film together recently, and he opened my eyes to something that I had been unaware of," Bale said. "He informed me that all of the other actors thought that I was the worst actor they'd ever seen. He was telling me they kept looking at me and talking about me, saying, 'Why did Mary fight for this guy? He's terrible.' And it wasn't until he saw the film that he changed his mind. And I was in the dark completely about that critique."
Method Acting Misunderstandings
Chloë Sevigny shared similar frustrations in the same oral history. She struggled with Bale's intense method approach, being relatively new to film at the time. "Working with Christian was pretty hard because I didn't know this whole Method thing," she explained. "I was pretty fresh. I hadn't done that many films before, and that an actor would lose himself to such a degree and was so consumed by the part, I was having a hard time kind of… just wanting to socialise with him, but feeling that he didn't, and then my ego being like, Does he not like me? Does he think I'm a terrible actress?"
The cast's complaints missed the point. Bale's method captured Bateman's contradictions perfectly, setting him up for bigger roles ahead.
Evolution of a Reputation
Bale's intense reputation stuck through several demanding roles. A leaked audio clip of him yelling at a crew member didn't help matters. But by American Hustle, things had changed.
Bradley Cooper praised working with him: "It's usually hard to meet your heroes. There's a fear they won't live up to your hopes. But he far exceeded my expectations. He's giving and natural and someone who loves to laugh."
Bale explained his on-set seriousness: "I tend to stay in character between scenes, to be rather serious on set, but here's why, and I think people will find it surprising. I'm one of the worst 'corpses' on a movie set, which means you can't keep a straight face. You start to get the giggles, and you can't stop. I never want to step out of a scene and be objective because as soon as I do, I find it hilarious."
Age may have softened his approach slightly, but Bale's dedication remains. His process works, even when others don't understand it.