Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Christian Bale
How Christian Bale built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Christian Bale is a highly acclaimed English actor recognized for his versatility and commitment to his roles, often involving significant physical transformations. A leading man across various genres, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bale has also been nominated for four British Academy Film Awards. His talent and success have placed him among the highest-paid actors, as recognized by Forbes magazine in 2014.
1966: 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race
In 2019, Christian Bale portrayed Ken Miles in the sports drama "Ford v Ferrari", the film follows Miles and automotive designer Carroll Shelby, in events surrounding the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
1984: The Nerd in the West End
In 1984, Christian Bale performed opposite Rowan Atkinson in the play "The Nerd" in the West End.
1986: Minor Role in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna
In 1986, Christian Bale secured a minor role in the television film "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna".
1987: Role in Empire of the Sun
In 1987, at age 13, Christian Bale was chosen to portray a British boy in World War II Japanese internment camp for Steven Spielberg's film "Empire of the Sun".
1987: Breakthrough Role in Empire of the Sun
In 1987, at the age of 13, Christian Bale had his breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's war film, "Empire of the Sun".
1989: Henry V
In 1989, actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh persuaded Christian Bale to appear in his film "Henry V", which drew him back into acting.
1992: Starring Role in Newsies
In 1992, Christian Bale starred in the Disney musical film "Newsies", which was unsuccessful at the box office and with critics.
1993: Appearance in Swing Kids
In 1993, Christian Bale appeared in "Swing Kids", a film about teenagers who secretly listen to forbidden jazz during the rise of Nazi Germany.
1994: Role in Little Women
In 1994, Christian Bale played Theodore "Laurie" Laurence in Gillian Armstrong's film "Little Women", following a recommendation from Winona Ryder.
1994: Little Women release
In 1994, the film Little Women was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
1995: Voice Acting in Pocahontas
In 1995, Christian Bale voiced Thomas in the Disney animated film "Pocahontas".
1995: Pocahontas release
In 1995, the film Pocahontas was released, which is one of Bale's highest-grossing films.
1996: Small Part in The Portrait of a Lady
In 1996, Christian Bale played a small part in the film "The Portrait of a Lady", based on the Henry James novel of the same name.
1998: Appearance in Velvet Goldmine
In 1998, Christian Bale appeared in the musical film "Velvet Goldmine", set in the 1970s during the glam rock era.
1999: Role in A Midsummer Night's Dream
In 1999, Christian Bale was part of an ensemble cast in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play.
April 2000: Release of American Psycho
In April 2000, "American Psycho" was released, becoming a commercial and critical success and later developing a cult following. Christian Bale played Patrick Bateman.
2000: Portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
In 2000, Christian Bale gained wider recognition for his portrayal of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy "American Psycho".
2002: Multiple Film Appearances
In 2002, Christian Bale appeared in three films: "Laurel Canyon", "Reign of Fire", and "Equilibrium".
October 2004: Release of The Machinist
In October 2004, "The Machinist" was released. Christian Bale starred as the insomnia-ridden, emotionally dysfunctional title character.
2004: Title Role in The Machinist
In 2004, Christian Bale gained wider recognition for his role in the thriller "The Machinist".
June 2005: Batman Begins Released in the US
In June 2005, "Batman Begins" was released in the US. Christian Bale portrayed Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan's reboot of the Batman film series.
December 2005: Release of The New World
In December 2005, "The New World", a historical drama film inspired by the stories of Pocahontas, directed by Terrence Malick, was released, with Christian Bale portraying colonist John Rolfe.
2005: Batman Begins Release
In 2005, Christian Bale played Batman in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins", the first movie of the "Dark Knight" trilogy.
2005: Howl's Moving Castle and Batman Begins releases
In 2005, the films Howl's Moving Castle and Batman Begins were released, with Howl's Moving Castle being one of Bale's highest-scoring films and Batman Begins being one of his highest-grossing films.
2006: The Prestige
In 2006, Christian Bale starred in the film "The Prestige", directed by Christopher Nolan, about a rivalry between two Victorian era magicians. The film, based on Christopher Priest's novel, earned $110 million against a $40 million budget and attracted acclaim from critics.
2006: Starring Role in The Prestige
In 2006, outside of his work as Batman, Christian Bale had a starring role in Nolan's period drama "The Prestige".
2007: Drama films: I'm Not There and 3:10 to Yuma
In 2007, Christian Bale starred in the drama films "I'm Not There", portraying two incarnations of Bob Dylan, and "3:10 to Yuma", playing a justice-seeking cattleman.
2007: Rescue Dawn and 3:10 to Yuma releases
In 2007, the films Rescue Dawn and 3:10 to Yuma were released, which are some of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
February 2008: Cast as John Connor in Terminator Salvation
In February 2008, Warner Bros. announced that Christian Bale would star as John Connor in the film "Terminator Salvation".
July 2008: The Dark Knight Release
In July 2008, Christian Bale reprised his role as Batman in Christopher Nolan's sequel, "The Dark Knight", which was released to critical acclaim and grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Bale performed many of his own stunts.
2008: Financial Crisis
Christian Bale starred as Michael Burry, an antisocial hedge fund manager, in Adam McKay's The Big Short, a biographical comedy-drama film about the 2008 financial crisis.
2008: The Dark Knight release
In 2008, The Dark Knight film was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
May 2009: Terminator Salvation Release and Reviews
In May 2009, "Terminator Salvation" was released to tepid reviews. Some critics considered Christian Bale's performance to be one-dimensional.
July 2009: Public Enemies Release
In July 2009, Christian Bale starred as FBI agent Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies", alongside Johnny Depp. The film was released to critical praise and commercial success.
2009: Starring Roles in Terminator Salvation and Public Enemies
In 2009, Christian Bale had starring roles in the action film "Terminator Salvation" and the crime drama "Public Enemies".
2009: Terminator Salvation release
In 2009, the film Terminator Salvation was released, which is one of Bale's highest-grossing films.
2010: Academy Award for The Fighter
In 2010, Christian Bale won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund in David O. Russell's biographical film "The Fighter".
2010: The Fighter release
In 2010, the film The Fighter was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
2011: The Flowers of War
In 2011, Christian Bale starred in Zhang Yimou's historical drama film "The Flowers of War", which was the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year. However, critics described it as nationalistic and melodramatic.
2012: End of The Dark Knight Trilogy
In 2012, Christian Bale concluded his role as superhero Batman in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy.
2012: The Dark Knight Rises release
In 2012, the film The Dark Knight Rises was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring and highest-grossing films.
2013: Academy Award Nomination for American Hustle
In 2013, Christian Bale received an Academy Award nomination for his work in Russell's black comedy "American Hustle".
2013: Out of the Furnace and American Hustle
In 2013, Christian Bale starred in "Out of the Furnace" and "American Hustle". He gained 43 pounds for "American Hustle", suffering a herniated disc in the process. His performance earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.
2013: American Hustle release
In 2013, the film American Hustle was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
December 2014: Exodus: Gods and Kings Release
In December 2014, Christian Bale starred as Moses in Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings". The film faced accusations of whitewashing, and critical response was mixed.
2014: Starring Role in Exodus: Gods and Kings
In 2014, Christian Bale had a starring role in the epic film "Exodus: Gods and Kings".
2014: Exodus: Gods and Kings release
In 2014, the film Exodus: Gods and Kings was released, which is one of Bale's highest-grossing films.
February 2015: Knight of Cups Premiere
In February 2015, Christian Bale appeared in Terrence Malick's drama "Knight of Cups", which premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. Bale filmed the project without having learned any dialogue.
2015: Academy Award Nomination for The Big Short
In 2015, Christian Bale received an Academy Award nomination for his work in Adam McKay's biographical satire "The Big Short".
2015: The Big Short release
In 2015, the film The Big Short was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
2016: The Promise
In 2016, Christian Bale starred in "The Promise", a historical drama set during the Armenian genocide. The film was not well-received by critics and accrued a significant financial loss.
2017: Hostiles
In 2017, Christian Bale starred in Scott Cooper's film "Hostiles", playing a US Army officer. Bale learned the Cheyenne language for the film.
2018: Vice
In 2018, Christian Bale portrayed US Vice President Dick Cheney in the biographical comedy-drama "Vice". He gained over 40 pounds for the role, which earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. During his Golden Globe acceptance speech, Bale thanked Satan for inspiring his Cheney portrayal.
2018: Academy Award nomination for Vice
In 2018, Christian Bale received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category for his performance in the film Vice.
2018: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
In 2018, Christian Bale voiced Bagheera in the adventure film "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle".
2018: Second Golden Globe for Vice
In 2018, Christian Bale won a second Golden Globe for portraying politician Dick Cheney in the biographical satire "Vice". He also received an Academy Award nomination for this role.
2019: Role in Ford v Ferrari
In 2019, Christian Bale played Ken Miles in the sports drama "Ford v Ferrari".
2019: Ford v Ferrari release
In 2019, the film Ford v Ferrari was released, which is one of Bale's highest-scoring films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
July 2022: Thor: Love and Thunder Release
In July 2022, Christian Bale played Gorr the God Butcher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Thor: Love and Thunder".
October 2022: Amsterdam Release
In October 2022, Christian Bale produced and appeared in David O. Russell's period film "Amsterdam", which received dire reviews and failed at the box office.
December 2022: The Pale Blue Eye Release
In December 2022, "The Pale Blue Eye", starring Christian Bale and adapted from the novel by Louis Bayard, was released, receiving mixed reviews.
2022: Role in Thor: Love and Thunder
In 2022, Christian Bale played Gorr the God Butcher in the superhero film "Thor: Love and Thunder".
2022: Thor: Love and Thunder release
In 2022, the film Thor: Love and Thunder was released, which is one of Bale's highest-grossing films.
2023: The Boy and the Heron
In 2023, Christian Bale voiced a character in an English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki's film "The Boy and the Heron".
March 6, 2026: The Bride! Release
Christian Bale is set to play Frankenstein's monster in Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Bride!", scheduled for release on March 6, 2026.
Mentioned in this timeline
Steven Spielberg is a highly successful American filmmaker who played...
Bob Dylan is a highly influential American singer-songwriter renowned as...
CNN Cable News Network is a multinational news organization founded...
Hugh Jackman is a celebrated Australian and British actor singer...
China officially the People's Republic of China PRC is an...
Germany officially the Federal Republic of Germany is a Central...
Trending
Santa Monica a coastal city in Los Angeles County California boasts a population of as per the census Known for...
36 minutes ago Aaron Sorkin to Write and Direct 'The Social Network' Sequel at Sony.
8 days ago Fritz vs. Moutet: Queen's Tennis 2025 Preview, Odds, and Live Updates
3 months ago Ackman warns of "economic nuclear winter," urges tariff pause, asks leaders not to wait on Trump.
4 days ago Tom Hardy's 'Lawless': A Career-Defining Western Now Streaming Free, Fans of '1923' Rejoice
26 days ago Velvet Taco Expands to Raleigh: North Hills Location for Bold Flavors
Popular
Sergio Gor is a Maltese American businessman and political operative...
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Cristiano Ronaldo often called CR is a Portuguese professional footballer...
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a prominent German politician...
John M Keane is a retired American general formerly the...