Christian Bale’s Method Acting Left Co-Stars Baffled on Set

Christian Bale has built a reputation for taking on a wide range of roles, from blockbuster hits to indie favourites. His career is packed with memorable performances, but it was his turn as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho that really cemented his place as one of the most versatile actors around. While many point to Empire of the Sun as his big break, it was Mary Harron’s take on American Psycho that made him a household name. Bale’s portrayal of Bateman—a slick, unhinged investment banker with a violent streak—became a cult classic, especially among younger film fans. The film’s sharp look at capitalism and the dark side of consumer culture still strikes a chord, and Bateman’s character has even become a staple in online meme culture.

Despite the praise that’s grown over the years, Bale’s time on set wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. In a chat with MovieMaker, he shared that his fellow cast members actually thought he was hopeless during filming. He only found out later, when Josh Lucas filled him in.

“Josh Lucas and I did a film together recently, and he opened my eyes to something that I had been unaware of,” Bale revealed. “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”.

Co-Stars Struggled With Bale’s Intensity

Chloë Sevigny, who also starred in the film, admitted she found working with Bale tough. She wasn’t used to his full-on method approach and felt a bit left out.

“Working with Christian was pretty hard because I didn’t know this whole Method thing. 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?”

Even though the cast had their doubts, Bale’s commitment paid off. He managed to capture the contradictions of Bateman, and the experience set him up for even bigger roles down the track.

Bale’s Reputation and Changing Attitudes

Bale’s reputation for getting deep into character was already well known by the time he took on American Psycho. A leaked clip of him losing his cool on set didn’t help his image, but by the time he was filming American Hustle, things had changed. Bradley Cooper, who worked with him on that film, said,

“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 himself admits he tends to stay in character between takes, but there’s a reason for it.

“I tend to stay in character between scenes,” Bale admitted. “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.”

While he still sticks to his process, it seems he’s eased up a bit with age, finding a better balance between dedication and having a laugh with the crew.