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Christian Bale’s serial killer outing in the 2000 filmAmerican Psychohas gained a cult following over the years. Bale’s Patrick Bateman became a reference for psychopathic characters in the movies that followed. Interestingly,The Dark Knightactor was not the first choice for the psycho-killer role, in fact, he had to fight for the role that rose him to prominence.
Mary Harron was initially set to direct the screenplay she co-wrote with Guinevere Turner, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name. Harron had also cast Bale in the lead, but in a turn of events, both of them were replaced by Oliver Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. However, Stone and DiCaprio left the project due to creative differences, forcing the production to considerThe Machinistactor.
Also Read:“I had no idea what I was unleashing”: Christian Bale Left His $34M Movie Director Speechless After Her Casual Comment Left Him Psychotically Obsessed
Christian Bale Had To Warn Off Ewan McGregor From Taking The Role
The producers were still hesitant to castChristian Balein the role, and they even consideredEwan McGregorfor the role. However, two things worked in favor of theFord v. Ferrariactor. Firstly, the studio rehired Mary Harron as the director, who insisted upon casting Bale in the lead role. Secondly, Bale could successfully warn McGregor against taking on the role. TheAmerican Hustleactor shared to Mirror:
“It reached the point where the film studio said about me, ‘Don’t mention his name again.’ But when Leo dropped out, the film company said, ‘Let’s call that crazy guy who keeps telling everyone he can play the lead.’ I even warned other actors off – including Ewan McGregor. I was not going to be bullied out of the part – I was going to stand up for myself and fight. So when I look back, problems in childhood can make you into the man you become.”
TheViceactor’s remarks referred to the bullying he had to suffer in his school years.The Fighteractor played the lead inSteven Spielberg‘s filmEmpire of the Sunin 1987. Following his popularity as a film star in a Spielberg film, he was bullied and considered quitting acting due to the overwhelming work pressure. However,The Prestigeactor decided against it, for financial reasons.
Also Read:“I loved the toxicity”: Christian Bale Had No Ill-Will Against Temperamental Director Who Almost Landed Batman Star in a Foreign Prison for the Most Bizarre Reason
Christian Bale Was Advised Against Taking On The Role
Before Christian Bale warned off theStar Warsactor, others tried to warn theLittle Womenactor against playing the psycho villain. According to them, Patrick Bateman could be a career killer as it would limit his options to only villainous roles. Some even cited the example of Anthony Perkins, who despite his talent, did not get diverse roles after his outing as Norman Bates inPsycho.
However, Christian Bale believed that the satirical nature of the film and Patrick Bateman’s character would be a lot different than the typical psycho villains. The gamble paid off handsomely, as the role propelledThe Big Shortactor into the ranks of Hollywood A-listers. The movie gained $34 million at the box office against a budget of $7 million.
Interestingly, theAmsterdamactor later found out that most of his co-actors thought him to be the worst actor. They even questioned Harron sticking up for such a subpar actor. However, their perception changed once they saw the reception that Bale got from the audience.
Also Read:“Every despicable stereotype about England and British actors”: Christian Bale Hated a Character So Much He Kicked the Bucket on Movie Franchise Bigger Than the Entire DCU
TheHostilesactor is now popularly known among movie lovers for his crazy physical transformations for different roles. Christian Bale’sAmerican Psychois now available for streaming on Peacock.
Source:Mirror
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
