Christian Bale’s physical transformations for movies – from skinny to huge

Christian Bale is responsible for some of the most drastic physical transformations shown on the big screen. From very skinny in “The Machinist” to huge playing The Batman in “The Dark Knight”, Bale’s physicality range knows no bounds. A dedicated actor in his art, Bale commits all the way for his roles and continuously delivers in both his on screen performance as well as his on screen appearance.

These are some of Christian Bale’s physical transformations on the big screen.

The Machinist

Four months prior to the production of “The Machinist”, Bale started to lose weight for this role. Starting at 180 pounds, Bale dropped an unbelievable 60 pounds to look extremely skinny. His diet during this time included one coffee, an apple and water. He also chain smoked cigarettes and drank whiskey to further lose weight. His dedication is revealed on the screen, with Bale looking scraggly and dangerously skinny.

Batman Begins/The Dark Knight

Bale put on 100 pounds for his role as The Batman, doing so in an unbelievable 6 months from his end of role in “The Machinist”. He used a typical workout body part split to focus on different muscle groups on different days. The effect is noticeable, The Batman looking large and intimidating on screen.

American Hustle

This role required Bale to pack on the weight again, but this time not through working out. He ate cheeseburgers, donuts and whatever else he could get his hands on for two months in order to get to 200 pounds, and visibly fatter. The effect is obvious on screen, with Bale sporting a belly and obviously looking much rounder when compared to “The Dark Knight”.

Christian Bale is a master of physical transformations, and he commits to his roles. From ridiculously skinny, to ripped and muscled, to fat and overweight, Bale can and will do it for a worthwhile movie role.