Christian Bale has been a professional actor since he was 12 years old, and in that time has both won an Oscar and played the lead role in of one of the most successful franchises of all time. What he's not particularly known for, however, is comedy. There are few titles on his filmography that are built specifically for laughs, and it's certainly not what he's known for. But while that may be true, Bale recently revealed he would be more that game to star in one of Vice director Adam McKay's "sillier" movies:
I'd be interested in working with [Adam McKay] on anything. He's shown an incredible ability to take things that most people would shy away from, un-cinematic, and make stunning films out of those. We've been able to do incredibly long hours and very tough films, but with the best of humor, and that's really quite remarkable. He's a really surprising individual, and a truly, astonishingly talented filmmaker.
Christian Bale and Adam McKay have developed a strong relationship in the last three years, collaborating on not only on Vice, but also the Best Picture-nominated The Big Short. Of course, those titles are far different from what we are used to seeing from McKay, whose most notable works include Anchorman and Step Brothers. During the recent Los Angeles press day for the Dick Cheney biopic, I asked Bale if he would be game to work with the writer/director on material that was a bit less serious, and his enthusiasm was real.
It should be noted that while The Big Short and Vice are primarily dominated by weighty material, both highlighting and exposing the closed-door horrors of the early aughts, they are films that are also highlighted by smart wit and big laughs. Whether he's Dr. Michael Burry stressing how subprime mortgages are going to collapse the housing market, or, as Dick Cheney, talking to President Gerald Ford about putting clown wigs on their penises and dancing on the White House lawn, he's demonstrated some legitimate comedic timing.
And would anyone be surprised if Christian Bale was secretly great at comedy? The man somehow is both an A-level star and a total chameleon -- which is only accentuated by his dedication to his craft and willingness to totally transform his body (as seen in The Machinist, The Dark Knight, The Fighter and now Vice). Nobody has ever won money betting against Bale's skills, and working with Adam McKay, who is both familiar and one of the most gifted comedic directors around, would certainly be a great way to enter the scene.
You can watch Christian Bale discuss potentially working with Adam McKay on a comedy, and his admiration for the filmmaker by clicking play on the video below.
We will be crossing our fingers that this opportunity comes together (Adam McKay did tell me he wants to get back in the comedy game), but until then we can be satisfied with the arrival of Vice. The movie arrives in theaters everywhere on Christmas, and features two of the best performances of the year -- from both Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney. See the film on the big screen this week, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the director and stars.
