Thursday, September 6, 2012

Who is Bryan Ferry?

Who is Bryan Ferry? The entertainment and music world knows him as Bryan Ferry, Ferry  is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in the United Kingdom. Ferry began his solo career in 1973, while still a member of Roxy Music, which continues to the present day.

Biography

Before Roxy Music (before 1971)




Ferry was born 26 September 1945, Washington, County Durham, UK into a working class family (his father, Fred Ferry, was a farmer who also looked after pit ponies),[1] Ferry attended Washington Grammar-Technical School (now called Washington School) on Spout Lane from 1957 and achieved nine O levels, then studied fine art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne under Richard Hamilton.[2] His contemporaries included Tim Head[3] and Nick de Ville.[4] He became a pottery teacher at Holland Park school in London.[5] Ferry formed the band The Banshees, and later, together with Graham Simpson, the band The Gas Board.[6]

Roxy Music and solo years (1971–1983)


Ferry formed Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances, beginning with Graham Simpson, in November 1970. The line-up expanded to include saxophonist/oboist Andy Mackay and his acquaintance Brian Eno, who owned tape recorders and played Mackay's synthesiser. Other early members included timpanist Dexter Lloyd and ex-Nice guitarist David O'List, who were replaced respectively by Paul Thompson and Phil Manzanera before the band recorded its first album. (Early Peel sessions for UK radio station Radio 1 feature O'List's playing.)[7]
Roxy Music's first hit, "Virginia Plain", just missed topping the charts, and was followed up with several hit singles and albums, with Ferry as vocalist and occasional instrumentalist (he taught himself piano in his mid-twenties) and Eno contributing synthesiser backing.
For many years, Ferry has collaborated with fashion designer Antony Price for clothing and image consultations. Price is famous for his shop on London's Kings Road. He created suits recognised worldwide for their elegance, and gained fame when celebrities and rock stars dressed in his designs.[8] Indeed, one comment by Nicky Haslam about Ferry was that he was more likely to redecorate a hotel room than to trash it.[9]

After their second album, Eno left Roxy Music, leaving Ferry its undisputed leader. Ferry had already started a parallel solo career in 1973, initially performing cover versions of old standards on albums such as These Foolish Things (1973) and Another Time, Another Place (1974), both of which reached the UK Top 5. After the concert tours in support of Siren, Roxy Music temporarily disbanded in 1976 though band-members Paul Thompson, Phil Manzanera and Eddie Jobson took part in recording Ferry's subsequent solo material. In 1976, Ferry covered a Beatles song, “She's Leaving Home” for the transitory musical documentary All This and World War II. He went on to release three solo albums during this period, Let's Stick Together (1976), In Your Mind (1977) and The Bride Stripped Bare (1978), but by this time his career had begun to wane.
Roxy Music reconvened in 1979, with Ferry, Manzanera, Thompson and Mackay (Jobson was no longer a member). The band recorded the albums Manifesto (1979), Flesh + Blood (1980) and Avalon (1982), the latter two reaching number one in the UK album charts.[10] The band also achieved their first and only UK number one single, "Jealous Guy", released in 1981 as a posthumous tribute to its author John Lennon who had been murdered some months earlier. It was the only one of their singles not written by Ferry.
After lengthy tours to promote the Avalon album in 1982, Ferry decided to put Roxy Music on hold and continue as a solo artist.

After Roxy Music (1985–2001)

Ferry continued to record, and released his sixth solo album, Boys and Girls, in 1985. The album reached number one in the UK, his first and only solo recording to do so, and also became his biggest selling album in the US.
In July 1985, Ferry performed at the London Live Aid show, again accompanied by David Gilmour.[11] He was hit with technical difficulties on sound, the drummer's drumstick broke at the start of the first song "Sensation" and Gilmour's Fender Stratocaster went dead, so he had to switch to his candy-apple red Stratocaster for the rest of the performance.[12] The difficulties in sound were overcome for "Slave to Love" (featured on the soundtrack to 9½ Weeks) and "Jealous Guy". As with other successful Live Aid acts, his current album, Boys and Girls, remained in the chart for almost a year.
After the Avalon promotional tours, Ferry was rather reluctant to return to life on the road; however, a change of management persuaded him to try touring again in 1988 to promote the previous year's Bête Noire release. Following the tour, Ferry teamed up again with Brian Eno for Mamouna (collaborating with Robin Trower on guitar and as producer). The album took more than five years to produce, and was created under the working title Horoscope. During production, Ferry simultaneously recorded and released another covers album, Taxi in 1993, which proved to be a greater commercial and critical success than Mamouna would be when it was finally released in 1994. In 1996, Ferry performed the song "Dance With Life" for the Phenomenon soundtrack, which was written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page. In 1999 Ferry appeared with Alan Partridge (played by Steve Coogan) on BBC's Comic Relief.
After taking some time off from music, Ferry returned in 1999. He began to perform a mix of 1930s songs and songs of his own, including several from the Roxy collection, and recorded them on the album As Time Goes By, which was nominated for a Grammy award.[13]

Roxy Music reunion and continuing solo career (2001–present)

Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay and Thompson re-reformed Roxy Music in 2001 and toured extensively for a couple of years though the band did not record any new material. In 2002, with the help of Manzanera and Thompson, Ferry returned with his next studio album, Frantic, which also featured a collaboration with Brian Eno. The album was a mix of new original material and covers - something that Ferry had not attempted on a solo album since The Bride Stripped Bare in 1978.
In 2003, Ferry provided the entertainment for the Miss World election, a show with an expected 2 billion viewers worldwide.[14] In 2004, Ferry starred in the short film The Porter. In 2005, it was confirmed[15] that Roxy Music (Ferry, Eno, Mackay, Manzanera and Thompson) would be performing further shows at that year's Isle Of Wight festival and that they would also be recording a further album of new and original songs, with no indication of when such a project would reach completion.[16] Brian Eno confirmed[17] that he has worked in the studio with Roxy Music once more and has co-written songs for the new album. However, Ferry later debunked the idea of a new Roxy Music album and stated that the material from these sessions will most likely be released as part of his next solo album,[18] and that "I don't think we'll record as Roxy again."[19]
In October 2006, Bryan Ferry modelled clothing range Autograph with British retailer, Marks and Spencer. In 2007, Ferry released the album Dylanesque, a tribute album to Bob Dylan. The album charted in the UK Top 10, and Ferry undertook a UK tour.
On October 7, 2008, Ferry was honored as a BMI Icon at the annual BMI London Awards. He joined past Icons including Peter Gabriel, Ray Davies, Steve Winwood, Van Morrison, amongst others.[20]
In 2009, Ferry provided vocals on DJ Hell's record, U Can Dance. A new version of the track was recorded for Ferry's new studio album, Olympia, released in October 2010. The album contained the material he had been recorded with his former Roxy Music bandmembers, and also featured an impressive cast of other musicians such as Nile Rodgers, David A. Stewart, Scissor Sisters, Groove Armada, Michael "Flea" Balzary, Johnny Greenwood and David Gilmour, and also featured model Kate Moss on the front cover. The album recieved excellent reviews and made the UK Top 20 as well as entering the U.S. Billboard Charts, pushed by it's lead single "You Can Dance".

Personal life

Several of the women Ferry has been involved with have appeared as cover models on the Roxy Music albums. Ferry dated singer and model Amanda Lear, who was photographed with a black jaguar for the cover of the For Your Pleasure album. She later went on to date David Bowie.[21]
Ferry then began a relationship with model Jerry Hall. Hall appeared in several of Ferry's music videos, including "Let's Stick Together" and "The Price of Love." Ferry first met Hall when she posed for the Roxy Music album cover for Siren in Wales during the summer 1975. Hall's autobiography Tall Tales describes the photo session, and she elaborates on how the blue body paint she wore to look like a mythical siren would not wash off; Hall says that Ferry took her back to his house, claiming he would help her to remove the paint.[22] Her stay at Ferry's Holland Park (London) home, following the album cover photo shoot, marked the start of their affair. Hall and Ferry moved in together, sharing homes in London and in the ritzy Bel Air section of Los Angeles. His relationship with Hall ended when she left him for Mick Jagger in late 1977. To this day, Ferry rarely speaks about Hall, but fans often speculate that his song "Kiss and Tell" from the Bête Noire album was Ferry's response to Hall's tell-all book about their relationship.[23] Ferry often refuses to discuss his feelings about Hall or talk about their romantic history during interviews. Bryan Ferry's solo album The Bride Stripped Bare is widely believed[24] to contain allusions to his break-up with Hall—particularly the song "When She Walks in the Room". Ferry's original songs on the album were in fact written some time before the relationship ended, although it was recorded afterwards.
Ferry eventually settled down to married life with Lucy Helmore, and they had four sons, including huntsman and political activist Otis, Isaac, Tara and Merlin.Tara was performing in a rock band called "Rubber Kiss Goodbye" and simultaneously studying at Chelsea College of Art and Design, according to the Sunday Times (28 Sept. 2008). Merlin studied at Marlborough College for his "A" Levels.
Ferry and Helmore split in the early 2000s and were divorced in 2003. After their separation, British newspapers photographed Ferry with Katie Turner, 35 years his junior, naming her as his new 'girlfriend'.[25] Ferry and Turner met while she worked as one of the dancers on Roxy Music's concert tour in 2001 (and is featured on the DVD of the 2001 Hammersmith Odeon Show). She went on to appear with Ferry on several TV shows to promote the Frantic album, and also performed on the Frantic tour in 2002. After their break-up, Ferry had a relationship with Lady Emily Compton, a socialite.[26] In 2006, he resumed his relationship with Katie Turner for some time. Ferry is now in a relationship with Amanda Sheppard, who previously worked in public relations, until she quit her job in 2009 after Ferry offered to financially support her.[27]

Political views

In 2008, Ferry alluded to support for the Conservative Party, referring to himself as "conservative by nature," but essentially apolitical. Without elaborating, he stated he was "proud" of his son Otis and declared the ban on fox hunting "futile." He also alluded to an opposition to "left-wing bitterness" and the spectre of "political correctness," but the model of free speech he cited was the anarchic 1970s and not the Thatcher era or a more distant past.[28] In a 2009 interview, Ferry stated: “I would support a Cameron government. I have met him, and he’s a bright guy. I hope they do well. I don’t like the way the present Government has done things, most of all putting my son in prison for four and a half months, totally unlawfully ... and that’s not just my opinion: judges, all sorts, have said it was a stitch-up. It was politically motivated. The poor lad just wants to live the traditional country life.”[29]
Ferry is a supporter of the Countryside Alliance and has played concerts to raise funds for the organisation.[30]

In other media

In 1985, Ferry contributed the song "Is Your Love Strong Enough" to the Ridley Scott-Tom Cruise film Legend. The song (featuring guitar work by David Gilmour) plays during the end credits of the U.S. theatrical release, and was released with the Tangerine Dream version of the soundtrack on CD (although this is out of print and rare). A promotional music video was created, integrating Ferry and Gilmour into scenes from the film; this is included as a bonus in the 2002 "Ultimate Edition" DVD release.
In 2005, Ferry appeared in Neil Jordan's movie, Breakfast on Pluto, starring Cillian Murphy as a young Irish transvestite who goes to London in the glam 1970s to find his mother. Ferry, appearing in a bit part as Mr. Silky String, played a suave but creepy john who picks up the sexually ambiguous young man and, after a short conversation, attempts to strangle him in the front seat of his car.
Ferry is referenced in the comedy show The Mighty Boosh in the episode "Hitcher", as Vince Noir's adopted father and King of the Forest. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that 'Brian Ferry' actually resembles Terry Wogan.
The song "Which Way to Turn" from the album Mamouna, is the feature song in the 2007 Woody Harrelson movie The Walker. Ferry's song "Slave to Love", from the album Boys and Girls, was featured in Bitter Moon, a 1992 film directed by Roman Polanski; the entire song is also played in a scene in the 1986 movie Nine 1/2 Weeks by Adrian Lyne.

Discography

Main article: Bryan Ferry discography

 Studio albums



To see more of Who Is click here

at No comments:

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Who is Christian Charles Philip Bale?

Who is Christian Charles Philip Bale?  The entertainment and acting world knows him as Christian Bale, he is an English actor.[1] Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in blockbuster films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses.
Bale first caught the public eye at the age of 13, when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). He played an English boy who is separated from his parents and subsequently finds himself lost in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.[2] He is also notable for his role as serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000), as well as his portrayal of Bruce Wayne / Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Bale portrayed Dicky Eklund in the biopic The Fighter, for which he received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.

Early life

Bale was born 30 January 1974  in Wales to parents of English descent. His mother, Jenny (née James), was a circus performer, and his South African–born father, David Charles Howard Bale, was an entrepreneur, commercial pilot, and talent manager.[3][4][5][6] He spent his childhood in England, Portugal, and the United States.[7]
Bale's first foray into acting was a commercial for the fabric softener Lenor in 1982.[8] A year later, he appeared in a Pac-Man cereal commercial playing a child rock star. In 1984, he made his stage debut in The Nerd, opposite Rowan Atkinson.[9]

Career

1986–1998

Black and white photograph of Christian BaleBale made his film debut as Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia in the made-for-television film Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna in 1986, which was followed by leading roles in the miniseries Heart of the Country and the fantasy adventure Mio in the Land of Faraway, in which he appeared with Christopher Lee and Nick Pickard.
Bale's performance as Jim Graham in Empire of the Sun earned him widespread critical praise and the first ever "Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor" award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.[10] The attention the press and his schoolmates lavished upon him after this took a toll on Bale, and he contemplated giving up acting until Kenneth Branagh approached him and persuaded him to appear in Henry V in 1989.[10] In 1990, he played the role of Jim Hawkins opposite Charlton Heston (as Long John Silver) in Treasure Island, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic book.
In 1992, Bale starred as Jack Kelly in the Disney musical Newsies, and followed it up in 1993 with another release, Swing Kids, a film about teenagers who secretly listened to forbidden jazz during the rise of Nazi Germany.[11] Bale was recommended by actress Winona Ryder to star in Gillian Armstrong's 1994 film Little Women.[10] Bale provided the voice for Thomas, a young compatriot of Captain John Smith, in Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and in 1997 played Arthur Stuart in Velvet Goldmine, Todd Haynes' tribute to glam rock.[11] In 1999, Bale contributed to an all-star cast, including Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci and Rupert Everett, portraying Demetrius in an updated version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.[11]

1999–2001

In 1999, Bale played serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, director Mary Harron's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel. Bale was briefly dropped from the project in favour of Leonardo DiCaprio, but DiCaprio eventually dropped out to star in The Beach, and Bale was cast once again. He researched his character by studying the novel and prepared himself physically for the role by spending months tanning and exercising in order to achieve the "Olympian physique" of the character as described in the original novel.[12] He went so far as to distance himself from the cast and crew to maintain the darker side of Bateman's character. American Psycho premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival to much controversy. Roger Ebert condemned the film at first, calling it pornography,[13] and "the most loathed film at Sundance,"[14] but gave it a favourable review, writing that Harron "transformed a novel about bloodlust into a film about men's vanity." Of Bale's performance, he wrote, "Christian Bale is heroic in the way he allows the character to leap joyfully into despicability; there is no instinct for self-preservation here, and that is one mark of a good actor."[15]
On 14 April 2000, Lions Gate Films released American Psycho in cinemas. Bale was later approached to make a cameo appearance in another Bret Easton Ellis adaptation, The Rules of Attraction, a film loosely connected to American Psycho, but he declined out of loyalty to Harron's vision of Bateman, which he felt could not be properly expressed by anyone else.[16] In 2000, he again played a wealthy murderer, this time in John Singleton's Shaft.
Bale has played an assortment of diverse characters since 2001. His first role after American Psycho was in the John Madden adaptation of the best-selling novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Bale played Mandras, a Greek fisherman who vied with Nicolas Cage's title character for the affections of Pelagia (Penelope Cruz). Captain Corelli's Mandolin was Bale's second time working with John Hurt, after All the Little Animals.

2002–2004

From 2002 to 2003, Bale starred in three feature films. Laurel Canyon (2002) was generally well received by critics.[17] This film also marked the second time he worked with actress Kate Beckinsale, his costar in Prince of Jutland (1994). Critics generally focused on star Frances McDormand's performance over the rest of the cast, however.[18]
Reign of Fire was Bale's first action vehicle and had, compared to all his previous work, an immense budget estimated at US$95,000,000.[19] Bale entered into negotiations about starring in the film with reservations, but director Rob Bowman convinced him to take the lead role.[20] Bale starred as Quinn Abercromby opposite Matthew McConaughey's Denton Van Zan. Bale and McConaughey trained for their respective roles by boxing and working out.[20]
Equilibrium was Bale's third film of 2002, costing US$20 million to produce but earning just over US$5 million worldwide.[21] In Equilibrium, Bale played John Preston, an elite law enforcer in a dystopian society. Equilibrium featured a fictional martial art called Gun Kata that combined gunfighting with hand-to-hand combat. According to moviebodycounts.com, the character of John Preston has the third most on-screen kills in a single movie ever with 118, exactly half of the movie's total of 236.[22]
After a year's hiatus, Bale returned in 2004 to play Trevor Reznik, the title character in the psychological thriller The Machinist. Bale gained attention for his devotion to the role and for the lengths to which he went to achieve Reznik's emaciated, skeletal appearance. He went without proper rest for prolonged periods, and placed himself on a crash diet of generally coffee and apples,[23] which reduced his weight by 63 pounds (4 st 4 lb/27 kg) in a matter of months.[24] By the end of filming Bale weighed only 121 pounds (8 st 9 lb/55 kg),[23] a transformation he described as "very calming mentally"[25] and which drew comparisons to Robert De Niro's alternate weight-gaining regimen for his role as Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull.[26] Bale claimed that he had not worked for a period of time before he was cast in the film. "...I just hadn't found scripts that I'd really been interested in. So I was really dying for something to arrive. Then when this one did, I just didn't want to put it down. I finished it and, upon the kind of revelation that you get at the end, I immediately wanted to go back and re-visit it, to take a look at what clues I could have gotten throughout".[27] The Machinist was a low-budget production, costing roughly US$5 million to produce, and was given only a limited US release. It was well received, with the review tallying website Rotten Tomatoes reporting that 75% of the critics' reviews tallied were positive.[28]
Bale, an admirer of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away,[16] was then cast as the voice of the title character, Howl, in the English language dub of the Japanese director's fantasy anime adventure Howl's Moving Castle, an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's children's novel. Its gross in the US was US$4,711,096, a fraction of its worldwide gross (US$235,184,110).[29]

Batman: 2005–present

It was reported that Bale had previously auditioned for the role of Robin in Batman Forever (1995) and later Batman and Robin (1997), but lost out to Chris O'Donnell. However, this rumour was later dispelled by Bale himself in a magazine interview in 2008.[30] In 2004, after completing filming for The Machinist, Bale won the coveted role of Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, a reboot of the Batman film series. Bale beat out Jake Gyllenhaal, the closest competition for the role.[31]
Still fresh off The Machinist, it became necessary for Bale to bulk up to match Batman's muscular physique. He was given a deadline of six months to do this. Bale recalled it as far from a simple accomplishment: "...when it actually came to building muscle, I was useless. I couldn't do one push up the first day. All of the muscles were gone, so I had a real tough time rebuilding all of that."[24] With the help of a personal trainer, Bale succeeded in meeting the deadline, gaining a total of 100 lb (45 kg) in six months. He went from about 130 lbs to 230 lbs.[32] He then discovered that he had actually gained more weight than the director desired, and dropped his weight to 190 lbs by the time filming began.[33]
Bale had initial concerns about playing Batman, as he felt more ridiculous than intimidating in the Batsuit. He dealt with this by depicting Batman as a savage beast.[24] To attain a deeper understanding of the character, Bale read various Batman comic books. He explained his interpretation of the young boy: "Batman is his hidden, demonic rage-filled side. The creature Batman creates is an absolutely sincere creature and one that he has to control but does so in a very haphazard way. He's capable of enacting violence — and to kill — so he's constantly having to rein himself in." For Bale, the most gruelling part about playing Batman was the suit. "You stick it on, you get hot, you sweat and you get a headache in the mask," he said. "But I'm not going to bitch about it because I get to play Batman."[34] When promoting the film in interviews and public events, Bale retained an American accent to avoid confusion.[35]
Batman Begins was released in the U.S. on 15 June 2005 and was a U.S. and international triumph for Warner Bros., costing approximately US$135 million to produce and taking in over US$370 million in returns worldwide.[36] Bale's performance was well received by critics and fans alike, earning him the Saturn Award for Best Actor and the Best Hero award at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.[37]
Bale reprised his role as Batman in the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. He trained in the Keysi Fighting Method, and performed many of his own stunts.[38] The Dark Knight was released in the U.S. on 18 July 2008 and stormed through the box office, with a record-breaking $158.4 million in the U.S. in its first weekend.[39] It broke the $300 million barrier in 10 days, the $400 million mark in 18 days and the $500 million mark in 43 days, three new U.S. box office records set by the film.[40] The film went on to gross over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, making it the fourth-highest grossing movie worldwide of all time, before adjusting for inflation.[41]
Bale reprised his role in The Dark Knight Rises which was released on 20 July 2012,[42] making Bale the actor who has played Batman the most times in feature film. Bale has given the same opinion as Nolan that, if the latter was forced to bring Robin into the films, he would never again play Batman; even though one of his favourite Batman stories, Batman: Dark Victory, focuses on Robin's origin.[43]
Following the shooting at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, Bale visited survivors in an Aurora, Colorado hospital.[44]

2006–2009

After Batman Begins, Bale returned to appearing in independent films. He was cast as one of the two leads in the South Central David Ayer-helmed crime drama Harsh Times, co-starring Freddy Rodriguez and Eva Longoria. Bale played Jim Luther Davis, a grim Afghanistan War veteran afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder, approached by the Department of Homeland Security and hired as a federal agent. Harsh Times premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and had a wide release on 10 November 2006.[45]
Terrence Malick directed The New World, a period piece inspired by the stories of Pocahontas, and Bale was cast as John Rolfe. He shared the screen with Colin Farrell and Q'Orianka Kilcher, who played John Smith and Pocahontas. The majority of screen time was devoted to Farrell and Kilcher; Bale was a secondary character, and only appeared during the last third of the film. The film was a failure at the U.S. box office and its worldwide total (US$29,506,437) fell short of turning a profit (the production budget was placed at US$30 million).[46]
In 2006, Bale took on four projects. Rescue Dawn, by German filmmaker Werner Herzog, had him playing U.S. Fighter pilot Dieter Dengler, who has to fight for his life after being shot down while on a mission during the Vietnam War. Bale left a strong impression on Herzog, with the director complimenting his acting abilities: "I find him one of the greatest talents of his generation. We made up our own minds long before he did Batman."[47]
In The Prestige, an adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel about a rivalry between two Victorian stage magicians, Bale was reunited with Batman Begins' Michael Caine and director Christopher Nolan. The cast of The Prestige also included Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, and David Bowie. I'm Not There, a film in which Bale again worked alongside Todd Haynes and Heath Ledger (who would go on to play The Joker in The Dark Knight), is an artistic reflection of the life of Bob Dylan. He starred opposite Russell Crowe in a commercially and critically successful Western film, 3:10 to Yuma.
Bale was originally cast to play George W. Bush in Oliver Stone's film W., but dropped out due to the prosthetics involved.[49] Bale played John Connor in Terminator Salvation[50] and FBI agent Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Public Enemies.[51]

Terminator Salvation incident

In July 2008, Bale flew into an angry tirade on the sets of Terminator Salvation, while filming in New Mexico.[52] In February 2009, the audio recording of the incident was released.[53][54] The tirade was directed at Shane Hurlbut, director of photography for the film. According to Bale, Hurlbut had, for the second time, ruined his concentration by walking onto the set during a scene.[52][55][56] The recording is of a highly agitated Bale directing profanities at Hurlbut, threatening and belittling him, and finally threatening to quit the film if Hurlbut repeated his offence without being fired for it.[55] It was reported that Warner film executives sent the tape to the insurer of the film in case Bale decided to quit the movie.[57] In an interview with E! Online, assistant director and producer of Terminator Salvation, Bruce Franklin, said it was an isolated incident. "If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove ... It was the most emotional scene in the movie ... [A]nd for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn't walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed," Franklin said.[58]
Actors Whoopi Goldberg and Terry Crews,[59][60] directors Darren Aronofsky[61] and Ron Howard,[62] as well as Ain't It Cool News website creator Harry Knowles[63] have also publicly defended Bale's actions, some of them citing the practice that crew members are to remain still while the camera is rolling. The incident also inspired experimental band The Mae Shi to write the song, "R U Professional", which features samples from the recording;[64] similarly, Lucian Piane's remix "Bale Out" is composed almost entirely of audio from the incident. Stephen Colbert parodied the incident on 4 February 2009 episode of The Colbert Report, in which guest Steve Martin repeatedly walked in front of the camera and was berated by Colbert.[65] The incident was re-enacted on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, with Inside the Actor's Studio host James Lipton giving performances of both Bale and the crewmember.[66] An episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy also mixed in the voice of Peter Griffin interacting with Bale and reacting to Bale's comments as if they were directed at him to comedic effect.
After remaining silent for most of the week, Bale gave a public apology on 6 February 2009, to a Los Angeles radio station, KROQ. He stated that the outburst was "inexcusable" and that it was motivated by the day's shooting intensity.[67] Bale said he "acted like a punk", and that he and Hurlbut talked after the incident and "resolved this completely".[68] Bale acknowledged that the two worked together for several hours after the incident, and "at least a month after that... I've seen a rough cut of the movie and he has done a wonderful job. It looks fantastic".[68]

2010–present

Bale starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in the David O. Russell-directed 2010 drama The Fighter, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting

Actor and thirty other awards in 2011.[69] Near the end of his acceptance speech during the televised Golden Globes awards ceremony, Bale complimented Robert De Niro by saying he was "the shit". The comment was censored by NBC.[70]
Writer/director Joe Carnahan confirmed in November 2007 that Bale is also involved in the upcoming movie Killing Pablo in which he is to play Major Steve Jacoby.[71] According to a Nuts magazine interview, Bale stated that he will be in the running to play the role of Solid Snake in a film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid.[72] Niels Arden Oplev, director of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is to have Bale as lead in his current project The Last Photograph, which Oplev hopes to start filming early 2011.[73] In December 2010, it was announced that Christian Bale would be starring in the historical drama war film The Flowers of War, directed by Zhang Yimou.[74]
While filming The Flowers of War in December 2011, Bale and a CNN crew attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng, a blind "barefoot lawyer" under unofficial house arrest for his activism against China's One Child Policy. While on camera, Bale was punched, shoved, and denied access by dozens of Chinese security guards who failed to recognize him.[75] Bale later stated that he had wanted "to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is".[76][77] Video footage also showed Bale and the CNN crew having stones thrown at them, and a minivan then chased their car for more than 40 minutes.[75]
Bale is set to appear in two Terrence Malick directed films to be shot in 2012, Lawless and Knight of Cups.[78][79] In early 2012, it was confirmed that Bale was portraying the character Russell Baze in Scott Cooper’s upcoming thriller Out of the Furnace.[79][80][81] He has also been cast in American Bullshit, which reunites him with director David O. Russell, since their work on The Fighter.[82][83][84]

Personal life

On 29 January 2000, Bale married Sandra "Sibi" Blažić (born 1970), a former model, make-up artist and personal assistant to Winona Ryder; the couple have a daughter, Emmeline,[85] who was born on 27 March 2005 in Santa Monica, California.[86][87] Since 1992, Bale has resided in Los Angeles.[88]
Like his late father, Christian Bale actively supports environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.[8] Feminist activist Gloria Steinem became Christian Bale's stepmother on 3 September 2000;[89] it was her first marriage (at the age of 66), and the couple were together until David's death.[5]

Film and television credits

List of film and television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1985 The Dreamthief Rufus Pilot film
Voice only
1986 Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna Alexei TV movie
1987 Heart of the Country Ben Harris TV miniseries
1987 Mio min Mio Benke
Jum-Jum
1987 Empire of the Sun Jamie "Jim" Graham
1989 Henry V Falstaff's Boy
1990 Treasure Island Jim Hawkins TV movie
1991 A Murder of Quality Tim Perkins TV movie
1992 Newsies Jack "Cowboy" Kelly
Francis Sullivan
1993 Swing Kids Thomas Berger
1994 Prince of Jutland Amled
1994 Little Women Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence
1995 Pocahontas Thomas Voice only
1996 The Portrait of a Lady Edward Rosier
1996 The Secret Agent Stevie
1997 Metroland Chris Lloyd
1998 Velvet Goldmine Arthur Stuart
1998 All the Little Animals Bobby Platt
1999 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius
1999 Mary, Mother of Jesus Jesus of Nazareth TV movie
2000 American Psycho Patrick Bateman
2000 Shaft Walter Wade, Jr.
2001 Captain Corelli's Mandolin Mandras
2002 Laurel Canyon Sam Bentley
2002 Reign of Fire Quinn Abercromby
2002 Equilibrium Cleric John Preston
2004 The Machinist Trevor Reznik
2004 Howl's Moving Castle Howl Voice for English language dub only
2005 Batman Begins Bruce Wayne/Batman Also voiced the character in the film's video game adaptation
2005 Harsh Times Jim Luther Davis Also executive producer
2005 The New World John Rolfe
2006 Rescue Dawn Dieter Dengler
2006 The Prestige Alfred Borden
2007 3:10 to Yuma Dan Evans
2007 I'm Not There Jack Rollins/Pastor John
2008 The Dark Knight Bruce Wayne/Batman
2009 Terminator Salvation John Connor
2009 Public Enemies Melvin Purvis
2010 The Fighter Dicky Eklund
2011 The Flowers of War John Miller
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Bruce Wayne/Batman
2013 Lawless n/a Filming
2013 Knight of Cups Rick Filming
2013 Out of the Furnace Russell Baze Filming

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Film Result
1987 National Board of Review Best Juvenile Performance Empire of the Sun Won
1988 Young Artist Award Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Empire of the Sun Won
2001 Chlotrudis Awards Best Actor American Psycho Won
2001 Empire Award Best Actor American Psycho Nominated
2001 London Film Critics' Circle Awards British Actor of the Year American Psycho Nominated
2001 OFCS Award Best Actor American Psycho Nominated
2004 Catalonian International Film Festival Best Actor The Machinist Won
2005 Irish Film and Television Award Best International Actor Batman Begins Nominated
2005 European Film Awards Best Actor The Machinist Nominated
2005 Saturn Award Best Actor The Machinist Nominated
2006 London Film Critics' Circle Awards British Actor of the Year The Machinist Nominated
2006 MTV Movie Awards Best Hero Batman Begins Won
2006 Empire Awards Best Actor Batman Begins Nominated
2006 Saturn Awards Best Actor Batman Begins Won
2006 Scream Awards Best Superhero Batman Begins Nominated
2006 Scream Awards Most Heroic Performance Batman Begins Nominated
2007 Empire Award Best Actor The Prestige Nominated
2007 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Special Award 3:10 to Yuma, I'm Not There, Rescue Dawn Won
2007 Satellite Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama Rescue Dawn Nominated
2008 London Film Critics' Circle Awards British Actor of the Year 3:10 to Yuma Nominated
2008 Independent Spirit Award Robert Altman Award (with Todd Haynes, Laura Rosenthal, Cate Blanchett,
Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, Bruce Greenwood, Charlotte Gainsbourg)		 I'm Not There Won
2008 Scream Awards Best Fantasy Actor The Dark Knight Nominated
2008 Scream Awards Best Superhero The Dark Knight Won
2009 Empire Awards Best Actor The Dark Knight Won
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite Male Action Star The Dark Knight Nominated
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite Leading Man The Dark Knight Nominated
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite Superhero The Dark Knight Won
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite On Screen Match Up (with Heath Ledger) The Dark Knight Won
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite Cast (with Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine,
Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal)		 The Dark Knight Won
2009 West Point Cadet Choice Awards Best Exemplification of Leadership The Dark Knight Won
2009 Saturn Award Best Actor The Dark Knight Nominated
2010 BAFTA Award Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Nominated
2010 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Austin Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Black Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Boston Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Boston Society of Film Critics Best Ensemble (with Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg) The Fighter Won
2010 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble (with Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg) The Fighter Won
2010 Central Ohio Film Critics Circle Association Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Nominated
2010 Central Ohio Film Critics Circle Association Awards Best Ensemble (with Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg) The Fighter Won
2010 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Denver Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Detroit Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Florida Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Golden Globes Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Fighter Won
2010 Houston Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 London Film Critics' Circle British Actor of the Year The Fighter Won
2010 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 New York Film Critics Online Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 North Texas Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 San Diego Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Nominated
2010 San Diego Film Critics Society Best Ensemble (with Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg) The Fighter Nominated
2010 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Fighter Won
2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Cast The Fighter Nominated
2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Utah Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won
2010 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Ensemble
(with Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg)		 The Fighter Nominated
2011 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fighter Won











 

To see more of Who Is click here

at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Who is Luigi "Geno" Auriemma?

W ho is  Luigi   " Geno "   Auriemma? The college basketball world recognizes him as the most successfull division 1  college bas...

  • Ellas Otha Bates
    Ellas Otha Bates was none by his stage name Bo Diddley ( December 30 , 1928 – June 2 , 2008 , he was an original and influential American ...
  • Who is LisaRaye McCoy?
    Who is Lisa Raye McCoy?    The entertainment and acting world know her as Lisa Raye . Lisa Raye is an American actress and fashion designe...