Telling it like it is. Christian Bale didn’t hold back about his shocking transformation for his new biopic, Vice.
“I had more fun gaining the weight than losing it!” he told reporters at the film’s world premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills on Thursday, December 11.
Bale, 44, is nearly unrecognizable in the flick as former Vice President Dick Cheney thanks to his shaved head, bleached eyebrows and 40-pound weight gain.
The Oscar winner told Variety in September 2017 that he was prepping for the role by “eating a lot of pies.”
The actor revealed at a press junket for Mowgli in July, however, that the makeover was not all fun and sweets.
“It’s miserable. It’s horrible. If you’re losing weight, there’s nothing to it except for going to bed hungry and feeling miserable … “[Gaining weight] is the complete opposite,” he said. “You’re absolutely just losing all discipline and gorging like crazy. I need to stop it, it’s not healthy for your body. I’m in my mid-40s now, it’s going to start catching up with me if I don’t start being a little bit aware of my mortality.”
The American Psycho star would know: He’s gone to extreme measures to transform himself for a role many times throughout the years. Bale famously lost more than 60 pounds to play Trevor Reznik in 2004’s The Machinist before getting super buff for his role as Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins six weeks later. Eight years later, in 2013, he gained 43 pounds for American Hustle.
Bale told Fox News in December that he’s not sure he could handle another radical makeover. “I think I’m done — you know. Everything hurts,” he said. “Everything hurts now. I’ve gotten really stout thinking if I can manage this again, and the answer is probably no.”
Vice, which follows the political career of George W. Bush’s former right-hand man, also stars Amy Adams, Steve Carell and Lily Rabe. Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt are executive producers.
The film hits theaters on Tuesday, December 25.
With reporting by Marisa Sullivan
