Christian Bale has unveiled a fresh disguise—and no, it's not the familiar bat mask and cape combo. For his upcoming role in the Madden movie, the 51-year-old actor has undergone yet another mesmerizing transformation, portraying the late football executive and coach Al Davis.
On the set of this sports film, which also boasts an ensemble cast including Nicolas Cage, John Mulaney, Sienna Miller, and Kathryn Hahn, Bale is spotted donning black pants, a sleek black leather jacket, and a crisp white V-neck tee. Adorning his left hand are three glittering Super Bowl rings, while a gold pinky ring sparkles on his other.
But it's Bale's face that steals the show, revealing the most striking transformation of all. Gone is his usual full head of hair, replaced by a receding hairline and the rest of his thinning locks brushed back. His complexion has also undergone a radical change, now sporting a noticeable ruddy glow.
The film, which is still awaiting a release date, chronicles the journey of John Madden (played by Cage), an NFL commentator and football coach, as he ventures into creating the iconic Madden NFL video game series.
This isn't the first time Bale has transformed himself for a cinematic role. In fact, his filmography is replete with roles that required him to yo-yo between dramatic weight gains and losses, or don prosthetics to alter his appearance.
One of his most intense back-to-back transformations was witnessed in 2004's The Machinist, where he shed a staggering 63 pounds, only to bulk up 100 pounds the following year for Batman Begins. Over the years, Bale made numerous similar bodily changes, until he finally decided to seek professional help for his role in 2018's Vice, where he portrayed Vice President Dick Cheney.
"It was the first time in my life that I realized I had to approach this in a smarter way," he revealed during a 2017 interview on CBS Mornings. "I've lost weight, I've gained weight, but I never went to a nutritionist before. It was the first time I said, 'You know what? I better do this the right way.'"
He continued, "In the past, for losing weight, I'd rely on smoking, drinking whiskey, and eating whatever I wanted—and it worked! But now, in my mid-40s, I realized that eating cream puffs nonstop probably isn't the best idea for my heart."
And two years later, at the premiere of Ford vs. Ferrari in 2019, Bale admitted that gaining and losing weight for onscreen roles was now a thing of the past. "I've become a little bit more boring now," he joked to E! News at the premiere. "Because I'm older, and I feel like if I keep doing what I've done in the past, I'm going to die. So, I'd prefer not to die."
