Christian Bale has a simple rule he lives by: “Never meet your heroes” — and he thinks it applies just as much to his own fans meeting him as it does to him meeting the movie stars he admires.
The The Dark Knight actor, who has recently addressed speculation about whether he’s a method actor, is next set to appear in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s horror film The Bride!. The project draws inspiration from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein and the 1935 classic The Bride of Frankenstein.
In the film, Jessie Buckley plays Ida, a young woman who is killed and then resurrected to serve as a companion for gangster Frank — a Frankenstein’s monster figure portrayed by Bale.
Set in 1930s Chicago, the movie also features Annette Bening as Dr. Euphronious and Peter Sarsgaard as Detective Jake Wiles. The ensemble includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, Linda Emond, and Louis Cancelmi.
Speaking at the London world premiere of The Bride! on 26 February, Bale shared why he prefers to keep his screen idols at a distance — believing that meeting them in real life can undermine what made them special in the first place.
“I’m never cool. No, not in those instances,” the star said about meeting other actors (via Entertainment Tonight). “I don’t want to meet people that I see in films. I don’t want to meet my heroes. “
He then turned the idea back on himself, suggesting that audiences who connect with his work may be let down when faced with the everyday version of him.
Speaking about fans meeting him, Bale said: “I see it in people’s eyes when they’ve watched my movies and loved them. And when they meet me. And I see it in their eyes. That terrible disappointment about who I really am.”
“What a disappointment! That’s me at my best in the movie! Never meet me,” he continued.
To close out his point, Bale explained that the people audiences admire on screen are still just people — and expecting them to live up to a larger-than-life image isn’t realistic.
“And I never want to meet my heroes either. Because they’re heroic in what they do. But you know, give them a break. Nobody can be a hero all the time,” Bale finished.
Beyond The Bride!, Bale is also lined up for the upcoming sports biopic Madden. Nicolas Cage stars as legendary American football coach and broadcaster John Madden, while Bale will play Oakland Raiders coach and executive Al Davis.
Due in November, the film also features Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney, Shane Gillis, and Joel Murray.
Bale has portrayed several real-life figures in recent years, including roles in Adam McKay’s The Big Short and Vice, along with James Mangold’s racing drama Ford v Ferrari, where he played engineer and driver Ken Miles.
The Bride! is released in cinemas on 6 March.