“I was better than everyone else”: Christian Bale’s Life Became Miserable After Making His Debut With Steven Spielberg at Just 13

In the entertainment world, it’s quite normal for most actors to face criticism and decline during their initial acting career. Similarly, when acclaimed actor Christian Bale starred in a project by the world’s most influential director Steven Spielberg, many didn’t receive him well.

The Batman star revealed that he became part of Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (1987) at the tender age of 13 and after the film was out, Christian Bale was criticized for being “cocky” which made the actor doubt himself. However, Bale also shared that he did not think about the consequences before securing the role in Spielberg’s movie.

Christian Bale Received Criticism After Debuting in Steven Spielberg’s Movie

Renowned and one of Hollywood’s most charming actors Christian Bale was not a stranger to backlash and negative comments from people when he stepped into acting. Despite the struggles and challenges the Amsterdam star proved to be resilient and made himself a household name in the industry.

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In an interview with New Again, Christian Bale shared his experience while entering the entertainment industry as he “never looked at the big picture” and wasn’t expecting to earn the success and fame he has now. However, as shared by the actor, his initial period wasn’t smooth sailing. While talking about starring in Steven Spielberg‘s Empire of the Sun and the criticism he received, Bale said:

“Suddenly people were saying I was cocky because I’d done a Steven Spielberg movie and thought I was better than everyone else, which surprised me at first. I suddenly started feeling like a freak because everyone was treating me differently. It was confusing, and I did wonder if acting was for me anymore.”

The Pale Blue Eye star shared that while he was just a 13-year-old boy, it was hard for many to accept the fact that he secured the leading role of Jamie Graham. However, the movie received critical acclaim and was nominated for six Academy Awards. Through Empire of the Sun, Bale showcased his acting talent and determination at a very young age.

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Christian Bale Decided To Make His Career In Acting After Years of Empire of the Sun

The actor also shared that he was surrounded by feelings of self-doubt and confusion until he turned 22, and decided to completely shift his focus toward making a career in acting. While talking about when those feelings passed, Christian Bale said:

“I went backwards and forwards over it until I was 22. And then in the past few years I began to say to myself, OK, look, I’m not messing around. This is something I want to attack, instead of thinking, I’ll just see what happens with it.”

The American Hustle star talked about making a firm decision about his career at the age of 22 and added:

“It’s about pursuing it rather than waiting to see what comes along. That’s partly because I found myself getting typecast, as everyone does unless they pursue roles that are very different from what they’ve done before.”

Christian Bale mentioned taking risks instead of running from the fear of losing and being tense about the future. The actor has now become an A-lister in the industry with notable and successful films under his name.

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Empire of the Sun is available to stream on Prime Video.