Christian Bale is Steve Jobs. The Oscar-winning actor has officially signed on to play the late Apple co-founder in Sony’s upcoming movie based on Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay. Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle is attached to the project, but no other cast or crew members have been confirmed.
A lot of big Hollywood actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio, have been in talks to play Jobs at some point, but Bale’s name stayed in the hat till the very end. Looking at Bale as an actor, it’s easy to see why. Here’s why he will play the perfect Steve Jobs.
He’s insanely focused
Bale is known for immersing himself in a role so fully that he goes out of his way to drastically change his appearance. By living on only coffee, water, cigarettes, salads and apples for months, the Brit lost 63 pounds for The Machinist, dropping his weight down to only 121 pounds. He wanted to lose more weight, but the movie’s producers made him stop out of fear for his health.
Then he turned around and gained 80 pounds for Batman Begins. Thanks to those two movies, he holds the record in Hollywood for most weight dropped and gained by an actor. He also lost a ton of weight for The Fighter, for which he won an Oscar.
More recently, Bale gained 40 pounds of flab for his role as a slimy conman in American Hustle. Before shooting, he watched interviews with the real person he based his character on, obsessing over every detail. He’s known to stay in character between takes on set, and for Batman Begins his trailer’s nameplate read “Bruce Wayne” instead of “Christian Bale.”
Bale’s chameleon-like persona could certainly come in handy for playing Steve Jobs in his later years.
They look alike
Out of all the actors rumored to play Jobs, Bale looks the most similar, especially when looking back at the Apple leader in his younger years. Take that, Ashton Kutcher!
Sorkin’s got his back
Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin said Bale was chosen because he’s the best actor for the job. “The role is an extremely difficult role,” said Sorkin, whose screenplay is structured into three acts surrounding different Apple events. “He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined. There isn’t a scene or frame that he’s not in.”
“It’s an extremely difficult part, and he’s gonna crush it.”
Bale freaks out, just like Jobs
Bale is incredibly passionate about his craft, is described as exemplifying “amazing vulnerability and sincerity” by his peers, values extreme personal privacy, and never went to college — all things he can use to play Jobs.
And of course there’s the infamous freakout on the set of Terminator Salvation, in which Bale verbally assaulted a crew member for distracting him during a scene. Jobs was known to have quite a temper as well, and if there’s anyone that can tap into his manic nature, it’s Bale.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
10 responses to “Why Christian Bale will play an amazing Steve Jobs”
I agree. Christian Bale seems the most appropriate person to play Jobs. I hope it’s good.
Better get your Y key fixed.
“Bole” and “Wane”.
This will be the first Apple/Jobs movie I will see. Bale may be an ass to some, but he’s over the top committed to his craft. Hope it’s not a Lifetime Network movie and has edge to it.
Bale is the only actor who makes me wonder if he just might go over the edge one of these days and go postal. Given how deeply he immerses himself in the characters he plays, I hope he never gets cast as Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer.
Cuz they’re both dicks?
And you know which one? Either? Thought so…go back to Honey Boo Boo – oops, cancelled!
No, because they’re both long term vegans. Well, Steve was until age 53. When diagnosed at that age his doctors foolishly told him to abandon the diet. He stubbornly refused but friends and family pressure made him compromise and he included fish. A pity, because he unknowingly lived with the cancer since at least age 26 (it developed while he was a teen) and was at the point of no return by age 53.
Why would someone make a movie about Steve Jobs?
He is just a dude who created overpaid devices using ideas that were already concieved, and then spent billions marketing them
What about people who actually did something for this world, like Daniel Ritchie?
wtf is a Daniel Ritchie
Because they are both self obsessed twats?