Christian Bale’s Research For The Fighter Involved Getting Kicked Out Of A Lot Of Bars

Christian Bale’s Research For The Fighter Involved Getting Kicked Out Of A Lot Of Bars

Christian Bale is no stranger to getting into the skin of his characters. While he’s stated he is not a method actor per se, he has gone the distance for numerous roles to make the process of slipping in and out of character seamless. He embraces immersion to the fullest, whether it’s hanging out with the person he’s going to embody or going to the extreme to physically transform himself via starvation diets or excessive binging.

His award-winning role in “The Fighter” is a prime example of how his sometimes extreme methods come together to pay off. Based on the HBO documentary “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell,” which focuses on boxer Dick “Dicky” Eklund’s spiral into cocaine addiction, and the direct and indirect impacts that addiction had on his career as a boxer. Something of a biopic, “The Fighter” highlights Dicky’s struggle, but also ends up highlighting the lengths Bale went to channel Dicky.

While he didn’t lose as much weight as he did for “The Machinist,” Bale’s transformation into Dicky at peak addiction is still startling to behold. When you watch “The Fighter,” you can’t help but worry about Dicky, as he clearly looks ill. The weight loss isn’t the only thing Bale did to become Dicky, though. He worked to adopt a Boston accent and extensively trained in boxing to become the character.

But that wasn’t enough for Bale. No, he had to do more. And, as recently revealed by the actor, his research led him to getting kicked out of bars.