Christian Bale (born 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and recurring physical transformations to play his roles, Bale has been a leading man in films of several genres. Born in Wales, he had his breakthrough role at age 13 in the war film Empire of the Sun (1987) and gained wider recognition for his work in the black comedy American Psycho (2000) and the psychological thriller The Machinist (2004). Bale played the superhero Batman in Batman Begins (2005) and reprised the role in the sequels The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). He received acclaim for his performance in the trilogy, which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the boxer Dicky Eklund in the biographical film The Fighter (2010), Bale was listed on Forbes magazine's list of the highest-paid actors in 2014. (Full article...)