Leaked Audio of Christian Bale Losing It on the Set of Terminator Salvation
Being a celebrity sure isn’t as easy as it used to be. Nowadays, it seems like whenever a big star loses their temper or does something embarrassing, there’s a camera or microphone right there, ready to capture the whole ordeal and relay it to the rest of the world. The internet truly is the great equalizer, so when David O. Russell flips out on the set of I Heart Huckabees or Alec Baldwin berates his daughter via voice mail, it only comes back to bite them on the ass.
This week it’s Christian Bale who finds himself unexpectedly in the spotlight, after an audio recording of a disagreement on the set of Terminator: Salvation has made its way into the hands of the fine folks over at TMZ. Apparently it all started when a director of photography walked onto the set in the middle of a shot, interrupting filming. Bale basically freaks out on the guy, and threatens to quit if he isn’t fired. Clearly Bale’s public image is going to take another hit here, as just last year he was arrested in London after an altercation with his mom and sister. His on-screen performances would lead you to believe he is a pretty intense guy, but is this going too far? Does this make you lose respect for Bale? Is it right that the recording was leaked to the public? Follow the link below to listen to the goods.
» Related Link: TMZ: Bale Went Ballistic
Comments (38)
it’s called being a human. who cares? We all lose our tempers at one point or another.
Posted by Broomstick on February 2nd, 2009I can understand getting a little mad over that but that was a little over the top.
Posted by Dylan on February 2nd, 2009Nice.
Posted by Neil M on February 2nd, 2009This guy’s name is Shane Hurlbut. HURL BUTT!!! LOL
Not defending Bale’s behaviour in any way … but the HURL BUTT looks like a douche.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3850868992/nm0403397
Posted by dirrrtyfrank on February 2nd, 2009Just shows Bale’s human and takes pride in his work. I can imagine it must have been pretty annoying having a guy waltzing around set, making you lose focus.
Posted by Kasper F. Nielsen on February 2nd, 2009I think these things are very intimate moments on the set, so I think it sucks to put this on the internet. If I were part of this film, then of course I wouldn’t want anyone to hear this.
But I think it’s awesome to hear this on a boring day at work. It seems like Bale is in charge of this whole production just from this one clip.
Posted by Primal on February 2nd, 2009This is awesome.
Posted by Henrik on February 2nd, 2009The DP he’s getting pissed at, is as dirrrtyfrank noted, Shane Hurlbut. The 1st AD (I think), Bruce Franklin tries to get him to calm down. I don’t know who else is involved, but I’m assuming McG isn’t there. Anyway, he was doing a scene with Bryce Dallas Howard and the DP crossed his eyeline at least twice, apparently to fix a light.
Generally, on set, you want to avoid the actor’s eyeline. It’s really distracting and Shane shouldn’t have been checking a light at that time. Having said that, Bale’s response is somewhat extreme, but we don’t know how stressful the shoot was. It’s easy to criticize and say “I’d never do that,” but think back to some of the arguments and fights that you’ve had with friends and family members. A film set isn’t like an office.
Btw, if I was that DP I would have jumped at the chance to fight Bale. Even if I lost I could tell all my friends that I fought Christian Bale. What could be cooler than that?
Posted by Jonathan Simmons on February 2nd, 2009In all honesty I see no reason why this is a problem at all. The director walked onto the scene and ruined it, he wasted not just bale’s time and money, but the director’s, the studios, the producer.. I mean the list goes on and on. How would you guys feel if you were in Christian’s shoes, and you had just memorized tons of lines and gotten into character? I personally would be quite pist. Sure he could’ve chosen a better way of letting his frusteration out, but Bale mentions that this is the second time the Director of Photography did that, so personally I think that the director of photography deservered it. We all are human, even celebrities, and we are all going to make mistakes, get angry, throw fits, somewhere down the line.
Posted by Nick on February 2nd, 2009Sounds like a guy on the verge of a breakdown. I like Bale but that way over the line!
chuck
Posted by entertainmenttodayandbeyond on February 2nd, 2009This makes me like him EVEN MORE.
Posted by Shaun Hatton on February 2nd, 2009Oh Bale.
Posted by swarez on February 2nd, 2009A bit much. I wasn’t there, so, it’s hard to really take a side. I love Christian Bale but he does come off like a spoiled twit. I love how his accent is all over the map in this tyraid though…
I bet this never happened on the set of, “Little Women”… Winona would have kicked his ass. Chill out Laurie…
Posted by Daemon on February 2nd, 2009I wish that was at least 5 times as crazy…hilarious…
Posted by Bob The Slob on February 2nd, 2009I like how Bale calls him a “nice guy,” but that he can’t work with him professionally.
So what happened afterwards? Did Shane stay on with the film? Did Christian and Shane make up?
Posted by Reed Farrington on February 3rd, 2009Sean, I’m so glad you posted this because I just heard it 5 mins previous to the podcast tweet…listened to it 3 times…need to say something…
Christian Bale is my favorite actor and at some points he sounds like he’s blowing off too hard; but seeing how I know very little about what lead up to this altercation I can’t judge. I’m just hoping T4 is great. It’s so cool to hear Christian pissed off!
This really is one of the most awesome things I’ve ever heard.
Posted by Ryan M. on February 3rd, 2009I’m with Reed, the “You’re a nice guy!” part was the best part. I loved how that was his attempt to be reasonable in his tirade.
That said, I’m apparently in the minority in thinking this was a tad bit over the top and I’m not sure why it’s “okay” to be verbally abusive to someone for walking across your eye line to fix a light. (Although I’m not sure why the guy would be trying to fix something in the middle of a scene, but still.) This outburst goes on for like four minutes and I’m kind of appalled that no one stepped in in a more forceful way to tell Bale to get a grip.
Posted by Liz on February 3rd, 2009We don’t know what the situation was or what the scene was. Maybe he was tired, cranky or in a state of mind for the scene they were shooting. A DP should know better than to wander in to the eyeline of an actor in the middle of the scene.
Posted by swarez on February 3rd, 2009Bare in mind that this was a few days after his incident with his mother and sister. He probably didn’t have the best of days.
Bale obviously believes he’s a precious genius. There is no value, and no reason in abusing someone like this. It only serves to create a hostile environment in the set, and make the other actors (Bryce Howard) severely uncomfortable. What an amazing asshole.
This solidifies the fact that he is an “A #1 Douche.”
And by the way, “Terminator: Salvation” is gonna huff Reed Farrington’s nutsack.
Posted by Jon Rocks on February 3rd, 2009@ Liz, no I’m with you.
I friggin’ hate the big heads actors get on set. Yes, a DP should tweak lights when actors aren’t in the moment but actors also shouldn’t go off because someone was working to FIX THE SCENE/MAKE HIM LOOK BETTER. Without the rest of the crew, Bale would be ranting and raving in the dark. Every stick of equipment and every person on set is important.
That being said, I don’t know why this would be considered, like, news or anything. I think this is pretty typical with big budget movies. Actors lose it and everyone has to accommodate. What if it had been the other way around? We wouldn’t have heard a thing. People just love celebrities, regardless of what mood they’re in.
Posted by Falsk on February 3rd, 2009It almost doesn’t matter what the context is. No one should behave like this. I love how he keeps calling the guy “unprofessional” as he screams obscenities and sounds as if he is planning to beat the guy up. Seriously, do you know ANYONE who behaves like that when they are upset? If you do, de-friend them immediately or just stay away.
I don’t really care what the cinematographer did, this is (non-American) Psycho over-reaction to the Nth degree.
Posted by Andrew James on February 3rd, 2009So, he got mad. You know crap like this happens on every movie. It would have been better to hear Christian say ” Do you like Huey Lewis Shane?”.
Posted by Hugo Van Nor on February 3rd, 2009I can understand from a craftsmans point of view that once you are immersed in a scene and are ready, passionate and rearing to go that a DOP checking lights IN THE MIDDLE of a take would infuriate you. Not meaning that his actions weren’t a little extreme but Christian Bale even says that this wasn’t the only time that the DOP did that. If its a continuous situation it would eventually piss anyone off even mother teresa. I mean whats so important that can’t wait until the scene is finished to check the lights? Why isn’t McG in charge its his set he should have taken control and diffused the situation? That to me is bad leadership. After all the director is the captain steering the ship.
Posted by MalD on February 3rd, 2009I think he was way over the line.
Posted by Shane Hurlbut on February 3rd, 2009If i was in the d.p. position it would have been a fight between me and bale after 30 sec of that. I respect Bales work but this is too much. A guy made a mistake and clearly if he is on the set someone hired him and thought that he could do a good job. Who the fuck Bale thinks he is, some kind of a genius on an artistic search for truth. He is making T4 for god knows how many millions of dollars and he attacks this guy because he interrupted him. What a hypocrite and an asshole. Next time some has to K.O. him to the ground to show him that you cant be like that to another person. Fuck him!
Posted by Neno on February 3rd, 2009what a prick really. how can you ever be mad if you have millions of dollars? seriously, there is no time in your life for this shit, youre too fortunate. be humble you shit head.
Posted by mike christopher on February 3rd, 2009You know, Mr. Bale once said that just acting, for him, was that he was made to feel foolish. Well, after that display, I’d say he should feel real foolish now. I don’t think it’s morally right to totally humiliate someone like that. So he messed up. We all mess up. Does Mr. Bale not mess up? How inaduquate does that guy feel now. Unless it’s because he’s wrapped up , like we all are, in this celebrity hoopla. These people are just like us. Just because they get to act in films and make money doing that, people go fanatical for them. This is our culture now. This generation is concentrated on the wrong stuff. I’m not saying I don’t love TV or Movies. I love them. I just don’t think people should go so crazy for all these celebrity’s . It seems to take over their lives. I mean, you never know, maybe that guy did that on purpose to provoke Bale and have him yell at him. Wouldn’t that be crazy?
Posted by Bale's girl on February 3rd, 2009It’s a shame. he was my favorite actor. I haven’t decided if he still is. But, I don’t think he should not have yelled and berated that guy like he did. That guy should have tried to fight him. Especially if he was all wrapped up in the hoopla.
Hopefully, Christian got to relax during the Fall and Winter months now and have a better attitude towards his next movie release. A little therapy never hurt anyone.
A couple of thoughts, in a way this is a captured example of an issue that has existed in film from the beginning of the medium. Even in my short films I’ve run across DPs that feel their contribution is more important than the actor and have problems with the glory the actors get, or, feel their work (DP) is not taken as the most important on the shoot. In my situation I had to fight to get my DP to offset his dolly track and jib over in front of an actor to allow the actor to not walk on track (dodge the struts). The DP did not understand how walking / dodging track by the actor would add to the distractions taking them out of the scene.
Getting to my point, I imagine the DP in this case was under extreme pressure with this being such a big jump in his career and error on how far he could “break the rules” to get his work done, and produce the amazing pictures the film demands.
Even if this was a repeated offense by the DP, THE RIGHT WAY for Bale to handle it is to excuse himself from set and air things out behind closed doors with the right people.
Posted by rus in chicago on February 3rd, 2009A couple of thoughts, in a way this is a captured example of an issue that has existed in film from the beginning of the medium. Even in my short films I’ve run across DPs that feel their contribution is more important than the actor and have problems with the glory the actors get, or, feel their work (DP) is not taken as the most important on the shoot. In my situation I had to fight to get my DP to offset his dolly track and jib over in front of an actor to allow the actor to not walk on track (dodge the struts). The DP did not understand how walking / dodging track by the actor would add to the distractions taking them out of the scene.
Posted by rus in chicago on February 3rd, 2009Getting to my point, I imagine the DP in this case was under extreme pressure with this being such a big jump in his career and error on how far he could “break the rules” to get his work done, and produce the amazing pictures the film demands.
Even if this was a repeated offense by the DP, THE RIGHT WAY for Bale to handle it is to excuse himself from set and air things out behind closed doors with the right people.
A little food for thought my friends. This is production sound you’re hearing, perfect quality. Bale is in the right. If anyone liked that DP, do you think the mixer would have kept rolling and then leaked it? On any set on any day there’s stuff that comes over the mike that would cook the goose of anyone. But this, this is what gets out? Hmm…
Posted by ds on February 3rd, 2009And check Hurlbut’s credits, he’s spent years on movie sets… he ain’t no rookie, and that’s a rookie move. (I know more but I ain’t sayin’.)
Christian Bale is a flaming asshole. If he had spoken to me this way, he would have immediately have gotten his wish to have a go. Maybe Bale felt like he was a pretty tough character. After all, he had just shoved his mother and sister around a few days prior. takes a really big, tough guy to do that.
I would like to tell him and every other prima donna actor, actress to DROP DEAD! Like it would really matter to the rest of us that they were never born or never made another movie. Really, does anyone care whether or not Christian Bale ever existed? Would it make a difference to this planet if he never even made a movie?
Posted by john on February 3rd, 2009I love his work like everyone else, but this guy is an ASSHOLE, just like many other Holywood types who let their work and fame get to their egos! It’s NOT all about him.
Posted by DPF on February 3rd, 2009I’ve worked on sets and it’s the director’s responsibility to correct problems like this. If Bale wants to be the director then it’s time to change hats.
Who the hell you think you are Christian Bale to talk like that with that dirtector of photography, you asshole, you are nothing!!!! Without that guy the movie you play in would be NADA, you piece of a shit actor, you are a trash not an actor you fucking asshole. You better be in jail for the altercation you had last year in London with your mom and your sister. Your mom gave you birth you junk!!! And without her you wouldn’t be on this planet, your place it’s in jail not ont the set. Fuck you asshole!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Alex on February 4th, 2009That DP is finished……THAT AMATEUR CUNT WILL NEVER WORK AGAIN! Fuckin crew haven’t got a fuckin clue what it’s all about do they!
he is sooooooo finished!
Posted by Geoffrey T.Heathcote on February 4th, 2009Sorry to all those Christian Bale fans out there (and in acting terms I’m one of them), but he needs talking too.
Suddenly everyone’s a film-maling expert, saying the DP shouldn’t be fixing lights etc. Well, point one – is this the case or are you just guessing? Point two – it’s the director’s job to tell the DP if it’s a problem, not an actors. Point three – whatever the DP did, right or wrong, Bale was arrogant, rude, and agressive. It one well publicised incident he reinforces the spoilt, prima dona image of the highly paid A-lst film star. What a nasty man he can be.
Its clear in the light of the London incident that followed shortly afterwards that he either needs professional help to manage his anger, or a step into the real world and out of the bubble he clearly lives in. It’s just a bloody film for goodness sake.
Posted by Simon Thompson on February 6th, 2009It’s been a few days now since this leaked out (and since I left a comment)and I’m still trying to figure out my feelings. I have loved this actor for years and am so disappointed in him. I can understand that it’s frustrating to be doing something and then have it wrecked by someone. I deal with that every day, as I am a stay at home mom with little children. But, I can’t believe the tantrum this guy threw. To go on ranting for 4 minutes like Mr. Bale did says a lot about his charachter. I think he should have just asked the guy one more time politely and left it at that. There are ways to speak to people and that’s not the way. It may hurt his career. I don’t know, either people will forget or it may make them want to see the movie more. It really is heartbreaking to know he can bring so much inspiration to the individuals who are his true fans and to then have it shattered.
Posted by Bale's girl on February 6th, 2009I don’t know if I’ll go see the movie now unless he changes my mind and does something to repair the damages. Especially to his fans.
You guys could say what you want, but I bet that idiot didn’t do it again. We don’t know the full story, probably never will, all I heard was someone was getting in the way of an artist mindset for the scene, which was apparently more than once.
Sure he shouldn’t act like that, but we the people give these guys the power to do whatever they want. So who’s really to blame…
Posted by warrrbale on April 5th, 2009l love you christian bale kiss
Posted by jocelyn cordova on March 7th, 2010Leave a Reply