Interview
Magazine - February 1998
On the Trail of Christian Bale by Brendan Lemon
Although the
twenty-three-year-old actor Christian Bale has made a very
respectable career for himself in the movies--from the 1987 World
War II drama 'Empire of the Sun' to 'Little Women' (1994) and 'The
Portrait of a Lady (1996)--he has achieved mega-stardom on the
Internet, where the phenomenal popularity of Web sites such as www.christianbale.org
have made him the cyber pinup. The three movies Bale has coming
out this year (the love story 'Metroland', with Emily Watson; the
semi-thriller 'All the Little Animals', with John Hurt; and, most
anticipated, the glam-rock epic 'Velvet Goldmine'), as well as his
being cast as the lead in the soon-to-be-filmed 'American Psycho',
will provide cyber fans with many more images to download in the
months ahead.
Brendan Lemon: Your popularity as a heartthrob on the Web just
keeps growing. Why?
Christian Bale:
I like to think the reason I have this popularity on the Internet
is partly related to the fact that I've never hired a publicist
for myself. I've only done interviews when it's for a film, and
tend to talk about the film and avoid talking about myself a lot.
So there just isn't that much information about me available.
I did 'Empire of the Sun' when I was thirteen, and we did this
huge international publicity push for it, and I really hated it.
That has very much affected my ideas of exposure. A few years ago,
however, this computer-whiz guy wrote me and asked if I would mind
if he set up a Web site for me. This was when there were, like,
literally three other actors who had one. So he started doing it,
and he keeps updating it all the time. He's done this amazing site
that's won loads of awards.
BL: It occurs
to me that you've used a new technology to maintain a quality that
used to be thought essential for a hollywood star: mystery.
CB: It's
important for an actor to have a certain amount of mystery.
Personally, I love going to see a film when you can really watch a
character. If you've just read some article about who the actor is
sleeping with, that's gonna be at the back of your mind all the
time while you're watching the film. And obviously the more press
you do, the less you're able to maintain that mystery.
BL: The Web has
inspired rabid fanaticism about you and your work. Do you have fan
leanings yourself?
CB: I love
certain bands, and certain actors, but I've never written a fan
letter in my life.
BL: The
character you play in one of your upcoming films, 'Velvet
Goldmine', essentially represents the fan point of view about the
British glam-rock scene in the early 70s.
CB: If was a
shame in a way that I didn't get to be a rock star in it like Ewan
(McGregor) and Johnny (Johnathan Rhys Meyers) did. I missed out on
all the orgies. But what I have is a fantastic part anyway.
BL: And
meanwhile you're in the middle of a much bigger orgy of interest:
on the Web.
CB: Exactly.
