Bale’s extreme dedication to his roles and occasional on-set outbursts wouldn’t suggest that the English actor has an affinity for physical comedy, but Bale’s reverence for Farley flicks doesn’t come as a surprise to those who know where Bale’s eccentric acting methods come from. When Bale’s “monk-like discipline” to the art form came up in a GQ interview during the media campaign for Ford v Ferrari, Bale told the story of an early experience with another comedy icon which shaped Bale’s approach to his work.
“One of first jobs ever was with Rowan Atkinson and I think I look at him as the template. He was playing… The Nerd, it was called, by Larry Shue. He would come out, we’d say hello, but he didn’t really socialise,” Bale told of his time with Mr. Bean. “And I would just watch him; I would see him becoming a character. I was mesmerised. And then he just stayed in character for the whole night. And it wasn’t until the whole thing was finished that he invited me to say hello and that I actually spoke to him for the first time. It dawned on me that was my learning phase. I went, ‘Oh, that’s how it’s done then, is it? OK, great.’”
The physical comedy DNA in Bale’s veins creates a hilarious context for his legendary performances in action films like The Dark Knight. When Batman chokeslams criminals in clown masks, just know that the brilliant mind behind the mask was inspired by Chris Farley flailing around hibachi spatulas and flinging himself from palm trees. “Why so serious?” indeed.