Christian Bale's Wife Talked Him into 'American Hustle'

The actor says spouse often convinces him to take roles he's talked himself out of.

American Hustle is one of the must-see movies of the year, generating all kinds of Oscar buzz. It’s packed with Oscar winners like Jennifer Lawrence and star Christian Bale. He sat down with Josh to talk all about that.

It is fair to say Oscar winner Christian Bale is having a good month. He has not one but two Oscar buzz-worthy films. All right now, the dark drama Out of the Furnace and American Hustle, his second go-around with the fighter director David O. Russell. It just opened this week and of course, it means more of Christian Bale to love, figuratively and literally. Take a look.

I felt like we had a secret, just the two of us. You know, like that thing when you just wanna be with the one person all the time? And you feel like the two of you understand something that nobody else gets? I can just tell her everything about myself. And I never had anybody like that in my life before. I felt like finally I can truly be myself, without being ashamed, without being embarrassed.

A beautiful shot, beautiful capturing of a fascinating relationship. So great to have Christian here with us today and we should say a fictionization of the ABSCAM Sting of the 1970s. So everybody can run to GOOGLE right now and just jump right in. I was struck by something that we saw Amy Adams, your co-star say about Irving, the character you play, “Never met more a more charming character than your Irving.” This is a man who really wanted to improve his own life, not just swindle.

Right. It’s what David and I really found to be fascinated about the piece. He’s looking at it as dreamers. You know that when you have a sense of our dreams, reinvention of ourselves. That’s really what we liked about these characters.

The reinvention of the characters themselves, but also the actors playing them. He said that one of his personal favourite things to do here was to see his stable if he will, the Bradley’s, the Jennifer Lawrence’s and you and Amy disappeared into some new characters.

Yeah, we were doing something radically different. I’ve got a great fun as for Irv. He’s one of the most consummate con artists of our time, but you got this crazy comb-over and like who do you think he’s kidding, you know, it’s like one ear throwing a lifeline to the other ear, you know. But it’s this great contradiction that you get in good character.

But somebody prepares, obviously, as you do, is there a joy there, is there a private joy there in descending into the lives of the characters you’ve gonna play?

Oh, definitely. I really love having a job where I get really to investigate and meet with really fascinating people.

What is the trauma on you body at this point your life of the characters that you’ve inhabited, particularly Irv?

I’ve sometimes gone, you know, possibly a little too far, but it all felt, actually appropriate at the time with body, you know, weight loss and weight gain, and obviously, that’s the case with Irv. I saw him with this kind of rolling ball of momentum and quite rotund and so I wanted to achieve that.

And I would imagine it’s that makes it all the more fun, all the more challenging.

Yes, it does.

American Hustle, so incredibly worthy it. Christian Bale.

Thank you very much.

Congratulations. Real pleasure having you here.

And American Hustle is in theatres nationwide right now.