Noted method actor and body transformer Christian Bale has done it again.
Bale plays Dick Cheney in the new Golden Globe-nominated film, Vice, and had to gain a decent amount of weight for the film. He looked nearly unrecognizable in the trailer for Vice, but has since dropped most of the pounds he put on to prepare for the role.
The Batman star discussed the physical transformation and how Vice's director Adam McKay was "relieved" when he saw Bale as Cheney for the first time. E! News spoke to Bale at The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences in L.A. about his Golden Globe nomination and McKay's priceless reaction.
"What a relief it must have been for him right?" Bale told us. "I mean you don't exactly look at me and go, 'Oh yeah! He should be Dick Cheney.'"
It is quite the jump from a Bat Suit in the Batmobile to a black suit in the Oval Office.
He continued, "That must have been such a bloody relief for him to see me walk through the door."
It's his striking transition into the Vice President along with co-stars including Amy Adams, who plays his wife Lynne Cheney, and Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, that undoubtedly helped the actor and the movie garner two nominations for the 2019 Golden Globes. Vice was nominated in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy categories.
The American Hustle star was quite pleased about the accolade. "It was great. It's really exciting," he told E! News. "It's lovely because it really was a magnificent team effort and it's great everyone got recognized."
The transformation took a lot of work (read: eating). He admitted that it's not best feeling in the world to indulge like he did every day to take on 40 pounds for the role. So what did it take?
"I tend to be quite habitual. Eggs and rice—that was it," he said. "But it ended up sort of 15 eggs on a bowl of rice. It was that enjoyment of being full nonstop, but it gets quite sickening after a while you know? Your back goes out and all sorts of other things but that all helped with playing [the role]."
Now that he's dropped the weight, it seems like he's planning on keeping the it off. He said that he looks forward to spending the holidays indulging in some sports instead. "My daughter is going to teach me how to surf," he shared.
Vice opens in theaters Christmas Day.