Christian Bale said that he has an acting career only because Leonardo DiCaprio turned down so many roles.
The actor, known for his roles in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and American Psycho, said DiCaprio was offered “all” the roles that Bale had played before him, even from directors with whom he had worked “several times.”
When asked by GQ about rumors that he lost at least five roles to DiCaprio in the 1990s, Bale replied: “Oh, man. It’s not just me. Look, to this day, any role that anyone gets is only because he handed it over.
“It doesn’t matter what anyone tells you. It doesn’t matter how friendly you are with the directors. All those people I’ve worked with several times, they all offered him each of these roles first. Right? I had one of those people who actually told me that.
“So, thank you, Leo, because literally he can choose whatever he wants to do. And good for him, he’s phenomenal.”
Asked if he ever took it personally, Bale added: “No. Do you know how grateful I am for any damn thing? I mean, I can’t do what he does. I wouldn’t want the exposure he has either. And he does it superbly. But I suspect that almost all of his peers in Hollywood owe their careers to the fact that he refused any project.”
Bale’s latest role is the detective comedy thriller “Amsterdam” directed by David O. Russell. The film also stars Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy and Mike Myers.
He is also set to star in the Gothic horror film Pale Blue Eye alongside Gillian Anderson and Harry Melling. The film, directed by Scott Cooper, will be released in limited release in December.
