Christian Bale confessed he would “scream like crazy” while transforming into Frankenstein‘s monster, Frank, every day on set. Bale is starring in writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s interesting take on the classic tale of Frankenstein’s monster. The film is known as The Bride, in which the monster seeks an undead companion. However, for the Batman star, this wasn’t an easy character to slip into.
Christian Bale talks about his Frankenstein transformation
Christian Bale revealed it would take up to six hours to transform into Frankenstein’s monster, Frank. This transformation includes applying prosthetics, makeup, hair, and wardrobe, as well as long hours of filming every day. Bale is no stranger to intense prep and is known as a solid method actor who can dive deep to get into the skin of a character.
The Machinist star revealed to Entertainment Weekly, “It requires a great deal of stillness.” He also confessed that he found a unique and practical way to keep himself “from going insane” in the chair. Bale shared, “I would scream like crazy every day. Just to [release the] despair, all of that restraint that you have to display when you’re sitting still for that long.”
The 52-year-old Oscar-winning actor confessed he loves letting out a primal scream, but had to figure out the right time to do so. Bale dished, “I didn’t want to do it driving into work because I thought I might cause a crash. And I didn’t want to do it by myself because I thought everyone would just think I’m going nuts.”
The American Psycho star recalled enlisting his hair and makeup team to scream with him every day, calling it a “great bonding experience.” Bale stated, “It was great to have the makeup and hair team who all just loved it. If I ever forgot, if I was in my own little bubble thinking about the day’s work, they would stop me and go, ‘Oh, scream.’ And then we would all do our screaming together.”
Christian Bale shared that, soon, their collective screaming exercise grew into a larger group. Before Bale knew it, more people joined him. The Bride will hit theaters on March 6.
