At age 10 in 1984, made his London stage debut as Thor in The Nerd with Rowan Atkinson
Born in Wales, he split his childhood between London, California and Portugal
For his performance in 1987's Empire of the Sun, the 13-year-old Bale won Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor from the National Board of Review, an honor created specifically for his work in the film
Trained for 10 weeks to sing and dance in the 1992 musical Newsies
Became the stepson of Gloria Steinem, one of the pioneers of the feminist movement, when she married his father in 2000
Lost more than 60 pounds for 2004's The Machinist, dropping his weight to 120
Used an American accent while promoting the films in the Batman Begins trilogy
Active in Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund
Awards
2020Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama:nominated
2019Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:nominated
2019BAFTA Film Awards-Best Leading Actor:nominated
2019Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:winner
2018Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:nominated
2018Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:nominated
2018Critics' Choice Awards-Best Actor:winner
2016BAFTA Film Awards-Best Supporting Actor:nominated
2016Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:nominated
2015Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:nominated
2015Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:nominated
2015Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:nominated
2014Critics' Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in a Comedy:nominated
2014Critics' Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor:nominated
2014BAFTA Film Awards-Best Leading Actor:nominated
2014Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical:nominated
2013Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:nominated
2013Critics' Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in an Action Movie:nominated
2013Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:winner
2011Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:winner
2011BAFTA Film Awards-Best Supporting Actor:nominated
2011Critics' Choice Movie Awards-Best Supporting Actor:winner
2010London Film Critics Association-Best British Actor:nominated
2010Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:nominated
2010Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:winner
2010Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:winner
2010National Board of Review-Best Supporting Actor:winner
2010National Society of Film Critics-Best Supporting Actor (Runner-up):winner
2010Austin Film Critics-Best Supporting Actor:nominated