Dark Knight franchise star Christian Bale is no stranger to controversy, having been arrested during a family altercation in 2008 and infamously berating a crew member on the set of Terminator Salvation in 2009. However, after years of relative calm, Bale tarnished his image once again with erratic behavior at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere of the movie Vice on December 11th.
“It was shocking,” said Doogie Howser, M.D. veteran Neil Patrick Harris. Zero Dark Thirty lead actress Jessica Chastain (see my review here) agreed. “He was out of control.”
Violence at the Vice Premiere
The incident occurred at the Los Angeles premiere of Bale’s new movie Vice, screened at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Vice, a biographical comedy/drama about the power and influence wielded by Dick Cheney in the George W. Bush administration, stars Bale as the avaricious Cheney.
Bale’s wild behavior began as the closing credits started to roll. According to multiple witnesses, the actor stood up, climbed the stage and faced the audience. “He had this funny look on his face,” said Harris. “There was this peculiar smile, almost as if he were hiding something.” Harris’ voice dropped into low tones. “Suddenly, he smashed his hands together in this really fast way. It lasted for a good ten, maybe fifteen seconds. It was really loud and rhythmic. We were all like, what the hell?”
Chastain confirmed the account, saying that Bale was banging his hands together while facing the audience. “They were literally crashing into each other, making this loud pop-pop-pop sound, almost like gunfire. I’ll bet that guy has more guns than an Idaho separatist.” She shuddered, then continued. “But the worst part was watching him do it on stage in front of everyone.” She paused to collect herself, then confessed, “It was just too much to take. We picked up our things and left the theater.”
Inappropriate actions during the movie
Bale’s aggressive actions were preceded by eyebrow-raising behavior throughout the Vice showing. “Bale seemed pretty unbalanced to me,” said comedian Jerry Seinfeld. “I was sitting two rows behind him and heard him bray laughter at points throughout the movie. Also, it was really annoying listening to him crunch popcorn while I was trying to follow what was going on.”
Witnesses noted that Bale got up twice while the movie was playing and left the theater for a few minutes each time. “I don’t think he asked for permission — he just did it,” said Aquaman star Jason Momoa. “Maybe he was in the parking lot, doing drugs or something, I don’t know,” he mused. “By the way, I’m not gay.”
Dr. Phil weighs in
Celebrity psychologist and likely quack Dr. Phil McGraw weighed in on the reasons behind so-called ‘bad boy’ behavior, including Bale’s actions at the Vice premiere. “Sometimes celebrities believe that normal societal rules don’t apply to them,” he said. “Bale demonstrates all the classic signs of narcissistic personality disorder, as do many other Hollywood stars, including Mel Gibson, Bugs Bunny and that guy who played Mr. Roper on Three’s Company.”
He reminded reporters that mental illness is a serious problem. “We have to keep in mind this is a classic form of mental illness. Christian Bale may well be a very sick man.”
Bale’s future
Bale’s next movie is Ford v. Ferrari, a story about the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966. “See?” said Dr. Phil, upon hearing of his next role. “Bale cannot resist being drawn into violent movies, assuming distinct, complex imaginary personalities. I’ll bet he plays World of Warcraft, too.”
As for the prospects of similar incidents by Bale at future premieres, Harris said, “I just won’t go. I have a new motto: Bail on Bale.” He then warned, “Speaking of which, he better get used to that word, because he’s gonna need it someday soon. Say ‘hi’ to Lindsay Lohan for me while you’re at it, Batman.”
