Christian Bale's Weight Loss for The Machinist: This Dedicated Actor Lost a Whapping 63 Pounds to Play the Lead in This Movie

By Jessica Peter, published Aug 23, 2006
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In mentioning the name, Christian Bale, most immediately associate him with Batman Begins, which was released in the summer of 2005 to the joy of avid Batman fans.  However, there are a few that also recognize that name with the darker suspense-filled movie, The Machinist.  

When The Machinist was first being talked about after its release in festivals around the country, the talk amidst all movie-goers was Christian Bale's dramatic weight loss.  Standing 6' exactly (according to IMDb.com) and normally weighing at 185 pounds, it was a shock to view his body withering away in this role.  

He lost a staggering 63 pounds for the role.  Much to my surprise, it wasn't at the advice of director, Brad Anderson.  Anderson is quoted as saying he never requested Bale lose as much weight as he did.  I was completely shocked by this because if this wasn't at the request or demand of the director, then why in the world would you care to lose that much meat off of your bones?!

In reading an article about this topic, Christian Bale answers questions about his mind-boggling weight loss for his role as Trevor Reznik (no relation to the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails).  Bale states that he never thought, at the time, that his dramatic weight loss would pose any health threat to his body.  He is quoted as saying, "I had what could be called a kind of stupid feeling of invincibility, like, 'Oh I can do it. I can manage it.' "  

Thank God he did because if he didn't fill the shoes of Batman, I don't know what I would've done.  His weight loss wasn't part of a specific diet or elimination of certain foods.  In fact, it was the elimination of almost all foods and a lot of exercise.  His exercise did not involve any type of weight lifting.  He only want to lose the fat and keep from bulking up at the same time.  His goal for the movie was to look like as if he had not slept for a year.  I'm sure I can vouch for everyone who's seen the movie that he definitely achieved this goal.  

 
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Christian Bale's Weight Loss for <em>The Machinist</em>: This Dedicated Actor Lost a Whapping 63 Pounds to Play the Lead in This Movie
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Christian Bale lost 63 pounds for his role in The Machinist.

Credit: Paramount Classics

Copyright: Paramount Classics

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Takeaways
  • Christian Bale lost weight by eliminating almost all foods and exercising without bulking up.
  • The Machinist was released in 2004.
  • After The Machinist finished filming, Bale gained 100 pounds in five months for the role of Batman.
Did You Know?
Christian Bale lost a third of his body weight for his role as Trevor Reznick in The Machinist which left him at 121 and 6'. He lost a staggering 63 pounds!
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Showing Comments 1 - 12 of 12
 
 
The Machinist is so much better than Batman Begins. It may be an irregular film, narratively speaking, but it's classic film-noir all the way and Bale's character is fascinating to look at. Batman Begins is probably the best Batman so far, and Bale is great for this role (although Michael Keaton was very good, too), but The Machinist displays elements that you rarely see in films, not least a human being REALLY looking like a dead man walking, a ghost, someone who's lost it, a guy on the verge of disintegration (The Incredible Shrinking Man comes to mind, fab sci-fi masterpiece btw) no makeup, no FX, no computers. It's all there, all flesh and (mostly) bones. We have Christian Bale to thank for -probably- the most powerful, extreme, expressive tranformation in film history.

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Posted on 05/05/2008 at 6:05:00 AM

 
You should probably use the site that has helped me lose alot of weight. http://www.TheWeightLossResearch.com Recommended by doctors and physicians.

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Posted on 04/19/2008 at 5:04:11 PM

 
Good work pointing out that Trevor Reznick is no relation to Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Not only is Reznick fictional. He has a different last name. How long did it take to come up with that one?

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Posted on 04/05/2008 at 6:04:47 PM

 
Haha, look who's talking? I made an error of my own, just forgot a word though, no big deal.

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Posted on 03/29/2008 at 8:03:17 AM

 
This article was ok... very painful to get past all grammatical errors. I wonder if English is your native language? In any case, it was an interesting read and offered a bit more info on Bale's weight loss for this role than I found in other places.

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Posted on 03/29/2008 at 8:03:34 AM

 
Awesome, thanks for putting this all together

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Posted on 02/14/2008 at 7:02:25 PM

 
I think the author's summary of the film, The Machinist, is pretty light-weight. It was a much deeper and emotionally provoking movie than Batman Begins which, while entertaining as one of a legacy of super hero movies, is hardly a poignant film. Bale's weight loss in the Machinist provided that horror and bewilderment the audience needed to be drawn into the emotional conflict and torture Bale's character was suffering for good reason. To suggest it isn't at the level of Batman Begins is like saying X-Men is better than Godfather because the latter is a bit slow and long. And I suppose CSI Miami is better than Cold Case Files too because they wear better pant suits.

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Posted on 02/03/2008 at 4:02:52 PM

 
great article!it was really interesting to read!you are very talented in writing.and the theme was interesting too, I think it's about dedication, will power proof, and curiosity that led Bale to such a great weight loss. though health costs more than $ for a movie role.

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Posted on 11/14/2007 at 10:11:00 AM

 
While the movie's plot is somewhat disapointing,(as are most films that tred the high-wire of dream/reality), Bale's physical presence makes it worthwhile as a character study. I'd love for him to play a fat guy guy in the future,(I know he'd only do it if it was the right choice), which would make his weight range 150lb+!

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Posted on 05/10/2007 at 5:05:00 PM

 
I love this actor! And I liked the film. Like you said it was not great, but it was decent and at time slow paced. Great article. Bye

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Posted on 04/12/2007 at 12:04:00 AM

 
Christian Bale is awesome, the man is so badass. Loved him in American Psycho and Equilibrium.

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Posted on 12/13/2006 at 3:12:00 PM

 
Please refer to my article on Christian Bale's biography for more information on his movie career. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46706/christian_bale_a_biography.html

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Posted on 08/24/2006 at 10:08:00 AM

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