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The recording Christian Bale WANTS you to hear
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A contrite but humorous Christian Bale called into an L.A. radio station on Friday to apologize for his expletive-laced tirade on the set of “Terminator Salvation” that has circulated all week on audio tape form, and the actor also gave his version of what happened that July day when the outburst was recorded. 
“I know I have a potty mouth, everybody knows that now,” Bale told radio station KROQ. “But I understand this is live so please don’t worry, I will behave.”
And Bale apologized, pleading with listeners to not write off the new “Terminator” movie because of the outburst.
“I was out of order beyond belief, I was way out of order, I acted like a punk, I regret that and there is nobody that has heard that tape that is hit harder by it than me,” Bale said, as KROQ radio personality Lisa May cooed in sympathy.
Bale’s recording was posted on Monday by celebrity Web site TMZ.com, and it has inspired a cottage industry of audio mixes, including a mashup of the Bale outburst and an on-set tirade from conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly.
But details on exactly what happened that day in July have been more scarce than the remixes. Bale offered his version of it all in his call to KROQ.
Bale said that he was playing a scene where his character, John Connor, confronts his mother’s insanity, and that he was trying to convey a bit of his own character’s insanity. Then, Bale turned on the film’s director of photography Shane Hurlbut, accusing him of interrupting the scene and ruining it.
“I took it way too far and I completely mixed up fact and fiction, I’m half John Connor, I’m half Christian there,” Bale said.
But have no fear, Bale and Hurlbut have completely made up, Bale said. In fact, the two saw each other just two weeks ago.
“I absolutely believe in Shane’s capability, he’s done a wonderful job on that movie,” Bale said.
That could put to rest the most memorable line from Bale’s outburst, his raging Hollywoodspeak pledge that he and Hurlbut were “done, professionally.”
Bale’s on-set tirade came the same month that he was questioned by police in London after his mother and sister alleged that he assaulted them at a hotel. Authorities declined to file charges.
Last month at a sneak preview for “Terminator Salvation,” which opens on May 22, director McG praised Bale’s dedication to the role of John Connor, who is central to the pop mythology surrounding the “Terminator” franchise. For a film set in the aftermath of nuclear war, maybe an on-set explosion strangely fits the theme.
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Maybe he’ll get that Oscar for the CGI robot movie now!
This actor is just another spoiled brat who has no real life experience, which explains his outbursts over trivial matters. His real life character is far from what he makes himself to be. As a REAL soldier, I laugh at his trivial emotions. A real man keeps his cool, always!
Forgiven. Everyone has a crap day. He’s a passionate guy, its happens. I *do* hope however that having heard himself ranting, he will learn to control his anger a bit. I understand this isn’t the first time his anger has gotten him in trouble..
Jeez. To think I respected him as a professional. I’m sorry, but if I had a meltdown like that at work, I’d be fired. The cussing doesn’t bother me so much as his threats to ruin the poor guy professionally. Who does he think he is? Telling someone he’s going to make sure he never works again just because the poor sap stepped into his scene. Terminator/Schmerminator…that’s one movie I won’t be rushing to see, not in protest but because I’d be distracted the entire time thinking what a jerk he is.
His “trivial emotions” are the tools he uses as an actor. Certainly not the best choice of tools for a REAL soldier. Of course a soldier would not want to be in touch with his emotions, if he was – how could he go on?
What a lilly liver person he is ?
When you vocalize it, believe it or shut up.
In the real world, Bale would be fired and ostracized, no matter how contrite. In the celebrity world, he’ll be supported and his career advanced. I’m tired of loser celebrities making millions of dollars for intolerable behavior. When will North America wake up and stop enabling and idolizing idiots like Christian Bale?
Mr, Bale’s apology is terribly transparent, and rings hollow. The only reason that he apologized is because the outburst was publicized and he knew that it would hurt his image and even possibly his career. An outburst like that is a telling illustration of the arrogance, pompousness, self-absorption, and egotism that so many of the Hollywood elitists display. He and Carlotta, as played by Minnie Driver in the movie Phantom of the Opera, would be perfect for one another!
Can you imagine if say, a plant manager or an executive behaved this way with an employee on the shop floor?
Depending on the employee, the clown spouting off could find himself knocked into next week.
People bully those who will put up with it, or have no choice but to put up with it.
I wonder if Mr. Bale would have pulled this off with a tradesman who happened to be working on the set?
Somebody built like a brick outhouse, with a union to back him up.
I don’t know, I think most of the comments here are unrealistic. Yes, Christian Bale acted like a punk and was way out of line, but he’s human like all of us and gets pissed off sometimes. To approach it from a different angle, all of us have gotten pissed off before or have done regrettable things in one way or another.
Again, I don’t condone that behavior but come on.
Bale is a bully. Nothing more,
While I agree with J. J. that real men keep their cool, I do not believe that he is a real soldier…
Jeez people, all so cynical and quick to point the finger. He apologized because the recording went public, but this was his second apology. He made amends with the DP the day of the incident and was forgiven, before the tape became public. Once the tape became public, he made an apology to everyone else. He’s being honest and genuine here. Just watch some of his other interviews and videos, he’s a nice, affable guy most of the time. He just lost his cool, which could happen to anyone, even if he took it way too far. He is an excellent, dedicated, humble actor and anyone who has payed attention to him throughout his career will know that.
The only thing that rings hollow around here are people who are quick to judge one man by 4 minutes of their life. A meltdown is a meltdown, it happens to many people. To start assuming all of these things, he’s a bully – he’s cocky – he’s this he’s that, is totally inappropriate assumptions made by people who don’t know anything about the man or situation.
So has no one else here had a sudden outburst of uncontrollable anger or tantrum themselves?
Why we hold ‘celebrities’ to a higher standard than ourselves is beyond me.
I guess we just want someone to bring down so we can feel better about our own lives, no?
Seriously, he is a good actor and deserving of our respect. He can make a mistake. Nobody is infallible.
I don’t know how anyone listening to the clip could not think he is sincere!?!
As he even says in the clip, he feels very uncomfortable with the notion of being a ‘movie star’, and considers himself to be a professional actor, and does not view himself better than anybody else. He’s not an American celebrity, afterall.
Christian Bale was the bigger name in this story. Bigger than the DP and bigger than the Director. But his silence meant the beginning of the end of his large success and shrinking of his status was at hand. His fans were very upset at him and the Terminator movie was going to suffer, not to mention the Batman franchise. But now that he has owned up an apologized he has turned that tide. He has humbled himself and proven he is a big man with what he says in this apology. I am satisfied. Everyone makes mistakes. Good job Christian.
Everyone snaps, most people just dont get recorded. why the outrage?
Actors rely on their emotions, so all of this equating with him on factory floors or as a soldier is moot. We expect him to be in tune with emotions, and it shows on screen. I don’t want him in a factory, and I don’t want boring factory workers on the big screen. Case closed.
Christian apologiises to the media but not to his family, plus the incident with his sister and mother had nothing to do with money, in fact they still do not know why he blew up that night.
You say this all like you’ve never been angry at anyone. He may rich, famous, and an amazing actor, but he’s still human. Who are you to judge? You’re no better than anyone else.
Let’s separate, for the moment, the man from his actions. While most people are defined by their actions, no one should be judged by only one of his actions. He was obviously way out of line in taking his tirade so far (I mean, c’mon, 4 minutes worth of F-bombs…the train should’ve left the station after the first two F-bombs), but he was certainly justified in being upset his work was disrupted.
Many comments I’ve seen appear to indicate that in any other industry, Mr. Bale would’ve been out of a job. Not true. I had a CEO I worked for who was notorious for abusive rants not unlike Mr. Bale’s. Mr. Bale’s rant appears to be a one-off, but my CEO got away with his verbal abuse of employees because he kept making the company lots of money. Sad, but true. And in fact, my CEO never apologized for his behavior.
I think Mr. Bale was probably justified in being upset, but he was most certainly NOT JUSTIFIED in allowing himself 4 minutes as a 2-year old.
“Motherof2″
Just because you had an abusive boss, that doesn’t mean it’s ok. Bale should be sacked, like any normal person would be. He’s clearly a bully, and the more support he gets the more people will think it’s behaviour that they can get away with.