Christian Bale Apologizes For "Inexcusable" Rant

LOS ANGELES — Christian Bale says he acted like a "punk" and that his profane tongue-lashing on the set of "Terminator Salvation" was inexcusable.

In Friday remarks on a Los Angeles morning radio show, Bale said he never intended to get physical with cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. He also said he was likely channeling too much of his character, John Conner.

Bale also told the "Kevin and Bean" show on KROQ 106.7 that he and Hurlbut reconciled and worked together for another month following the tirade.

The outburst, which occurred last year on the set in New Mexico, was posted this week on the celebrity gossip site TMZ. It has become an Internet sensation, inspiring a music remix, spoofs, and punch lines for the "Kevin and Bean" show.

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On the Net:

http://www.kroq.com

http://www.tmz.com

Comments

[cb76]

Everybody has a bad day? When did we all become delicate orchids? For all of these ridiculous comments defending Bale, you must think abusive behavior is excusable. "My mom didn't hit me THAT hard." My boyfriend only called me a bitch ONCE." Come on people!

[SabrinaFair]

I agree. This is inexcusable behavior.

[seppoyank]

I finally listened to the tape and honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Was he being a bit of a jerk...yea­h. So?

I am most certainly not someone who would be described as an angry person, but sometimes I get really ticked...e­specially when it comes to work related issues. As a full-time writer, I am glad I work from home, because if my editor (who is a very nice person) heard the things I say about her at certain times, she would have me arrested.

He shouldn't have gone off like that...but he clearly knows that. Actors are emotional, and I am glad for that. They wouldn't be very interesting to watch if they weren't.

[kurtlockwood]

Who cares??!! Our soldiers are still in Iraq. Our economy's in the toilet. And Osama is laughing his off at all this attention we are giving a spoiled millionaire yelling at an incompetent light tweaker. Again, who cares???!

[andvoodoo2]

People who take the time to read the article AND to post a comment care.

[tploomis]

His rant was way across the line. Thank goodness he is able to recognize that and apologize for it. He should seriously consider some anger management training to give him the skills to handle anger appropriately. If he was going off like that in my neighborhood, he would probably get a fist through his face. Of course a lot of people in my neighborhood need anger management too.

[SabrinaFair]

He clearly has an anger control problem.

The worst of that rant wasn't the language -- it was the tone, and the fact that it went on for nearly four minutes. No one deserves to be screamed and and humiliated for something as trivial as walking through a movie set. Ten seconds, tops is all it should have been -- especially once the man apologized to him.

Outrageous.

He is right to be apologetic and ashamed. It really doesn't make him look good at all. Christian Bale has too much going for him as an actor to get himself jammed up in this sort of folly.

[AGarcia]

"clearly has a ... problem" ? I think you should look at your own self-righteous problem. Clearly, you have it.

[jsomerville5]

His tone was both whining and extremely menacing. Reminded me of OJ Simpson's rants in the 911 domestic violence calls.

People who are verbally abusive are always contrite and for a while they act very humble and apologetic-- until the next time, when they blow up with even more ferocity.

Something about Bale's apology didn't ring true for me.

[v eyepete]

if this is trivial to you, you clearly don't understand the work of an actor and what it takes to get a good performance on a screen. It's not easy. Just as the work of the crew should be respected by the actors, the crew should respect the work of the actor. CB made it all very clear why he was angry. The man he called down clearly was not respecting his work and had done it more than once. This was the last straw. You don't 'go off' like that for nothing. It is understandable that the general public can get caught up in the result of a performance, but not understand the effort and just the right conditions being needed to get excellence on a screen. On a feature length film, you must do the same exact scene with the same exact energy sometimes up to 17 times in a row. It take tons of concentration. For this same reason, people are silent during a golf tournament. There is nothing trivial about any of it. There is a lot at stake.

[bugsbonzai]

Wait- the DP has to do the same exact scene with the same exact lighting movements sometimes up to 17 times in a row too. It takes tons of concentration. And just like Bale certainly had some crummy takes, the DP did too. Except when Bale f's up a scene, the DP doesn't scream for 5 minutes about how Bale has NO RESPECT for his lighting work, humiliating him in front of the crew.

[sweetwhine]

He is so disappointing.

[217]

Christian Bale is a great actor and he was completely justified in his rant. No need to apologize, but a classy move, just the same.

[marred]

Yep I 2nd that. No need to apologize at all. I have ben on film sets and there is a plethora of wankers walking about thinking they need to be there when in reality they are more clutter than anything else. This would've added to the pressure of having the DP do it also.

[bugsbonzai]

Are you insane? What kind of sliding scale of social standards do you apply to "celebrities" vs. what us "real-people" have to live up to? There's NEVER a time where that kind of rant is acceptable, especially on the set of a movie, which is a WORKPLACE. Would you tolerate a co-worker going off on you like that at your job? Would you tolerate it from your boss? I doubt it.

The only time I can imagine where such behavior would be acceptable is if a pallbearer dropped your grandmother's coffin because he was scratching his crotch, and your deceased grandmother fell out of the coffin and onto the front row of family members at the funeral. Certainly not for momentarily being in the wrong spot on a movie set. Get a grip on reality, dude.

[AGarcia]

I would hope as "real person" someone would show me a modicum of compassion for getting mad (even at work)

[DKLabRat]

Stop being a sychophant. I'm tired of people excusing celeb's outrageous behaviour just because they ARE celebs. As though they are a separate race entitled not to have the same manners as the rest of us. Stop pandering to this idea. Whether he's a good actor or not has no bearing on how he treats people. And if he treats people badly then he needs to apologise.

[Kalel]

There is no justification for treating another human being the way that Bale treated Hurlbut. To suggest there is brings into question your temperament and lack of empathy.

[drfever]

Christian Bale is an adequate actor. He brought little to the screen as Batman and all this incident shows is that he more high strung than a tennis racket, and I pity the those who will be there when he finally "goes off."

There was absolutely NO justification for his immature behavior. When are we going to wake up and see these people for what they really are: spoiled, pampered, and falsely idolized?

[jtj]

He should get an Oscar for that role in faking an apology. HOw many times do you think he does this when he is working oin a set?

[GoogleMaster]

He's blaming it on John Conner? Leader of the rebellion? Sounds feasible to me and to anyone who's watched the TV version of of John on the Sarah Conner Chronicles. Apparently John has a bit of pent up rage because most of his planet was destroyed by robots and what's left of the human race must live in fear underground in the future. That kind of thing can indeed bum a rebellion leader out so I guess we can cut Bale a little slack.

[Tulka2]

This is not just Bale's problem. Anger is the problem of every human. This person just got caught and we care because he is famous, but we all feel completely justified everytime we get angry. Completely justified until the rage passes.

Thic Naht Han, a living Buddha (and also a simple Buddhist monk) says we all think we have so many problems AND we get angry. Anger is down on the list of our problems. If we just didn't have these problems, we would never get angry, we think. Not so. Anger is the main problem. So many of our problems would fade away if we tamed the tiger of anger. (i paraphrase and urge you to read the elegant man's actual words.)

[gentle kirin]

Paradoxically, anger or frustration is part of who we are...it's our wealth and because we get angry doesn't mean we are bad and if we hold back the anger, it doesn't make us good. That's Pema Chodron I'm paraphrasing. I love Thic Naht Han, though. It just always throws me when the poisons are discussed in their books and yet, still, we are all perfect as we are...ther­e's nothing we need to "fix".

[Tulka2]

Naht Han talks about using our faults as manure to make our life rich. Our idea of our "self" is not what is perfect. What is perfect can never be damaged or destroyed. I am not who anyone should listen to. How do they say it....? "When someone points at the moon, don't look at their finger." LOL

[Tulka2]

P.S. Pena Chodron is a gifted and wonderful writer. I have read all her books too. Instant transmission.

[AGarcia]

Anger is some times warranted. This is why I think Buddhism is lightweight when it comes to morality.

[Tulka2]

You should not believe a single thing. Just think about it.

[Tulka2]

Okay. You mustn't believe one thing the Buddha said. He said so. He said you should simply think about what he said and work it out for yourself.

There is a thing you misunderstand. It's not that Buddhists think anger is "wrong". They think it is "unskillful". It never gets you what you want. Deep bow to you, my thinking friend.

[cloudmaker]

Why should he have to apologize for being human? So he lost his temper.
So what? Nobody would care if some sneak (my mother would never use
that word, she always spelled it because it meant someone despicable)
hadn't rushed to the media. I'm sure the lighting man has recovered and
may even be aware that he has a job because of talents like Christian
Bale. When did we all become such delicate orchids?

[bugsbonzai]

He needs to apologize because his behavior makes him fall into the cliched stereotype of the spoiled celebrity actor who acts like an incompetent monarch on the set. Film is a collaborative effort, from start to finish. It requires the sweat and toil of hundreds of hard working people who are never seen on screen. Sure actors become famous, and often movies only get made because an actor is attached to the script, but ultimately, if competent, passionate people don't fill the spot on all of the jobs necessary to create a film, it will be mediocre. Bale knows that although he is a star, the best and brightest of Hollywood behind the camera won't want to work with him if he has the reputation of being an unbearable diva bent on destroying the careers of those he works with if they don't cater to his every whim. He'll have a hard time working with the best if this is what people in the industry think of him.

[cloudmaker]

All of the above comments to my posting are correct. But he has only to apologize
to the person(s) he offended. It is not his responsibility to apologize to the entire world.

[DKLabRat]

It's called good manners. Yes losing your temper is being human. If you don't apologise for the lapse when you cool down though, you're a jerk. End of story. Like I say, I'm sick and tired of fans of celebs and their culture trying to claim that they can behave badly because they act in a movie and don't have to be held to the same standards of common decency as the rest of us.

[SamiSam]

He should apologize because cussing someone out is wrong. It's a human thing to do, yes, but wrong nonetheless. If I cussed out some of my coworkers or the kids I teach, I'll be out of a job. I can't say, "hey I'm only human, we all do it". He needed to do it.

[WeWon]

You're a great actor but dude, get some help.

[gentle kirin]

I can buy him channeling John Connor while yelling at the guy...he lost his accent and he was in the middle of an intense scene. Still, it might be healthy for him to look into ways to balance bringing himself back out of character better--being an actor shouldn't excuse you from belittling those you work with. But...we all blow up from time to time. I'm not saying what he did was right, but I can see how it could happen and that it doesn't make him a bad or abusive guy.

[southsideirish]

I've heard the apology and bottom line: GOOD FORM. He said, "I'm sorry, " and that's all that matters. Good for him. Let's move on and pick on someone else.

[MeltonCartes]

LOL.

[RationalRadioJack]

weak/pathe­tic/excuse for a human being

[elmoor]

Good god He's a prick whether he's famous or not.