Christian Bale's 'American Psycho' Inspiration: Tom Cruise

We hope that no one is really as soulless as Patrick Bateman, but Christian Bale's performance in 2000's 'American Psycho' was so frighteningly believable he must have had some real-life inspiration. Turns out Bale studied Tom Cruise's mannerisms to bring the clean-cut murder addict to life.

The movie's director, Mary Harron, revealed in an interview with BlackBook:

We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.

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Comments

[AnimalLover6]

Christian Bale did not make this comment for public consumption. He was quoted.

Big difference.

[brettrobbins]

Reading over these posts, it's clear to me that your hatred for Tom Cruise and his acting is fueled by your jealousy for him, his talent, and the lifestyle his talent has enabled him to lead. If he were a struggling actor trying to make it in Hollywood, you wouldn't be so (if at all) critical of him. But because he's "made it" you huddle together in here and spew out your hatred toward him, his wife, etc. Why so much hatred? Are you that envious of him? Okay, I am too, I admit, it wouldn't be bad to make upwards of $75 million a movie. But I don't see the need to lash out at him maliciously. Just because he's famous? That justifies being a bully? A bully by any other name...

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

That's good sarcasm. Do help the Coens come up their ridiculous plots?

[brettrobbins]

Say what?

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

GatorAtLarge I'm a Fan of GatorAtLarge I'm a fan of this user permalink
Did you see Magnolia? Tropic Thunder (I hate this movie but T Cruise did a good job)? Born of 4th of July? Last Samurai? (Du mb stu pid concept for a movie but he pulled off his assignment)?

He's not a bad actor, I'll say most of the movies he's acted in -though mostly very bankable- usually don't require "great" acting.
********************************
Magnolia = Tom Cruise = weird, narcis sist, mega lomaniac, semi gay man with mommy issues. Sorry, but Tom could play that guy in his sleep.

I noticed you left out Valk yrie. Didn't you dig Tom's depiction of an American action hero, who is supposed to be German?

Tom Cruise is a horrible actor and weirder than we all think. Actually, he is pretty frightening.

[brettrobbins]

This clip, of Cruise calmly confronting a guy who squirted water on him during a mock interview, impressed me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4UvvHMoZs

He seems plenty human to me. I think people like to pick on him because 1) he seems happy, and/or 2) he makes anywhere from 20-75 million dollars a movie and they're just plain jealous of him, and/or 3) he's a Scientologist. Get a life, haters. Dude's talented and, it seems, a pretty decent fellow.

[ebroadcast]

I pick on him because of a combination of 1) and 2). The fact that he uses 2) to push the whole BS agenda that is 1) is exactly why.

[ebroadcast]

Let me try that again ...

I pick on him because of a combination of 2) and 3). The fact that he uses 2) to push the whole BS agenda that is 3) is exactly why.

There. Much better

[SweetTart]

What a very apt description of Cruise. I think he was halfway decent at one point, but somewhere along the line, his soul's been sucked right out of him.

[rationalthought1]

Bale is a wonderful actor (see "The Mechanic") but its just too easy to pile on Cruise - everyone's doing it.

[hallowellboy]

Now that Bale did a oustanding slam dunk of Cruise, who can we get to do Travolta?

[erinker]

Bingo!

[Acleacius]

Bale my have a path back to redemption with this, first apologize about being a di ck to his sister, mother and the stage hand he yelled at.

Then a big media blitz talking about this, haha. :)

[oliv0128]

I knew it!

[laurienoca]

I am not a big Christian Bale fan, but basing that character on Tom Cruise is pure genius!

[skybar]

Tom's missing something ... he can't connect with his humanity. Until he does, he'll never be a great actor. He'll probably never be a great actor.

[lioness39]

Sorry you missed Born On The Fourth Of July, the best acting performance ever.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

laugh out loud

[Ellyllon]

Olivier weeps, wishing just once, he might have matched Tom's performance...

Maybe you meant Cruise's best performance? That's plausible. But to be honest, my 6 yr old did a better, more convincing job in her school play.

[SweetTart]

Ever? Bar none? Seriously?

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Agreed. Tom played an American action hero in the movie Valkyrie supposedly about a Germans.

Just brilliant.

[GatorAtLarge]

Did you see Magnolia? Tropic Thunder (I hate this movie but T Cruise did a good job)? Born of 4th of July? Last Samurai? (Dumb stupid concept for a movie but he pulled off his assignment)?

He's not a bad actor, I'll say most of the movies he's acted in -though mostly very bankable- usually don't require "great" acting.

[Mysticalsister]

but can he act like Tom Cruise?

[Joy]

Just as Bale said about Cruise "he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes"...or soul. Cruise has creeped me out and pissed me off for the loooongest time. When I see the "oh so cute" pics of the Cruise family, I marvel at how horrifically miserable Katie and Surie always look. That is a very sick, sad situation. Tom just needs to go to the Scientology center in the sky and leave them and the rest of us alone. You know, maybe he could recruit the Cheneys and take them with him. Wouldn't life be grand?

[rzan1]

I agree. Katy almost looks lifeless.

[IMEHO]

I don't feel sorry for Katie Holmes, she was 28 (an adult) when she chose to marry a millionare and world famous movie star. There are women out there being beaten, living in poverty. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for someone living in the lap of luxury, wearing designer clothes and the kid, who has the same. She knew he was a scientologist before she married him, she knew what she was getting to and maybe those wonderful mansions make up for having to go once a week to Travoltas house and watch the X-Files.

[Ellyllon]

I get that impression, too, but I remind myself that I don't know the man, and public impressions can - of course - be horribly wrong. Maybe he's a great guy in person. But ya, Bale's comment rings true, from the 'me looking in' perspective.

[Hagrid]

Spot on Christian, spot on!!

[MiniMogul]

Now that he's said it, I totally see it. Wow Tom. Just wow. LOL