Christian Bale won a Golden Globe for his role as Dick Cheney in “Vice,” taking the time in his acceptance speech to thank Satan for inspiration in playing the former vice president and calling Cheney and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “charisma-free assholes.”
Upon heading up to the stage to accept his Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the 44-year-old Bale thanked “Vice” director Adam McKay for casting him to play someone “absolutely charisma-free and reviled by everybody,” adding that from that point forward, he’d be “cornering the market” on playing “charisma-free assholes.”
“What do you think, Mitch McConnell next?” Bale quipped before adding: “Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration” on how to play Cheney.
People on Twitter had much to say about the moment, including the Church of Satan religious movement.
“To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential,” the Church of Satan wrote in a tweet. “As Mr. Bale’s own talent and skill won him the award, this is fitting. Hail Christian! Hail Satan!”
Bale took the Globe over fellow nominees Lin-Manuel Miranda for “Mary Poppins Returns,” Viggo Mortensen for “Green Book,” Robert Redford for “The Old Man and the Gun,” and John C. Reilly for “Stan & Ollie.”
This article has been updated to include the Church of Satan’s comments.
Hayley Miller contributed reporting.