Christian Bale was born in Wales on January 30, 1974, and got his start in London's theaters. He rose to fame after he was recommended for a role in Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg.

In 2000, Bale took on one of his most memorable roles playing Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Four years later, Bale landed the coveted role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, a film that would secure his place in Hollywood history. The second installment in the Batman film franchise, The Dark Knight went on to gross more than $500 million.

The actor has also appeared in silver screen hits 3:10 to Yuma and I'm Not There, among others. Bale and his wife Sibi Blazic, have one daughter, born in 2005.