Is there a more controversial actor working today than Christian Bale? From his start as an impressive child actor (Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun) to his emergence as a bonafide movie star after taking on the iconic role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, Bale has certainly had a whirlwind ride in Hollywood. He’s also had plenty of inner demons to shake, as Harrison Cheung and Nicola Pittam’s new biography, Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman (BenBella Books, 312 pages, $15.95), details.
Cheung lived and worked with Bale and his father for nearly a decade, serving as the son’s publicist, marketer and personal assistant. A fan first and foremost, Cheung created a strong Internet presence for Bale, including starting an online fan community, known as the “Baleheads.” This was still in the early days of the Internet, and thanks to Cheung, Bale became one of the first actors to have a large, passionate following on the web. These were Bale’s pre-Batman days, when he was a struggling actor best known for his work in Steven Spielberg’s underappreciated, financially unsuccessful Empire of the Sun (1987) and Disney’s big-budget musical flop Newsies (1992). Despite Cheung’s hard work, Bale never paid him for his efforts, which, along with Bale’s volatile behavior, ultimately led to the end of their relationship, both personally and professionally.
READ MORE: http://www.moviemaker.com/blog/item/mixed_reviews_christian_bale_the_inside_story_of_the_darkest_batman_2012052/
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