8 Little Known Tics In Christian Bale's Performance That Made American Psycho's Patrick Bateman Epic

8. Jumping Rope Like A Schoolgirl Was Not Planned

One of the key things that separates a good actor from a great one is the ability to add something fresh and unexpected to the mix in a scene. In other words, understanding a character so well that you can improvise and think on your feet should you feel an impulse to take things in a different direction in the moment.

On numerous occasions throughout the filming of American Psycho, Bale demonstrated this acute understanding of who Bateman was and how he'd react in certain situations, regardless of whether it was written down in the script or not.

You've likely already heard of Bale surprising director Mary Harron with his unanticipated dance moves in the lead up to killing Paul Allen. But the star also went with his gut on two other occasions. During that same scene, Bale's moonwalk en-route to hiding his weapon of choice, an axe, was a spur of the moment choice. And in the midst of one of his habitual training routines, nobody on-set knew Bale would begin performing jump rope tricks like a school girl in a playground.

All of these moments brilliantly inform a character capable of making you laugh one minute and feel sick the next.