8. He Almost Quit Acting After Empire Of The Sun
Despite appearing on stage and in a few commercials, Bales part in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna was his first significant role in front of the cameras, and one that carried a significant advantage: one of his co-stars was Amy Irving, then-wife of Steven Spielberg, who was impressed by the young actor and recommended that her husband audition him for the lead in his next production. Spielberg was preparing to shoot Empire of the Sun, an adaptation of J. G. Ballards semi-autobiographical novel about a young boy who is separated from his family when Japan invades China in World War II and is forced to grow up fast. 4,000 children were considered for the part of Jim Graham before Bale was handed the role, and he didnt disappoint. The young actor was a revelation and his performance received universal acclaim, but the newfound fame didnt sit well. Bale struggled to cope with the endless promotional duties, spending one Paris press conference repeatedly stabbing at an orange with a pencil instead of answering questions and eventually fleeing, and his relationships with friends and family took an unwelcome turn:
Suddenly people were saying I was cocky because I'd done a Steven Spielberg movie and thought I was better than everyone else, which surprised me at first. I suddenly started feeling like a freak because everyone was treating me differently. It was confusing, and I did wonder if acting was for me anymore.