10 Young Actors With The Potential To Be All-Time Greats

8. Christian Bale

The most intense method actor this side of Daniel Day-Lewis, Bale's devotion to his craft borders on recklessness and his natural talent is nothing to scoff at either. Bale got an early start in the movie business, getting the role of a lifetime at only 13 when he played the main character in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. Arguably one of the best performances ever given by a child actor, Bale became one of the few child stars to successfully transition to adult acting. His first notable role as an adult came in 2000's American Psycho, one of the most controversial movies of that year. Equilibrium made him an action star in 2002 and set him up for his most iconic role, Batman in Christopher Nolan's revolutionary superhero trilogy that has become a modern classic. In between his work as the Caped Crusader, Bale turned in memorable performances in The New World, The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Fighter, which won him his first Oscar. Bale's incredible history of transforming himself physically for his roles is almost legendary. To sum it up quickly, Bale lost 60 pounds to play an emaciated insomniac in The Machinist and right after finishing that film, he immediately began working out incessantly in order to gain 100 pounds to play Batman in Batman Begins. Aside from his incredible physical devotion, Bale is excellent with accents, often changes appearance drastically for his roles, and he has shown a de sire to work with the best directors out there, including multiple films with Christopher Nolan and Terrence Malick. His versatility and willingness to do whatever it takes for his role, makes Bale one of the most best actors working today, and one that must be a joy for a director to work with, so long as the crew stay out of his way while filming.