'American Psycho': Co-Star on Working with Christian Bale

How surprising it may sound that your talent may intimidate a few? Well, it’s not only natural but also a testament to your exceptional abilities. Renowned actor Christian Bale is an incredible actor, and his skills can’t be doubted. Throughout his career, the actor has proven his versatility by portraying a wide range of characters. Among his several impeccable performances, his role in the 2002 cult classic “American Psycho” is considered one of the best of his career. However, two of Bale’s co-stars recently discussed that working with such a dedicated method actor came with its own challenges.

Christian Bale’s Iconic Performance Created Difficulties for His Co-Stars

Filmmaker Mary Harron bestowed the world with a gem of a movie, “American Psycho.” Released in 2000, it is a satirical psychological horror film based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The movie features Bale in the role of Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Two of the film’s cast members, Chloë Sevigny and Josh Lucas, recently participated in a conversation with Vanity Fair, in which the two actors reflected on their memories of working in Harron’s “American Psycho.”

Sevigny, who portrays Bateman’s secretary in the film, discussed how her approach to acting and on-set conduct often came into conflict with Bale’s. The actress said, “I was trying to respect his process, which I found challenging because I’m very gregarious and silly and goofy, unbeknownst to the general public. When people take themselves so seriously, I kind of shut down, even though I take my work very seriously, and I love acting and whatnot. I was really intimidated by his process and intimidated by him, and I wanted a little more generosity to make myself feel more at ease, which is my own ego.”

Sevigny’s narrative explains how she found it challenging to adapt to Bale’s serious approach and expected some flexibility to feel at ease. Bale’s performance stands out because he’s acting on top of acting. He’s playing someone who doesn’t think of himself as a real person yet tries desperately to fit into the world around him in an attempt to hide the darkness that lies beneath.

While Bale’s performance was hailed by many, his co-star Josh Lucas wasn’t very impressed with what he saw on-set at the time. He said, “I don’t know if you felt this way, but I actually truly remember thinking that Christian Bale was terrible. [Laughs] I remember the first scene I did with him. I watched him, and he seemed so false.”

However, Lucas couldn’t adhere to his opinion for long. After watching Bale’s performance on-screen for the first time, his perspective shifted as he applauded Bale’s magnetic performance. He further said, “That was an actor who was at such a completely different level already, and that he was capable of having these crazy layers going on in what he was doing. I thought it was bogus acting at the time, but it was exactly the opposite.”

The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and the supporting cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon.

“American Psycho” is available to stream on Peacock.