Christian Bale didn’t want the weight loss for his new character in The Fighter to go too far.
The Batman actor is back in the boxing movie as he takes on the role of Dicky Eklund in the David O’Russell directed project.
Speaking to MTV News the actor said: "I have no goal of seeing if I can become invisible one day, eat so little that I disappear," Bale joked. " ...
“I didn't take this job because I went, 'Oh, there's a physical transformation needed.' I always go, 'Damn! There's a physical transformation needed!' "
"Again, I just didn't recognize that. I just liked the character and then realized, 'Oh, crap, he's a welterweight.' "
Bale has already dropped weight for roles in The Machinist and Rescue Dawn.
"I'm a good 60 pounds heavier than a welterweight. I can't lose that much weight, because I wouldn't be able to box and train and everything.
"I didn't look at numbers, I didn't look at scale, I just went down to what looked like might be the right body type for Dicky and the way that he fights as well.
"I couldn't go too far," Bale added. "Because if I went too far, I'd be able to play the crackhead side, but then after jail, he got clean mentally and physically, and he's always wiry, he's always lean, but I had to be able to show that. So we needed makeup to help me out a great deal with that."
And Bale’s dedication to his role has paid off as he has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes.
The Fighter is released 4th February.
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