In preparing for the movie, American Hustle Christian Bale changed his appearance for the screen. He gained nearly 50 pounds to play Irving Rosenfeld, a character based on Melvin Weinberg, an actual conman.
Bale told Variety, “I loved the way he looked, because when I heard his story, I incorrectly assumed he would be this slick, smooth operator who assumed an air of wealth and control over his life. And when I saw him, I thought, ‘Oh my word, this is not what I would have expected at all!”
Perhaps considering the actual people made Bale’s performance one of the most memorable of this year. When considering the film, director David O. Russell told theLA Times that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Bale is nominated this year for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Irving Rosenfeld. Bale has also starred as Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Also Rises, Dicky Eklund in The Fighter, and John Miller in The Flowers of War.
The 86th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre.