When actors like Christian Bale have to gain massive amounts of weight in order to play fat characters, are they sabotaging their long-term health? - Quora
Erik Mehlen Illustration - Day 8 “Frail” Christian Bale from the film The Machinist. He shed 62 pounds going from 172 lbs to 110 lbs for the role. He was so skinny
![Christian Bale explains why he dropped to 8 stone and slept for two hours a night to play The Machinist Christian Bale explains why he dropped to 8 stone and slept for two hours a night to play The Machinist](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcd74acc1d0a99f3a/blt041d4c439a02b122/63402dc7e77b38457e8f01d7/Christian_Bale_explains_why_he_dropped_to_8_stone_and_slept_for_two_hours_a_night_to_play_The_Machinist._Credit-_Castelao_Productions.png)
Christian Bale explains why he dropped to 8 stone and slept for two hours a night to play The Machinist
![Christian Bale could go super-skinny again for his next role. Bo-ring. How about some REAL Method acting? Christian Bale could go super-skinny again for his next role. Bo-ring. How about some REAL Method acting?](https://ew.com/thmb/Kx7i4pwWyWagAYk-lYMAFn6Vw5k=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/christian-bale-machinist_240-70dad84c22714ab280d0e4546e063663.jpg)
Christian Bale could go super-skinny again for his next role. Bo-ring. How about some REAL Method acting?
![Going through hell for Hollywood: Christian Bale shed 62lbs using cigarette-and-coffee diet for role in 2004's The Machinist, while Charlize Theron gained 50lbs to play pregnant mom in 2018 - as Cillian Going through hell for Hollywood: Christian Bale shed 62lbs using cigarette-and-coffee diet for role in 2004's The Machinist, while Charlize Theron gained 50lbs to play pregnant mom in 2018 - as Cillian](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/07/20/16/73398941-12315989-For_his_role_in_the_Machinist_above_Bale_lost_62lbs_by_switching-a-30_1689866466210.jpg)