'Love challenge of failing...': Christian Bale on playing Frankenstein's monster
What's the story
Christian Bale, the Academy Award-winning actor, recently opened up about his upcoming film The Bride!. In an interview with Variety India, he discussed playing Frank (a reimagined version of Frankenstein's monster) in this American Gothic romance directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The movie also stars Jessie Buckley as The Bride and Annette Bening as Dr. Euphronious.
Character exploration
Bale on his approach to the role
Bale said, "I always love the challenge of failing miserably." "There have been so many renditions of Frankenstein's monster done, and in my mind, they all pale in comparison to Boris Karloff." "So I wanted to give a nod to him, but also incorporate Mary Shelley's original take." "It can be quite impulsive, the choices we make depending on the mood you're in, but this one really stuck with me as something unique and original with a punk rock sensibility."
Role preparation
How he prepared for the role
Bale revealed that he watched several adaptations of Frankenstein to prepare for his role. He was particularly intrigued by Italian scientist Luigi Galvani, who discovered in 1780 that an electric spark could animate parts of dead animals. Bale said about his character design choices, "I liked incorporating Karloff's look without the flat head, which has always fascinated me."
Character insight
More human version of the monster
Bale described Frank as a more human version of Frankenstein's monster who has lived for over 100 years and suddenly finds himself in 1930s civilization. "He's going from someone who's done enormous, terrible acts in his younger years because of a lack of understanding, abandoned by his father, nobody teaching him whatsoever, immense strength, to a point where when we meet him now he's had a lot of time to teach himself how to talk."
Role hesitation
Concerns about taking on iconic character
Bale admitted he had concerns about taking on this iconic character, especially since many actors have played Frankenstein before him. He was also conscious of his height not matching the usual image of the monster. However, he eventually realized that The Bride! is more of an intellectual exploration of the character than a physical representation. Meanwhile, the film is set to release on March 6, 2026.