Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor[ whose film credits include Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, 3:10 To Yuma, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and the upcoming film Terminator Salvation, where he will play the role of John Connor. Bale is known for his mastery of accents and harsh regimens of shedding and gaining weight (particularly for The Machinist, Batman Begins and Rescue Dawn). In addition to starring roles, such as Batman, in big budget Hollywood films, he has long been heavily involved in independent and art house films.

Bale first caught the public eye when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun at the age of 13, playing an English boy who becomes separated from his parents and subsequently finds himself lost in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Since then, he has portrayed a wide range of characters. Bale is especially noted for his cult following. The tenth anniversary issue of Entertainment Weekly hailed him as one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures of the Past Decade", citing his impressive cult status on the internet.  Entertainment Weekly called Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment", after his performance in American Psycho. (via Wikipedia)