Countless prospects dream of making it big in Hollywood every year. But achieving fame in the industry is not a cakewalk.

Making it big in Hollywood is not only a matter of one’s acting caliber; it is a matter of luck. Every celebrity who has carved a name for themself needs a breakthrough role. The role that kickstarts their career.

The role is tailor-made for that one star. It is a matter of luck whether or not one bags ‘the role’. Much to the delight of the fans, Christian Bale was a lucky man, bagging the role which would propel him to the Hall of Fame.

How it all started for Christian Bale

Christian Bale’s first major break was American Psycho

Christian Bale made his debut at the age of 13 when he starred in Empire of the Sun. But the Steven Spielberg movie would not prove enough for the Thor: Love and Thunder star to rise to fame. In the decade that followed, Bale would find himself working in various movies without making any serious headway.

But destiny had other things in store for the Dark Knight. It was with the release of American Psycho in 2000 that Bale became the force that he is today. He began to be recognized by the masses. Life, as he knew it, would never be the same.

It was a competition between Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio

Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio were the two front runners for the role of Patrick Bateman

Ever since pulling off the role of Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale has not turned back, going from strength to strength. Yet what is as crucial as the movie, is the story of how the 49-year-old bagged it. Reflecting on bagging the role, The Machinist star thanked his destiny and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Who would take up the baton of Patrick Bateman was a point of contention between director Mary Hannon and the studio behind the film. The former had Bale in mind, while the latter was committed to ensuring that the What’s Eating Gilbert Grape star would essay the role.

It’s all because of Leonardo DiCaprio?

Christian Bale thanks Leonardo DiCaprio for the American Psycho role

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Titanic had just made wonders at the Box Office. Everyone knew how big he was going to turn out to be, including the Shutter Island star himself. His next movie was going to be crucial. American Psycho, in DiCaprio’s opinion, was not the right fit for him as it lacked depth.

Years down the line, Bale would thank The Revenant star for leaving some roles for the other actors. He said in an interview with GQ,
“All those people that I’ve worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him (Leonardo DiCaprio) first. Right? I had one of those people actually tell me that. So, thank you, Leo.”
Fans of the film must be thankful to Leo as well, as Bale immortalized Patrick Bateman.