Christian Bale was at Dolphin in the early 1980’s. He became a popular child actor after playing a British boy living under Japanese occupation during World War II. He beat 4,000 other actors for the lead part in Steven Spielberg's 1987 film, Empire of the Sun. For Christian’s work, the National Board of Review created a special award for him: Best Juvenile Performance.

In the mid-'90s, Winona Ryder hand-picked him for the part of Laurie in 1994's Little Women, and the following year he was the voice of "Thomas" in the Disney production of Pocahontas.

2000 turned out to be an important year for Christian. In American Psycho (based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name), he starred as deranged yuppie murderer Patrick Bateman, emulating the literary character's painstaking cosmetic and exercise regimen.

He lent his talent to work like 2000's Shaft, 2001's Captain Corelli's Mandolin, also starring Penelope Cruz, and 2002's Reign of Fire. But he showed just how dedicated a thespian he is with The Machinist (2004), after having lost 63 pounds by eating only salads and apples, and drinking non-fat lattes. Apparently, he smoked like a chimney and would down whisky on the nights before shooting, in order to dehydrate his body and look extra emaciated!

But he has now reached A-list status after taking the Caped Crusader torch with his turn as Bruce Wayne in 2005's Batman Begins, a prequel that also stared Morgan Freeman and Katie Holmes.