There’s only one indisputable king of body transformations in Hollywood.
Christian Bale has made the dramatic transformations part of his brand as an actor. There was the time he got jacked for American Psycho. Or emerged rail-thin for his role in The Machinist. Or beefed up for Vice. Then he shaved his head last year for his upcoming role in The Bride.
Now Bale is back at it, with a fresh look for the David O Russell film Madden, which sees him play the NFL team owner of the LA Raiders, Al Davis. He’s joined by Nicholas Cage, who stars as Raiders head coach turned broadcaster John Madden, and Sienna Miller who plays Madden’s wife.
The sports film tracks Madden’s journey to coaching the Raiders to win the Super Bowl, before burnout prompted him to leave the team and eventually wind up as a broadcaster.
The new pictures from the set in Atlanta show the Oscar winner in a leather jacket with hair so slicked back it would leave Bella Hadid impressed.
The hair also has a noticeable widow’s peak to it. It’s unclear whether Bale is wearing a wig, but given what we know about how much he likes to transform for roles, there’s every possibility it’s his real tresses.
![EXCLUSIVE: Christian Bale looks unrecognizable in a leather jacket, slicked back hair and sporting three dazzling Super Bowl rings on the set of ?Madden? in Atlanta. The 51-year-old Oscar winner cut a totally unfamiliar figure as he filmed the hotly-anticipated David O. Russell flick alongside Nicolas Cage on Wednesday. In costume, Bale bears a striking resemblance to his real life character - the late Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders team owner and manager - and sported a somewhat ruddy complexion, especially visible in close up shots without his eyeglasses. Cage, who was also spotted in a fatsuit and long hair, plays Raiders head coach?turned-iconic broadcaster?John Madden. Comedian John Mulaney?stars as Trip Hawkins,?and British actress Sienna Miller?as Al?s wife Carol Davis. 04 Jun 2025 Pictured: Christian Bale. Photo credit: Christopher Oquendo / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com sales@mega.global (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA1320592_004.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SEI_254299694-4dd8.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Bale is also sporting a ruddy complexion on set, which was particularly noticeable in the pictures without his sunglasses on.
It’s not just Bale who’s made a physical change for the film, as the new pictures from filming on set show Cage has also changed his look for the role, with noticeably new copper wavy hair.
Bale has done everything imaginable to contort his body for his parts. He did special exercises that would thicken his neck for the part of Dick Cheney. He survived on a daily intake of water, an apple, and one cup of coffee to become an insomniac factory worker.
But in recent years Bale has said his history of insane body transformations might be just that: a thing of the past.
Bale told The Sunday Times Culture magazine in 2019: ‘I can’t keep doing it. I really can’t.’ He went on to say that the roles had taken their toll and he had reached a point where his ‘mortality is staring [him] in the face’.
He again said that age had been the deciding factor, telling E! News at the premiere for Ford vs Ferrari. ‘I’ve become a little bit more boring now, because I’m older and I feel like if I keep doing what I’ve done in the past I’m going to die,’ he said. ‘So, I’d prefer not to die,” he added with a laugh.
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