With a dancer (his mother) and two actors (his grandparents) in the family, Christian Bale has performing in his blood. Born Jan. 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Bale began acting in British commercials at age 9.

Stage and TV work followed, but it wasn't until his affecting performance as a boy interned in a Japanese prison camp in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987) that Bale gained wide notice. Quickly establishing himself as a talent to watch, he continued to choose noteworthy films -- from Kenneth Branagh's Henry V to Little Women (1994).

Moving into more mature roles by the late '90s, Bale received acclaim for his work in Metroland and A Midsummer Night's Dream before turning in a savagely brilliant performance in American Psycho (2000). More recently, Bale has donned the robe of the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins and appeared in Terrence Malick's The New World. ... - from Netflix