Christian Bale

Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is a Welsh actor. Known for his versatility and recurring physical transformations to play his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. Bale is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine included him on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011.

Born in Wales to English parents, Bale had his breakthrough role at age 13 in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film Empire of the Sun. After more than a decade of performing in leading and supporting roles in films, he gained wider recognition for his portrayals of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy American Psycho (2000) and the titular role in the psychological thriller The Machinist (2004). In 2005, Bale played superhero Batman in Batman Begins and reprised the role in the sequels The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), garnering acclaim for his performance in the trilogy, which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises.

Bale continued in starring roles in a range of films outside his work as Batman, including the period drama The Prestige (2006), the action film Terminator Salvation (2009), the crime drama Public Enemies (2009), the epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and the historical drama The Promise (2016). For his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 biographical film The Fighter, Bale won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations came in subsequent years for his work in the black comedy American Hustle (2013) and the biographical dramedies The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). Bale's roles as politician Dick Cheney in Vice and race car driver Ken Miles in the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019) respectively earned him a second win and a fifth nomination at the Golden Globe Awards.

The ISTP will be full-on, or full off - they don’t do shades of grey. The ISTP personality type moves seamlessly from quiet bystander to active participant and leader in one fell swoop, then back again to invisible, apparently disinterested introvert. They are at their best in times of crisis and challenge, but will have little appetite for follow-through, as they will be waiting for the next challenge. Independent and self-contained the ISTP, although not unfriendly, will be difficult to get to know as they tend to reveal only what they choose to and that is over time when they are ready.

The ISTP is one of the most complex character types either in the thick of the action, leading and solving problems, or with nothing to say. The issue is they only say what needs to be said, they are economic in the extreme. This is because ISTPs are driven purely by challenge and this will determine how involved they want to be, how big is the challenge? They are at their best in times of crisis as they need very little preparation and able to cut to the chase with no preamble or discussion with others, spontaneously jumping in to solve problems or deal with crises often surprising those who had seen them as on the periphery of things. However, once the task is finished or problem solved, they will be looking for the next big thing to throw themselves into.

The ISTP is self-sufficient and very independent, only really happy when undertaking some risky or interesting activity. Direct to the point of abruptness and tending at times to tread on toes, the ISTP tends to speak literally showing little concern for the impact, and they display coolness under pressure which helps get things fixed but which may not endear them to those around them, (even those for whom they’ve fixed something). They are not unfriendly individuals but ultimately the ISTP wants to be left alone to live their lives and do their jobs the way they see fit, rarely trying to control others and expecting others not to try to control them. But in a crisis, or when the situation needs in-depth understanding, the ISTP will thrive, at least until the crisis is over. Once they are clear on what needs to be done, they will be difficult to budge and will potentially move too quickly without thinking through all the implications as they just love the thrill of action. The switch may appear as from someone who is almost exclusively listening to someone who just doesn't listen. The ISTP dislikes theories and complexities, preferring facts and data which will help get the job done in the quickest possible time and with the minimum amount of effort.

The ISTP is the ultimate trouble-shooter, able to unpick and understand how things fit together and then fix them. The ISTP doesn’t follow social rules, nor do they need to engage fully with others and this can give them a distant, aloof persona to others who often don’t quite know where they stand. Practical, resourceful, adaptable pragmatists, ISTPs have excellent powers of observation, a capacity for understanding how anything works, displaying logical, detached analysis. The ISTP has a great ability to analyse facts and store data. This is all internalised, stored in the grey filing cabinets in the brain until called for. Then, when someone argues with the ISTP, the facts, data, empirical evidence, knowledge are brought quickly to bear to quash the argument, quickly and finally. The independent streak in the ISTP means that they will usually display confidence in their own abilities but means they may not bring others into the decision-making process. They are quick and economic and so their desire to get a result in the minimum amount of time and fuss means they may overlook the personal touch and make them fail to see the 'bigger picture,' and so, by quickly solving a problem, they may create another.

The ISTP is very difficult to read. Their areas of interest tend to be mechanical and physical but unlike most SPs they don’t need constant action, they actually lie low, storing all the data saving their energy until a project or an adventure they consider worth their time and effort arises, and then they launch themselves in completely. They work in short bursts of incredible energy, loving fixing and sorting, especially factual mechanical issues but, when it's over it's over, no reflection, no discussion, no hanging in there, they've gone.