Christian Bale has pulled off another startling transformation: playing Dick Cheney in Adam McKay’s latest film, “Vice.”
The biopic chronicles Cheney’s life as the former vice president under President George W. Bush, from his beginnings as a Washington bureaucrat to one of the most influential men in politics. Before serving under Bush, Cheney was involved in the Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush administrations. He later became the CEO of the energy management company Halliburton.
To achieve his look, Bale shaved his head, bleached his eyebrows, and put on 40 pounds. The Oscar winner is known for undergoing intense transformations; he famously lost 60 pounds for 2004’s “The Machinist,” only to gain it back in muscle to play Batman in 2005’s “Batman Begins.”
Starring alongside Bale is frequent collaborator Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, and Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush. Jesse Plemons, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe, Tyler Perry, Justin Kirk, LisaGay Hamilton, Shea Whigham, and Eddie Marsan round out the “Vice” cast.
Producers include Will Ferrell and Kevin Messick from McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions, and Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner from Pitt’s Plan B.
Annapurna Pictures has slated the film for wide theatrical release on Christmas Day.