Christian Bale said he had a hard time on the set of Amsterdam with co-star Chris Rock, but it wasn’t because they didn’t get along.
Just the opposite: Chris made Christian laugh so much he couldn’t stay in character while working on the David O. Russell film.
“Chris is so bloody funny and I found that I couldn’t act, because I was just becoming Christian laughing at Chris Rock,” he told IndieWire, adding:
“So I had to go to him, I went ‘mate, I love talking to you, and we have mutual friends, but I can’t do it anymore. Because David didn’t ask me to make this film so he could just watch me giggle. He wants me to be Burt, and I’m forgetting how to be Burt.’”
Christian ― famous for taking the “method” approach to his craft ― told IndieWire he’s had to take that step during other films as well.
“I often meet these incredible people, but I isolate myself,” he told the website. “Because if I get to know people too much, I find I just don’t believe what I’m doing in the scene.”
Amsterdam, a murder mystery featuring an ensemble cast that also includes Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zoe Saldana, hits cinemas on 7 October.