Christian Bale thanks Satan in his Golden Globes speech
Christian Bale picked up a Golden Globe on Sunday night, and in the process of accepting the award, threw a jab at the real-life man he portrayed in "Vice" – former Vice President Dick Cheney. He also took a shot at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role," Bale said during his acceptance speech for Best Actor in in a Musical or Comedy.
The actor thanked director Adam McKay for choosing him to play a person that is "absolutely charisma-free."
"Thank you to that geezer over there, Adam," Bale teased. "He said 'I've got to find someone who can be absolutely charisma-free and reviled by everybody.' So he went, 'That's gotta be Bale,'" the Welsh actor joked.
"For all the competition, I will be cornering the market on charisma-free a**h***s," Bale continued. "What do you think, Mitch McConnell next?" The crowd cheered at the joke taking aim at the Senate majority leader.
Bale made a similar joke during an interview with "CBS This Morning" last month. Bale and McKay spoke about the movie's depiction of Cheney and the choice of Bale to play the former VP.
"At which point do you start thinking about Christian? While you were writing it or while you're reading it?" co-anchor John Dickerson asked.
"When Dick Cheney's described as a man lacking any charisma, right?" Bale joked. "That was when you went, 'Oh, gotta be Bale.'"
Bale's shout-out to Satan at the Golden Globes garnered praise from the Church of Satan, which tweeted, "To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism. ... Hail Christian! Hail Satan!"
To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. As Mr. Bale's own talent and skill won him the award, this is fitting. Hail Christian! Hail Satan! https://t.co/ILuK8TFZXi
— The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) January 7, 2019
Bale's comments got a less enthusiastic response from the former vice president's daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), who is portrayed by Lily Rabe in the film.
Rep. Cheney linked to a decade-old newspaper story about Bale's past arrest for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister in a fight at a London hotel. "Satan probably inspired him to do this, too," she tweeted. (Authorities did not file any charges against Bale in that incident.)
Satan probably inspired him to do this, too. Christian Bale arrested for 'assault on mother and sister'| The Independent. https://t.co/kesnNno9Zv
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) January 7, 2019
Bale, who is known for physically transforming himself for roles, gained 40 pounds to play the former vice president. The dark comedy spans 50 years of Dick Cheney's rise to power, from wild nights and bar fights as a youth in Wyoming to a Washington insider who became the most powerful vice president in history.
During his Globes speech, Bale also thanked his wife for telling him "less is more," and then thanked his children, whom he jokingly called "Banana and Burrito." Bale has referred to his kids by these fake names before – seemingly a joke on the outrageous names some celebrities choose for their babies.
At the end of his acceptance speech, Bale thanked his costars, including Amy Adams, who played his on-screen wife, Lynne Cheney. After thanking others, he turned to his wife in the audience and asked "Am I missing anything, darling?" which received more laughter from the crowd.