Christian Bale says he had to act as a “mediator” between actor Amy Adams and director David O. Russell during the filming of the 2013 film “American Hustle.”
In GQThe November cover story, published on Wednesday, Bale recalled trying to keep the peace between the two. Adams had previously said she bumped into Russell on the set of the film.
“If I can understand where it’s coming from, I tend to try to be a mediator,” the Oscar-winning actor said of the friction between Adams and Russell. “That’s in my nature, to try to say, ‘Hey, come on, let’s sit down and figure it out.’ There has to be a way to make this all work.”
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In 2016, Adams told British GQ that the “Silver Linings Playbook” director made her cry during her time on “American Hustle.”
Adams said he also found out through an email hack at Sony that she was paid less than her male co-stars, including Bale, adding to her frustrations.
“I was really devastated on set,” Adams told British GQ.
The Sony hack also revealed that Russell “abused Amy Adams so badly that Christian Bale got in her face and told her to stop acting like a jerk” on the set of “American Hustle.”
Bale’s interviewer noted in his recent GQ profile that when he asked Bale about Russell’s advocacy on behalf of Adams, he responded with a nod of his head, “yes.”
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Bale, however, was careful with his choice of words as he confirmed that he was standing by Adams, saying that “there will be upsets,” given the “crazy creative talent” of Adams and Russell.
Adams is not the first actor to report having difficulty working with Russell.
In 2004, a video from the set of “I Heart Huckabees” showed Russell yelling profanities at star Lily Tomlin and throwing props in anger. In 2015, TMZ reported that Russell and Jennifer Lawrence had a heated exchange on the set of “Joy.” Lawrence tried to clear up the “rumors” they fought by making a statement that Russell “is one of my closest friends and we have an amazing collaborative working relationship.”
Although Bale told GQ that he acted as a “mediator” on the set of “American Hustle,” he has also been seen to be much less composed on set.
In 2009, a viral video appeared to show Bale brutally confronting the cinematographer on the set of “Terminator Salvation.” Shane Hurlbut received the profanity-laced tongue-lashing after making the mistake of walking into Bale’s scene during a take.
Bale later confirmed that he had the tantrum on set and apologized for his actions, calling his behavior “inexcusable” and admitting that he “acted like a punk”.
