14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, a recording of “Terminator: Salvation” star Christian Bale, on which he could be distinctly heard hurling insults at the director of photography, was made public. While Bale’s short fuse when things didn't turn out his way was already known, the tape did not fail to create a strong impression on fans and critics alike, all of which blamed him for being too aggressive to the DP. Assistant producer and assistant director Bruce Franklin is, so far, the only one to stand by Bale.
Speaking with E! Online on Bale’s outburst that has already spread all over the Internet, Franklin says that, while the manner in which the actor handled the interruption is indeed a bit over the edge, this is not how he normally acts on the set. At the time of the outburst, Bale was simply having a bad day, Franklin explains, and Shane Hurlbut’s walking in the middle of a scene to check on the lights turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove… It was the most emotional scene in the movie. And for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn’t walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed.” Franklin says by means of an explanation for Bale’s outburst. Moreover, he adds, the actor is a “consummate professional,” and any kind of interruption throws him back.
The incident in question, although made public just yesterday, occurred a few months ago, while Bale was shooting for “Terminator: Salvation.” Shane Hurlbut, director of photography, inadvertently walked in the middle of a scene that Bale was shooting, to check on the lights, which got the actor yelling at him and even jumping to punch him, before being stopped by other crew members.
“Do I [expletive]-ing walk around and rip... no, shut the [expletive] up Bruce... Do I...? No. No. Don’t shut me up. Am I gonna walk around and rip your [expletive]-ing lights down in the middle of a scene? Then why the [expletive] are you walking right through? What the [expletive] is it with you? What is it that you don’t [expletive]-ing understand. You got any [expletive]-ing idea that, hey, it’s [expletive]-ing distracting having someone walking up behind Bryce in the middle of the [expletive]-ing scene.” Bale is heard saying at one point in the 4-minute long rant.
The entire outburst was taped without Bale being aware of it, and is now used as leverage by an insurance company on behalf of the movie studio, in case Bale decides to bail out on the production.