124-618: Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades , including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards . Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the highest-paid actors in 2014. Born in Wales to English parents, Bale had his breakthrough role at age 13 in Steven Spielberg 's 1987 war film Empire of
248-539: A US Army officer escorting a gravely ill Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their home in Montana . He calls the film "a western with brutal, modern-day resonance" and his character "a bigoted and hate-filled man". Bale learned the Cheyenne language while working on the film. Empire critic Dan Jolin considered his performance striking and one of the strongest of his career. In 2018, Bale voiced Bagheera in
372-552: A reboot of the Batman film series . Nolan cast Bale, who was still fairly unknown at the time, because Bale had "exactly the balance of darkness and light" Nolan sought. For the part, Bale regained the weight he lost for The Machinist and built muscle, weighing 220 pounds (100 kg). He trained in weapons, Wing Chun Kung Fu and the Keysi Fighting Method . Acknowledging the story's peculiar circumstances involving
496-417: A stammer , and the over-articulation is a technique to overcome problematic consonants. Atkinson's often visually based style, which has been compared to that of Buster Keaton , sets him apart from most modern television and film comics, who rely heavily on dialogue, as well as stand-up comedy which is mostly based on monologues. This talent for visual comedy has led to Atkinson being called "the man with
620-590: A 12-week production (directed by Richard Eyre ) of the Simon Gray play Quartermaine's Terms at Wyndham's Theatre in London with costars Conleth Hill ( Game of Thrones ) and Felicity Montagu ( I'm Alan Partridge ). In December 2013, he revived his schoolmaster sketch for Royal Free Hospital's Rocks with Laughter at the Adelphi Theatre. A few days prior, he performed a selection of sketches in
744-432: A 2001 Channel 4 poll of the 100 Greatest TV Characters . Atkinson's other creation, the hapless Mr. Bean , first appeared on New Year's Day in 1990 in a half-hour special for Thames Television . The character of Mr. Bean has been likened to a modern-day Buster Keaton , but Atkinson himself has stated that Jacques Tati 's character Monsieur Hulot was the main inspiration. Atkinson states, "The essence of Mr Bean
868-411: A character "who thinks he can run around in a batsuit in the middle of the night", Bale said he and Nolan had deliberately approached it with "as realistic a motivation as possible", referencing Wayne's parents' murder. Bale voiced Wayne and Batman differently. He employed gravelly tone qualities for Batman, which Nolan believed reinforced the character's visual appearance. Batman Begins was released in
992-563: A comic situation can be developed as purely visual and yet it's not under-cranked, it's not speeded-up, it's more deliberate; it takes its time. And I enjoyed that". Atkinson met makeup artist Sunetra Sastry in the late 1980s when she was working for the BBC , and they married in February 1990. They had two children together, and lived in Apethorpe . In 2013, at the age of 58, Atkinson began
1116-447: A continuance of his "masterful command of yet another American personality type." For the 2006 film The Prestige , Bale reunited with Batman Begins director Nolan, who said that Bale was cast after offering himself for the part. It is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Priest about a rivalry between two Victorian era magicians, whom Bale and Hugh Jackman play in the film. While it attracted acclaim from critics,
1240-587: A crew from the television network CNN , attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng , a confined blind barefoot lawyer , in a village in eastern China. He was forced to retreat after scuffling with guards at a checkpoint. Bale finally met Chen at a dinner held by the nonprofit Human Rights First the following year, during which he presented Chen with an award. Bale voiced Chen's story in Amnesty International 's podcast, In Their Own Words . He co-founded California Together, an organisation aiming to construct
1364-448: A dramatic piece, and the actors are said to play co-leads ; a large supporting role may be considered a secondary lead . Award nominations for acting often reflect such ambiguities. Therefore, sometimes two actors in the same performance piece are nominated Oscars for Best Actor or Best Actress —categories traditionally reserved for leads. For example, in 1935 Clark Gable , Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone were each nominated for
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#17327976372721488-610: A dream sequence in which he joined the runners from the film of the same name (about the 1924 Summer Olympics ), beating them in their iconic run along West Sands at St. Andrews, by riding in a minicab and tripping the front runner. Atkinson starred as Jules Maigret in Maigret , a series of television films from ITV. In November 2012, it emerged that Atkinson intended to retire Mr. Bean. "The stuff that has been most commercially successful for me – basically quite physical, quite childish – I increasingly feel I'm going to do
1612-717: A farmer and company director , and Ella May (née Bainbridge), who married on 29 June 1945. His three older brothers are Paul, who died as an infant; Rodney , a Eurosceptic economist who narrowly lost the UK Independence Party leadership election in 2000; and Rupert. Atkinson was brought up Anglican . He was educated at the Durham Chorister School , a preparatory school, and then at St Bees School . Rodney, Rowan and their older brother Rupert were brought up in Consett and went to school with
1736-461: A fascination for him, and to ensure employment as a young actor. He has also used this skill when filming comedy material. In 1991, he starred in the self-penned The Driven Man , a series of sketches featuring Atkinson driving around London trying to solve his obsession with cars, and discussing it with taxi drivers, policemen, used-car salesmen and psychotherapists. A lover of and participant in car racing, he appeared as racing driver Henry Birkin in
1860-418: A film about teenagers who secretly listen to forbidden jazz during the rise of Nazi Germany . In Gillian Armstrong 's 1994 film Little Women , Bale played Theodore "Laurie" Laurence following a recommendation from Winona Ryder , who starred as Jo March . The film achieved critical and commercial success. Of Bale's performance, Ryder said he captured the complex nature of the role. He next voiced Thomas,
1984-595: A film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's play of the same name . Bale played Patrick Bateman , an investment banker and serial killer, in American Psycho , a film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis 's novel of the same name , directed by Mary Harron . While Harron had chosen Bale for the part, the film's production and distribution company, Lionsgate , originally disagreed and hired Leonardo DiCaprio to play Bateman with Oliver Stone to direct. Bale and Harron were brought back after DiCaprio and Stone had left
2108-490: A film by Hayao Miyazaki for the second time. Bale will next play Frankenstein's monster in Maggie Gyllenhaal 's fantasy period film The Bride! It is scheduled for release in 2025. Bale is known for his exhaustive dedication to the weight fluctuations that his parts demand as well as "the intensity with which he completely inhabits his roles", with The Washington Post ' s Ann Hornaday rating him among
2232-622: A film which serves as a prequel to the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , exploring Willy Wonka 's origins. In February 2024, it was announced that he would star in a fourth Johnny English film. Atkinson performed live on-stage skits – also appearing with members of Monty Python – in The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) in London for Amnesty International . Atkinson undertook
2356-644: A four-month tour of the UK in 1980. A recording of his stage performance at the Grand Opera House in Belfast was subsequently released as Live in Belfast . In 1984, Atkinson appeared in a West End version of the comedy play The Nerd alongside a 10-year-old Christian Bale . The Sneeze and Other Stories , seven short Anton Chekhov plays, translated and adapted by Michael Frayn , were performed by Rowan Atkinson, Timothy West and Cheryl Campbell at
2480-599: A half-sister from his father's first marriage, Erin. One of his grandfathers was a comedian while the other was a stand-in for John Wayne . Bale and his family left Wales when he was two years old, and after living in Portugal and Oxfordshire , England, they settled in Bournemouth . As well as saying that the family had lived in 15 towns by the time he was 15, Bale described the frequent relocation as being driven by "necessity rather than choice" and acknowledged that it had
2604-573: A justice-seeking cattleman . He characterised his Dylan incarnations as "two men on a real quest for truth" and attributed his interest in 3:10 to Yuma to his affinity for films where he gets to "just be dirty and crawling in the mud". Bale reprised the role of Batman in Nolan's Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight , which received acclaim and became the fourth film to gross more than $ 1 billion worldwide upon its July 2008 release. He did many of his own stunts, including one that involved standing on
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#17327976372722728-562: A leading man. His television character Mr. Bean debuted on the big screen with Bean (1997) to international success. A sequel, Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), (again inspired to some extent by Jacques Tati in his film Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot ), also became an international success. He has also starred in the James Bond parody Johnny English film series (2003–present). In 2023, Atkinson stars as priest, Father Julius, in Wonka ,
2852-757: A long-running series of adverts for Barclaycard , on which character his title role in Johnny English , Johnny English Reborn and Johnny English Strikes Again was based. In 1999, he played the Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death , a special Doctor Who serial produced for the charity telethon Comic Relief . Atkinson appeared as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car on the BBC's Top Gear in July 2011, driving
2976-440: A lot less of," Atkinson told The Daily Telegraph ' s Review. "Apart from the fact that your physical ability starts to decline, I also think someone in their 50s being childlike becomes a little sad. You've got to be careful". He has also said that the role typecast him to a degree. Despite these comments, Atkinson said in 2016 that he would never retire the character of Mr. Bean. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show on
3100-430: A major influence on his career selection. He attended Bournemouth School , later saying he left school at age 16. Bale's parents divorced in 1991, and at age 17, he moved with his sister Louise and their father to Los Angeles. Bale trained in ballet as a child. His first acting role came at eight years old in a commercial for the fabric softener Lenor . He also appeared in a Pac-Man cereal commercial. After his sister
3224-472: A man he later realised was Atkinson while driving through Oxfordshire in May 1984: "Just after leaving the motorway at Thame I noticed a dark red DBS V8 Aston Martin on the slip road with the bonnet up, a man unhappily bending over it. I told Jane to pull in and walked back. A DV8 in trouble is always good for a gloat." Clark writes that he gave Atkinson a lift in his Rolls-Royce to the nearest telephone box, but
3348-514: A memorial to victims. The Dark Knight Rises was the 11th film to gross more than $ 1 billion worldwide, surpassing The Dark Knight . Nolan's Batman film series, dubbed the Dark Knight trilogy , is one of the highest-grossing film franchises. It is also regarded as one of the best comic book film franchises. Bale's performance in the three films garnered universal acclaim, with The Guardian , The Indian Express , MovieWeb , NME and
3472-461: A minor role in the 1986 television film Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna . Its star, Amy Irving , who was married to director Steven Spielberg , subsequently recommended Bale for Spielberg's 1987 film Empire of the Sun . At age 13, Bale was chosen from over 4,000 actors to portray a British boy in a World War II Japanese internment camp. For the film, he spoke with an upper-class cadence without
3596-703: A nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance in Ford v Ferrari . Bale has also been nominated for eight Screen Actors Guild Awards , winning in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category for The Fighter and the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category as part of the American Hustle cast. Leading man A leading actor , leading actress , or leading man or lady or simply lead ( / ˈ l iː d / ), plays
3720-466: A particular technique. He named Rowan Atkinson as his template as an actor and added that he was mesmerised by him when they worked together. He also studied the work of Gary Oldman , crediting him as the reason for his pursuit of acting. Bale has been recognised for his versatility; Martha Ross of The Mercury News named him one of his generation's most versatile actors. Known to be very private about his personal life, Bale has said that his objective
3844-607: A poll conducted by the Radio Times ranking it as the best portrayal of Batman on film. Bale later revealed his dissatisfaction with his work throughout the trilogy, saying he "didn't quite nail" his part and that he "didn't quite manage" what he had hoped he would as Batman. In 2013, Bale played a steel mill worker in Scott Cooper 's thriller Out of the Furnace . Cooper rewrote the film's script with Bale in mind before
Christian Bale - Misplaced Pages Continue
3968-491: A realistic prospect of conviction". According to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , which assigns films scores based on the number of positive critical reviews they receive, some of Bale's highest-scoring films are The Dark Knight (2008), Ford v Ferrari (2019), American Hustle (2013), Little Women (1994), The Fighter (2010), Rescue Dawn (2007), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), The Big Short (2015), Howl's Moving Castle (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012);
4092-421: A really quite vicious and dismissive nature". Of visual comedians, Atkinson regards Charlie Chaplin , Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd as influential. He was also inspired by French comedian Jacques Tati , stating, " Mr. Hulot's Holiday I remember seeing when I was 17 – that was a major inspiration. He opened a window to a world that I'd never looked out on before, and I thought, "God, that's interesting," how
4216-413: A relationship with 32-year-old comedian Louise Ford after they met while performing in a play together. Ford ended her relationship with comedian James Acaster in order to be with Atkinson, who in turn separated from his wife in 2014 and divorced her in 2015. He has one child with Ford. Atkinson holds a category C+E (formerly "Class 1") lorry driving licence , gained in 1981, because lorries held
4340-494: A scene where Johnny English is in a meeting going up and down on an office chair. Rowan's focus is astonishing in that scene, because everybody else – he hadn't realised – was having to hold back, and when I said 'cut!' there was an explosion of laughter". One of his better-known comic devices is over-articulation of the "B" sound, such as his pronunciation of " Bob " in the Blackadder II episode " Bells ". Atkinson has
4464-532: A second win and a fifth nomination respectively at the Golden Globe Awards. Christian Charles Philip Bale was born on 30 January 1974 in Haverfordwest , Pembrokeshire , to English parents—Jenny James, a circus performer, and David Bale , an entrepreneur and activist. Bale has remarked, "I was born in Wales but I'm not Welsh—I'm English." He has two elder sisters, Sharon and Louise, and
4588-604: A small coffee venue in front of only 30 people. Best known for his use of physical comedy in his Mr. Bean persona, Atkinson's other characters rely more on language. Atkinson often plays authority figures (especially priests or vicars) speaking absurd lines with a completely deadpan delivery. Journalist Anwar Brett writes, "Although his deadpan wit is in evidence as he speaks, Atkinson — beloved to Blackadder as much as Bean fans — takes his comedy very seriously." On his ability to keep his focus on set during comedic moments, Johnny English director Oliver Parker commented, "There’s
4712-694: A supporting part in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) and a leading role in Dead on Time (also 1983) with Nigel Hawthorne . He was in the 1988 Oscar-winning short film The Appointments of Dennis Jennings . He appeared in Mel Smith's directorial debut The Tall Guy (1989) and appeared alongside Anjelica Huston and Mai Zetterling in The Witches (1990), a film adaptation of Roald Dahl 's dark fantasy children's novel . He played
4836-554: A television film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson 's book of the same name . Bale starred in the 1992 Disney musical film Newsies , which was unsuccessful both at the box office and with critics. Rebecca Milzoff of Vulture revisited the film in 2012 and found the cracks in Bale's voice during his performance of the song "Santa Fe" charming and apt even though he was not a great singer. In 1993, he appeared in Swing Kids ,
4960-424: A tirade on the film's set in July 2008 involving Bale was released. It captured him directing profanities towards and threatening to attack the film's cinematographer Shane Hurlbut , who walked onto the set during the filming of a scene acted by Bale and Bryce Dallas Howard , and culminated in Bale threatening to quit the film if Hurlbut was not fired. Several colleagues in the film industry defended Bale, attributing
5084-471: A tree. That accident caused significant damage to the vehicle, taking over a year to be repaired and leading to the largest insurance payout in Britain, at £910,000. He has previously owned a Honda NSX , an Audi A8 , a Škoda Superb , and a Honda Civic Hybrid . The Conservative Party politician Alan Clark , a devotee of classic motor cars, recorded in his published Diaries a chance meeting with
Christian Bale - Misplaced Pages Continue
5208-751: A vegetarian at seven years old but in 2009 said he was "in and out of the vegetarianism now". He had stopped eating red meat after reading the children's book Charlotte's Web . An animal rights activist, he supports the organisations Greenpeace , the World Wide Fund for Nature , the Doris Day Animal League , the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Redwings Horse Sanctuary . While promoting The Flowers of War in December 2011, Bale, with
5332-635: A village in Palmdale, California to help siblings in foster care remain together. On 22 July 2008, Bale was arrested in London after his mother and his sister Sharon reported him to the police for an alleged assault at a hotel. He was released on bail . Bale denied the allegations and later called the incident "a deeply personal matter". On 14 August, the Crown Prosecution Service declared they would take no further action against him because of "insufficient evidence to afford
5456-687: A young compatriot of Captain John Smith , in the 1995 Disney animated film Pocahontas , which attracted a mixed critical reception. Bale played a small part in the 1996 film The Portrait of a Lady , based on the Henry James novel of the same name , and appeared in the 1998 musical film Velvet Goldmine , set in the 1970s during the glam rock era. In 1999, he was part of an ensemble cast , which included Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer , portraying Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream ,
5580-468: Is a Porsche : "I have a problem with Porsches. They're wonderful cars, but I know I could never live with one. Somehow, the typical Porsche people – and I wish them no ill – are not, I feel, my kind of people." In July 2011, Atkinson appeared as the " Star in a Reasonably Priced Car " on Top Gear , driving the Kia Cee'd around the track in 1:42.2, which at the time granted him first place on
5704-501: Is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles in the sitcoms Blackadder (1983–1989) and Mr. Bean (1990–1995), and in the film series Johnny English (2003–present). Atkinson first came to prominence on the BBC sketch comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982), receiving the 1981 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance . Atkinson has appeared in various films, including
5828-676: Is no instinct for self-preservation here, and that is one mark of a good actor." The film was released in April 2000, becoming a commercial and critical success and later developing a cult following ; the role established Bale as a leading man . In the four years that followed American Psycho , Bale's career experienced critical and commercial failure. He next played a villainous real estate heir in John Singleton 's action film Shaft and appeared in John Madden 's film adaptation of
5952-513: Is often but not necessarily the lead. A lead role must also be differentiated from a starring role , which means that an actor is credited as a part of the main cast but not that they necessarily play the main character. This drama-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to film or motion picture terminology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson CBE (born 6 January 1955)
6076-525: Is reckoned the most influential and loathed vice president in US history, as "quiet and secretive". The film reunited Bale with Amy Adams , with whom he had co-starred in The Fighter and American Hustle . It received positive reviews, and The Guardian ' s Peter Bradshaw commended Bale's "terrifically and in fact rather scarily plausible" Cheney impersonation. Lauded by critics, the performance won Bale
6200-456: Is that he's entirely selfish and self-centred and doesn't actually acknowledge the outside world. He's a child in a man's body. Which is what most visual comedians are about: Stan Laurel , Chaplin, Benny Hill ". Several sequels to Mr. Bean appeared on television until 1995, and the character later appeared in a feature film. Bean (1997) was directed by Mel Smith , Atkinson's colleague in Not
6324-628: Is to watch a master of the sarcastic retort in action". Two sequels followed, Blackadder the Third (1987), set in the Regency era , and Blackadder Goes Forth (1989), set in World War I. The Blackadder series became one of the most successful of all BBC situation comedies, spawning television specials including Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), Blackadder: The Cavalier Years (1988), and later Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999), which
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#17327976372726448-643: The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his performance. In 2011, he starred in Zhang Yimou 's historical drama film The Flowers of War , which was the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year. Critics described it as "nationalistic", "anti-Japanese" and "too long, too melodramatic, too lightweight". Bale played Batman again under Christopher Nolan's direction in
6572-636: The Aldwych Theatre , London in 1988 and early 1989. In 2009, during the West End revival of the musical Oliver! based on Charles Dickens ' novel Oliver Twist , Atkinson played the role of Fagin . His portrayal and singing of Fagin at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London gained favourable reviews and he was nominated for an Olivier Award for best actor in a musical or entertainment. On 28 November 2012, Rowan Atkinson reprised
6696-583: The Best Supporting Actor category for his work in The Fighter (2010) and The Big Short ; he won one for The Fighter . He has earned two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his role in The Fighter and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Vice , and received two nominations for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performances in American Hustle and The Big Short and
6820-536: The British Parliament in an attempt to force a review of the controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill , which they felt would give overwhelming power to religious groups to impose censorship on the arts. In 2009, he criticised homophobic speech legislation, saying that the House of Lords must vote against a government attempt to remove a free-speech clause in an anti–gay hate law. Atkinson opposed
6944-457: The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and garnered him an Academy Award nomination. During his acceptance speech at the 76th Golden Globe Awards , Bale thanked Satan for inspiring his Cheney portrayal, which elicited a response from Cheney's daughter and US Representative Liz Cheney , who stated that Bale ruined his opportunity to play "a real superhero". Bale portrayed sports car racing driver Ken Miles in
7068-477: The James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983), The Witches (1990), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Rat Race (2002), Scooby-Doo (2002), Love Actually (2003), and Wonka (2023). He played the voice role of Zazu in the Disney animated film The Lion King (1994). Atkinson portrayed Mr. Bean in the film adaptations Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). He also featured on
7192-488: The Kia Cee'd around the track in 1:42.2. Placing him at the top of the leaderboard, his lap time was significantly quicker than the previous high-profile record holder Tom Cruise , whose time was a 1:44.2. Atkinson appeared at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London as Mr. Bean in a comedy sketch during a performance of " Chariots of Fire ", playing a repeated single note on synthesizer . He then lapsed into
7316-672: The Louis de Bernières novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin as Mandras, a Greek fisherman who vies with Nicolas Cage 's title character for the affections of Pelagia, played by Penélope Cruz . Bale said he found it refreshing to play Mandras, who is emotionally humane, after working on American Psycho and Shaft . In 2002, he appeared in three films: Laurel Canyon , Reign of Fire and Equilibrium . Reviewing Laurel Canyon for Entertainment Weekly , Lisa Schwarzbaum called Bale's performance "fussy". After having reservations about joining
7440-494: The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS), meeting writer Richard Curtis , and composer Howard Goodall , with whom he would continue to collaborate during his career. Atkinson starred in a series of comedy shows for BBC Radio 3 in 1979 called The Atkinson People . It consisted of a series of satirical interviews with fictional great men, who were played by Atkinson himself. The series
7564-603: The Oxford University Dramatic Society during the 1970s. In addition to his 1981 BAFTA, Atkinson received an Olivier Award for his 1981 West End theatre performance in Rowan Atkinson in Revue . Atkinson was appointed CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. Atkinson was born in Consett , County Durham , England, on 6 January 1955. The youngest of four boys, his parents were Eric Atkinson,
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#17327976372727688-653: The Reform Section 5 campaign , which aims to reform or repeal Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 , particularly its statement that an insult can be grounds for arrest and punishment. It is a reaction to several recent high-profile arrests, which Atkinson sees as a restriction of freedom of expression. In February 2014, Parliament passed a redaction of the statute which removed the word "insulting" following pressure from citizens. In 2018, Atkinson defended comments made by Boris Johnson over wearing
7812-493: The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 to outlaw inciting religious hatred, arguing that, "freedom to criticise ideas – any ideas even if they are sincerely held beliefs – is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. And the law which attempts to say you can criticise or ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed." In October 2012, he voiced his support for
7936-439: The burqa , which were criticised as Islamophobic , and for which Johnson later apologised. Atkinson wrote to The Times stating, "as a lifelong beneficiary of the freedom to make jokes about religion, I do think that Boris Johnson's joke about wearers of the burka resembling letterboxes is a pretty good one." Atkinson's remarks were condemned by former colleagues and fans. In August 2020, Atkinson added his signature to
8060-542: The post-apocalyptic Reign of Fire , which involved computer-generated imagery , Bale professed his enjoyment of making films that could go awry and cited director Rob Bowman as a reason for his involvement. In Equilibrium , he plays a police officer in a futuristic society and performs gun kata , a fictional martial art that incorporates gunfighting. IGN ' s Jeff Otto characterised Reign of Fire as "poorly received" and Equilibrium as "highly underrated", while The Independent ' s Stephen Applebaum described
8184-415: The 1960s British satire boom , and then Monty Python . Atkinson states, "I remember watching them avidly as students at university". He continued to be influenced by the work of John Cleese following his Monty Python days, regarding Cleese as being "a major, major inspiration", adding, "I think that he and I are quite different in our style and our approach, but certainly it was comedy I liked to watch. He
8308-438: The 2010 biographical film The Fighter , he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations came for his work in the black comedy American Hustle (2013) and the biographical dramedies The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). His performances as politician Dick Cheney in Vice and race car driver Ken Miles in the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019) earned him
8432-563: The 2016 historical drama The Promise , set during the Armenian Genocide , he played an American journalist who becomes involved in a love triangle with a woman, played by Charlotte Le Bon , and an Armenian medical student, played by Oscar Isaac . Critics disapproved of the film, which accrued a $ 102 million loss. Reviewing the film for The New York Times , Jeannette Catsoulis wrote that Bale appeared "muffled and indistinct". In Cooper's 2017 film Hostiles , Bale starred as
8556-456: The 2019 sports drama Ford v Ferrari , for which he lost 70 pounds (32 kg) after playing Cheney. Directed by James Mangold , the film follows Miles and automotive designer Carroll Shelby , played by Matt Damon , in events surrounding the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The role earned Bale a fifth Golden Globe Award nomination. While promoting the film, he said he would no longer go through weight fluctuations for roles. Bale played Gorr
8680-423: The BBC in 2018, Atkinson told Graham Norton that it was unlikely Mr. Bean would reappear on television again before also saying "you must never say never". In October 2014, Atkinson also appeared as Mr. Bean in a TV advert for Snickers . In 2015, he starred alongside Ben Miller and Rebecca Front in a sketch for BBC Red Nose Day in which Mr. Bean attends a funeral. In 2017, Atkinson appeared as Mr. Bean in
8804-756: The BBC sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995–1996) and played the titular character in ITV 's Maigret (2016–2017). His work in theatre includes the role of Fagin in the 2009 West End revival of the musical Oliver! . Atkinson was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy in 2003, and among the top 50 comedians ever, in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with screenwriter Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall , both of whom he met at
8928-867: The Best Actor Academy Award for Mutiny on the Bounty . There can even be controversy over whether a particular performance should be nominated in the Best Actor/Actress or Best Supporting Actor/Best Supporting Actress category; for instance, The Godfather 's Al Pacino boycotted the 45th Academy Awards ceremony since he was insulted at being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor award; he noted that he had more screen time than his co-star and Best Actor winner Marlon Brando and so he should have received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. A title role
9052-679: The Chinese film Huan Le Xi Ju Ren . In February 2019, Atkinson appeared as Mr. Bean in a commercial for Emirati-based telecommunications company Etisalat . Atkinson, who also narrated the commercial, takes on multiple characters: a Scottish warrior, a gentleman and a lady from the Victorian era, a football player, a jungle man, a man revving up a chainsaw, a racing car driver, and a masked sword-wielding Spanish vigilante. In October 2018, Atkinson (as Mr. Bean) received YouTube's Diamond Play Button for his channel surpassing 10 million subscribers on
9176-764: The God Butcher , a villain, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder , which was released in July 2022. He cited a character in the music video for the Aphex Twin song " Come to Daddy " as an inspiration for his characterisation of Gorr. Bale's portrayal drew praise from critics, who deemed it "grounded and non-campy". He produced and appeared in David O. Russell's period film Amsterdam and Scott Cooper's thriller The Pale Blue Eye , reuniting with both directors for
9300-515: The Nine O'Clock News . A second film, Mr. Bean's Holiday , was released in 2007. Atkinson also portrayed Inspector Raymond Fowler in The Thin Blue Line (1995–96), a television sitcom written by Ben Elton, which takes place in a police station located in fictitious Gasforth. Atkinson has fronted campaigns for Kronenbourg , Fujifilm , and Give Blood . He appeared as a hapless and error-prone espionage agent named Richard Lathum in
9424-597: The Sun . After more than a decade of performing in leading and supporting roles in films, he gained wider recognition for his portrayals of serial killer Patrick Bateman in the black comedy American Psycho (2000) and the title role in the psychological thriller The Machinist (2004). In 2005, he played superhero Batman in Batman Begins and again in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), garnering acclaim for his performance in
9548-646: The US in June 2005. Tim Grierson and Will Leitch of Vulture complimented Bale's "sensitive, intelligent portrayal of a spoiled, wayward Bruce who finally grows up (and fights crime)." The performance earned Bale the MTV Movie Award for Best Hero . In the same year, Bale voiced the titular Howl , a wizard, in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki 's Howl's Moving Castle , a Japanese animated film adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones 's novel of
9672-534: The adventure film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle . Rolling Stone ' s David Fear wrote that his voice work and that of Andy Serkis , who directed the film, "bring the soul as well as sound and fury". For the 2018 biographical comedy drama Vice , written and directed by Adam McKay, Bale underwent a major body transformation once again, as he gained over 40 pounds (18 kg) and shaved his head to portray US Vice President Dick Cheney . He described Cheney, who
9796-430: The character, who was written in the script as "a walking skeleton". His weight loss prompted comparisons with Robert De Niro 's weight gain in preparation to play Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull . Describing his transformation as mentally calming, Bale claimed he had stopped working for a while because he did not come upon scripts that piqued his interest and that the film's script drew him to lose weight for
9920-515: The character. He gained 43 pounds (20 kg), shaved part of his head and adopted a slouched posture, which reduced his height by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and caused him to suffer a herniated disc . Russell indicated that Robert De Niro, who appeared in an uncredited role, did not recognise Bale when they were first introduced. Writing for the New York Daily News , Joe Neumaier found Bale's performance to be "sad, funny and riveting". He
10044-594: The environment . In March 2001, while Atkinson was on holiday in Kenya , the pilot of his private plane fainted; Atkinson managed to maintain the plane in the air until the pilot recovered and was able to land the plane at Wilson Airport in Nairobi . In June 2005, Atkinson led a coalition of the United Kingdom's most prominent actors and writers, including Nicholas Hytner , Stephen Fry , and Ian McEwan , to
10168-625: The film made. Its critical response varied between negative and mixed, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ' s Joe Williams called Bale's performance in the film the most apathetic of his career. Bale appeared in Terrence Malick's drama Knight of Cups , which The Atlantic critic David Sims dubbed a "noble failure". During its premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015, he said he filmed
10292-421: The film performed more modestly during its run in theatres, earning $ 110 million against a $ 40 million budget. In his review for The New York Times , A. O. Scott highlighted Bale's "fierce inwardness" and called his performance "something to savor". Bale next starred in the 2007 drama films I'm Not There , portraying two incarnations of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan , and in 3:10 to Yuma , playing
10416-571: The film would not revitalise the Terminator franchise as he had wished. He asserted he would not work with McG again. Bale portrayed FBI agent Melvin Purvis opposite Johnny Depp as gangster John Dillinger in Michael Mann 's crime drama Public Enemies . Released in July 2009, it earned critical praise and had a commercially successful theatrical run. Dan Zak of The Washington Post
10540-493: The first, third and last of which are also listed by the data website The Numbers as his highest-grossing films, alongside Terminator Salvation (2009), Batman Begins (2005), Pocahontas (1995), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). Bale has garnered four Academy Award nominations, including two in the Best Actor category for his work in American Hustle and Vice (2018) as well as two in
10664-608: The future Prime Minister, Tony Blair , at Durham Choristers. After receiving top grades in science A levels , he secured a place at Newcastle University , where he received a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1975. Atkinson briefly embarked on a PhD study at The Queen's College, Oxford , where his father had studied in 1935, before devoting his full attention to acting. He graduated with an MSc degree in Electrical Engineering and
10788-553: The help of a dialogue coach. The role propelled Bale to fame, and his work earned him acclaim and the inaugural Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor Award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures . Earlier in the same year, he starred in the fantasy film Mio in the Land of Faraway , based on the novel Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren . The fame from Empire of the Sun led to Bale being bullied in school and finding
10912-508: The incident to his dedication to acting. Bale publicly apologised in February 2009, calling the outburst "inexcusable" and his behaviour "way out of order" and affirming to have made amends with Hurlbut. Terminator Salvation was released in May 2009 to tepid reviews. Claudia Puig of USA Today considered Bale's work to be "surprisingly one-dimensional", while The Age ' s Jake Wilson wrote he gave one of his least compelling performances. Bale later admitted he knew during production that
11036-460: The latter with whom he performed the humorous song "Do Bears... ?" for the British charity event Comic Relief in 1986. Solo skits on television (and without dialogue) have included playing an invisible drum kit and an invisible piano. In October 1979, Atkinson first appeared on Not the Nine O'Clock News for the BBC, produced by his friend John Lloyd . He featured in the show with Pamela Stephenson , Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith , and
11160-623: The leaderboard; subsequently, only Matt LeBlanc set a faster time. A February 2024 report by the House of Lords partly blamed Atkinson for poor sales of electric cars in the UK by "damaging" the public's perception of the vehicles. The report criticised a June 2023 opinion piece by Atkinson in The Guardian , who as an early adopter of electric vehicles, described EVs as "fast, quiet and, until recently, very cheap to run", but burdened by battery issues and misleading beliefs on their impact on
11284-573: The most physically gifted actors of his generation. Max O'Connell of RogerEbert.com deemed Bale's commitment to altering his physical appearance "an anchoring facet to a depiction of obsession" in his performances, while the Los Angeles Times ' s Hugh Hart likened the urgency that drives Bale's acting style to method acting , adding that it "convincingly animates even his most extreme physical transformations." Bale has said that he does not practise method acting and that he does not use
11408-527: The part of Dexter Hayman in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), a parody of Rambo III , starring Charlie Sheen . Atkinson gained further recognition as a verbally bumbling vicar in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994, written and directed by his long time collaborator Richard Curtis ), and featured in Disney's The Lion King (also 1994) as the voice of Zazu the red-billed hornbill . He also sang
11532-636: The part. The Machinist was released in October 2004; it performed poorly at the box office. Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel regarded it as one of the best films of the year, and Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that Bale's "haunted, aggressive and finally wrenching performance" gave it a "strong anchor". Bale portrayed American billionaire Bruce Wayne and his superhero alias Batman in Christopher Nolan 's Batman Begins ,
11656-538: The pressures of working as an actor unbearable. He grew distrustful of the acting profession because of media attention but said that he felt obligated at a young age to continue to act for financial reasons. Around this time, actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh persuaded Bale to appear in his film Henry V in 1989, which drew him back into acting. The following year, Bale played Jim Hawkins opposite Charlton Heston as Long John Silver in Treasure Island ,
11780-647: The project without having learned any dialogue and that Malick had only given him a character description. Later that year, he starred as Michael Burry , an antisocial hedge fund manager, in Adam McKay 's The Big Short , a biographical comedy-drama film about the financial crisis of 2007–08 . He used an ocular prosthesis in the film. The Wall Street Journal ' s Joe Morgenstern found his portrayal "scarily hilarious—or in one-liners and quick takes, deftly edited". The role earned Bale Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. In
11904-437: The project. Bale exercised and tanned himself for months to achieve Bateman's chiseled physique and had his teeth capped to assimilate to the character's narcissistic nature. American Psycho premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival . Harron said critic Roger Ebert named it the most hated film at the event. Of Bale's work, Ebert wrote he "is heroic in the way he allows the character to leap joyfully into despicability; there
12028-489: The relationship between Eklund and his brother and boxing trainee, Micky Ward , played by Mark Wahlberg . To balance Eklund's tragic condition, Bale incorporated humor in his characterisation. The portrayal, for which he lost 30 pounds (14 kg), was acclaimed, the San Francisco Chronicle ' s Mick LaSalle describing it as "shrewdly observed, physically precise and psychologically acute". Bale won
12152-467: The role of Blackadder at the "We are Most Amused" comedy gala for The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He was joined by Tony Robinson as Baldrick. The sketch involved the first new Blackadder material for 10 years, with Blackadder as CEO of Melchett, Melchett and Darling bank facing an enquiry over the banking crisis. In February 2013, Atkinson took on the titular role in
12276-442: The role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word lead may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and leading actor may refer to a person who typically plays such parts or an actor with a respected body of work. Some actors are typecast as leads, but most play the lead in some performances and supporting or character roles in others. Sometimes there is more than one significant leading role in
12400-516: The roof of the Sears Tower in Chicago. The Dark Knight has been regarded by critics as the best superhero film . In February 2008, Warner Bros. announced that Bale would star as rebellion leader John Connor in the post-apocalyptic action film Terminator Salvation , directed by McG , who cited Bale as "the most credible actor of his generation". In February 2009, an audio recording of
12524-487: The rubber face"; comedic reference was made to this in an episode of Blackadder the Third (" Sense and Senility "), in which Baldrick ( Tony Robinson ) refers to his master, Mr. E. Blackadder , as a "lazy, big-nosed, rubber-faced bastard". Atkinson's early comedy influences were the sketch comedy troupe Beyond the Fringe , made up of Peter Cook , Dudley Moore , Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett , major figures of
12648-632: The same name . He committed himself to voice the role after watching Miyazaki's animated film Spirited Away . Later that year, he starred as a US war veteran who deals with post-traumatic stress disorder in the David Ayer -helmed crime drama Harsh Times , which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . He portrayed colonist John Rolfe in The New World , a historical drama film inspired by
12772-460: The sequel The Dark Knight Rises , released in July 2012. He described Batman in the film as a remorseful recluse in poor mental and physical health, who has surrendered following the events of The Dark Knight . Following the shooting at a midnight showing of the film in Aurora, Colorado , Bale and his wife visited survivors, doctors and first responders at The Medical Center of Aurora as well as
12896-605: The song " I Just Can't Wait to Be King " in The Lion King . Atkinson continued to appear in supporting roles in comedies, including Rat Race (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), jewellery salesman Rufus in another Richard Curtis British-set romantic comedy, Love Actually (2003), and the crime comedy Keeping Mum (2005), which also starred Kristin Scott Thomas , Maggie Smith , and Patrick Swayze . In addition to his supporting roles, Atkinson has also had success as
13020-687: The stories of Pocahontas , directed by Terrence Malick . The film was released on 25 December 2005. The following year saw the premiere of Rescue Dawn , by German filmmaker Werner Herzog , in which Bale portrayed US fighter pilot Dieter Dengler , who fights for his life after being shot down while on a mission during the Vietnam War . After the two worked together, Herzog stated that he had considered Bale to be among his generation's greatest talents long before he played Batman. The Austin Chronicle ' s Marjorie Baumgarten viewed Bale's work as
13144-600: The television play Full Throttle in 1995. Atkinson has raced in other cars, including a Renault 5 GT Turbo for two seasons for its one make series . From 1997 to 2015, he owned a rare McLaren F1 , which was involved in an accident in Cabus, near Garstang , Lancashire, with an Austin Metro in October 1999. It was damaged again in a serious crash in August 2011 when it caught fire after Atkinson reportedly lost control and hit
13268-451: The third time. Amsterdam was released in October 2022, receiving dire reviews and failing at the box office. The Pale Blue Eye , adapted from the novel of the same name by Louis Bayard , was released in December 2022, receiving mixed reviews from critics. With his involvement in the 2023 Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron , Bale voiced a character in an English-language dub of
13392-445: The trilogy , which is one of the highest-grossing film franchises. Bale continued in starring roles in a range of films outside his work as Batman, including the period drama The Prestige (2006), the action film Terminator Salvation (2009), the crime drama Public Enemies (2009), the epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and the superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). For his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in
13516-621: The two even met and would not proceed with the project without the actor's involvement. Critics commended the film and deemed it an excellent beginning of the next phase in Bale's career after playing Batman, with Kristopher Tapley of Variety noting his work in the film was his best. That same year, he starred in American Hustle , which reunited him with David O. Russell after their work on The Fighter . To play con artist Irving Rosenfeld, Bale studied footage of interviews with real-life con artist Mel Weinberg , who served as inspiration for
13640-455: The two films along with Shaft and Captain Corelli's Mandolin as "mediocre fare". Bale starred as the insomnia-ridden, emotionally dysfunctional title character in the psychological thriller The Machinist . To prepare for the role, he initially only smoked cigarettes and drank whiskey. His diet later expanded to include black coffee, an apple and a can of tuna per day. Bale lost 63 pounds (29 kg), weighing 121 pounds (55 kg) to play
13764-409: The video platform. Among the most-watched channels in the world, in 2018 it had more than 6.5 billion views. Mr. Bean is also among the most-followed Facebook pages with 94 million followers in July 2020, "more than the likes of Rihanna , Manchester United or Harry Potter ". In January 2014, ITV announced a new animated series featuring Mr. Bean with Rowan Atkinson returning to the role. It
13888-454: Was cast in a West End musical, Bale considered taking up acting professionally. He said later he did not find acting appealing but pursued it at the request of those around him because he had no reason not to do so. After participating in school plays, Bale performed opposite Rowan Atkinson in the play The Nerd in the West End in 1984. He did not undergo any formal acting training. After deciding to become an actor at age ten, Bale secured
14012-614: Was disappointed in his bland reaction to being recognised, noting that: "he didn't sparkle, was rather disappointing and chétif ." In July 2001, Atkinson crashed an Aston Martin V8 Zagato at an enthusiasts' meeting, but walked away unhurt. This was while he was competing in the Aston Martin Owners Club event, at the Croft Racing Circuit , Darlington . One car Atkinson has said he will not own
14136-584: Was expected to be released online as a Web-series later in 2014, as a television broadcast followed shortly after. On 6 February 2018, Regular Capital announced that there would be a fifth series of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series in 2019 (voiced by Atkinson). Consisting of 26 episodes, the first two segments, "Game Over" and "Special Delivery", aired on 29 April 2019 on CITV in the UK as well as on Turner channels worldwide. All five series (104 episodes) were also sold to Chinese children's channel CCTV-14 in February 2019. Atkinson's film career began with
14260-761: Was made an Honorary Fellow of the college in 2006. His master's thesis, published in 1978, considered the application of self-tuning control. Atkinson first won national attention in The Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 1976, he had already written and performed sketches for shows in Oxford by the Etceteras ;– the revue group of the Experimental Theatre Club (ETC) – and for
14384-531: Was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work. Bale portrayed Moses in Ridley Scott 's epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings . Released in December 2014, the film faced accusations of whitewashing for the casting of Caucasian actors in Middle Eastern roles. Scott justified casting decisions citing financing needs, Bale stating that Scott had been forthright in getting
14508-572: Was one of the main sketch writers. "The main appeal of the series is that of the brilliant comedian Atkinson as the mean-spirited and terminally sarcastic Edmund Blackadder ." —Garry Berman. The success of Not the Nine O'Clock News led to Atkinson taking the lead role of Edmund Blackadder in the BBC mock-historical comedy Blackadder . His co-stars included Tony Robinson (who played his long-suffering sidekick Baldrick ), Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie . The first series, The Black Adder (1983), co-written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis ,
14632-649: Was ranked at number eight on Forbes magazine's list of the highest-paid actors of 2014, earning $ 35 million. He has been described as a sex symbol . Bale has lived in Los Angeles since the 1990s. He holds US citizenship. Bale married Sandra "Sibi" Blažić, a former American model of Serbian descent, in Las Vegas on 29 January 2000. They have a daughter and a son. In 2000, Bale became feminist Gloria Steinem 's stepson following her marriage to his father, who died in 2003 of brain lymphoma . Bale became
14756-525: Was set at the turn of the Millennium. The final scene of "Blackadder Goes Forth" (when Blackadder and his men go "over the top" and charge into No-Man's-Land) has been described as "bold and highly poignant". Possessing an acerbic wit and armed with numerous quick put-downs (which are often wasted on those at whom they are directed), Edmund Blackadder was ranked third (behind Homer Simpson from The Simpsons and Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers ) on
14880-488: Was set in the mediæval period, with the title character unintelligent and naïve. The second series, Blackadder II (1986), written by Curtis and Ben Elton , marked a turning point for the show. It followed the fortunes of one of the descendants of Atkinson's original character, this time in the Elizabethan era , with the character reinvented as a devious anti-hero. Metro states, "watching Atkinson work in series two
15004-603: Was to embody characters without showing any aspect of himself. He explained that "letting people know who you are" does not help create different characters, viewing anonymity as "what's giving you the ability to play those characters". During interviews to promote films in which he puts on an accent, Bale would continue speaking in the given accent. Bale has also been noted for portraying roles with an American accent, with The Atlantic ' s Joe Reid listing him among those who "work least in their native accents"; in real life, Bale speaks in an "emphatic, non-posh" English accent. Bale
15128-491: Was unsatisfied with the casting of Bale and Depp, believing their characters' rivalry lacked electricity, while The New Republic ' s Christopher Orr found Bale's "characteristically closed off" performance "nonetheless effective". The following year, Bale starred in the role of Dicky Eklund , a professional boxer whose career has ended due to his drug addiction, in David O. Russell 's drama film The Fighter . It chronicles
15252-433: Was very physical. Yes, very physical and very angry". He was also influenced by Peter Sellers , whose characters Hrundi Bakshi from The Party (1968) and Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther films influenced Atkinson's characters Mr. Bean and Johnny English. Of Barry Humphries ' Dame Edna Everage , he states, "I loved that character – again, it's the veneer of respectability disguising suburban prejudice of
15376-490: Was written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis , and produced by Griff Rhys Jones . After university, Atkinson did a one-off pilot for London Weekend Television in 1979 called Canned Laughter . He gained further national attention when he performed on the third The Secret Policeman's Ball in June 1979 which was broadcast on the BBC , and since then he has appeared on televised skits with various performers including Elton John , John Cleese ("Beekeeping") and Kate Bush ,
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