Christian Bale Learned The Drums In Two Weeks For The Big Short

Method acting don Christian Bale managed to nail playing the drums in two weeks for his latest role, in the financial crash caper ‘The Big Short’.

Doubtless slightly more fun than losing/gaining colossal amounts of weight – as he’s been known to do – he took a 'crash course’ to emulate the hobby of his character, real life hedge fund manager Michael Burry, for scenes in the movie.

But never one to take the easy route, Bale opted for a baptism of fire – learning to play metal band Pantera’s complex ’By Demons Be Driven’.

“It was a wonderful crash course, double kick drum. Pantera, By Demons Be Driven – fantastic song to begin with,” he told Screenrant.

“This is how Mike Burry unwound. This is actually how he calmed down.

“He would listen to it all day long in his headphones – and not just that, Mastodon as well – but his brain is on fire so much that death metal calms him.

“He’s a very different individual to most of us.”

Bale added that he spent hours with Burry - pictured below - to research for the film.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Non-stop conversation. We just didn’t stop talking the entire time. Mike was incredibly surprised by the end of it. He stopped and he said he’d never expected to be able to talk with somebody for that length of time.

“But you know, you share yourself in order that someone will share with you. I’m incredibly aware of the honour he gave me in allowing me into his incredible brain and psyche and emotions, and so I respect that immensely. And I know that he trusts me to keep that to myself, other than what I show in the film.”

The movie, made by 'Anchorman’s Adam McKay, is based on the 2010 book of the same written by Michael Lewis about the 2007 financial crisis, brought on by subprime loans.

Nominated for five Oscars (including one for Bale in the Best Supporting Actor category), it also stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.

It’s due out in the UK on January 22.

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Image credits: Universal/Rex Features