Before They Were Stars: 12-Year Old Christian Bale in “Heart of the Country”

It’s time once again to do the traditional round of “Before They Were Stars” clips for this year’s Academy Award nominees. Christian Bale has received his third career Oscar nomination for his portrayal of hedge fund manager Michael Burry in The Big Short. You probably know that Bale was a child actor who first found fame in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, but shortly before that, he had a role in a British mini-series called Heart of the Country. The 12-year old Bale played a spoiled rich kid who is abandoned by his father and in this scene, which will undoubtedly be shown in Bale’s career highlight reel, he has an absolute emotional meltdown because his mother is forcing him to use a plastic bag to carry his books to school. This is a clip from some British “Before They Were Stars” show, which explains the snarky commentary you hear in the background.