Christian Bale Will Not Play Steve Jobs, After All
The entertainment world was abuzz after Aaron Sorkin confirmed that Christian Bale would play Steve Jobs in the long-awaited biopic based on Walter Isaacson's biography of the late tech mogul. But now? There's a lot less to be excited over.
Sources say that Bale, after careful consideration, ultimately decided he wasn't right for the role. He dropped out of the part, which would have required him to play Jobs in three separate stages of the Apple co-founder's life. At the time of Bale's departure, the film was scheduled to begin production in the winter, with Seth Rogen rumored to be the frontrunner for the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. But all of that is now uncertain.
Bale is now the second big name actor to pass on the role after Leonardo DiCaprio turned it down. Considering what a revered public figure Jobs was in his later life, and how he's been mythologized in the years since his death, it's somewhat understandable that the role has been a bit daunting to some actors. Hell, even though he had the advantage of looking a whole lot like him in his youth, Ashton Kutcher was torn apart by critics for his performance as Jobs in the movie of the same name. An effective portrayal of Jobs will require more than a striking physical appearance. It's just a shame that Bale isn't the man for the role, since I think he could have done an amazing, potentially Oscar-winning job of it. That said, I do respect Bale for recognizing that he might not be the best man for the job, and stepping down to give someone else a shot. I suppose the question now is who steps into the role?
Credit: Dominic Lipinski/AP