'If Bateman were around today, he'd probably run for President,' Christian Bale reimagines American psycho
Christian Bale suggests his 'American Psycho' character, Patrick Bateman, would have emulated Donald Trump and run for president if he were real today.
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:25 PM ISTChristian Bale suggests his 'American Psycho' character, Patrick Bateman, would have emulated Donald Trump and run for president if he were real today.
Christian Bale, who immortalized the role of psychotic investment banker Patrick Bateman in the cult classic 'American Psycho', has added a new layer to Bateman's notorious character. As reported by GQ Magazine in 2020, Bale speculates that his power-hungry character might have sought the highest seat in the land, had he been real.
"I Mean, Look, If Someone Had Landed at That Time..."
Looking back on his unnerving portrayal in the 2000 film adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis's 1991 book, Bale paints a picture of Bateman as a ruthless social chameleon. Drawn to "cultural alpha males," Bateman was obsessed with emulating the status of successful figures like Tom Cruise and Donald Trump, long before the latter's presidential reign.
"Likewise, Donald Trump Would Have Been Somebody He Would Have Looked At and Said, 'Ah, Right. I Need to Have a Little Bit of That as Well'"
According to Bale, Bateman, the satirical representation of Wall Street yuppies, idolized Trump, shaping his persona to mimic the then-businessman. However, Bateman's emulation was not confined to the high-society sphere, as his character is notoriously known for committing brutal murders when not hobnobbing with the elite.
"If Bateman were around today, he'd probably be inspired to run for president," Bale speculated, envisioning a chilling scene where President Bateman tweets about "Huey Lewis and the Fake News" while stashing a body under his Oval Office desk.
Perhaps, even more intriguingly, Ivanka Trump once admitted that Bale's chilling portrayal of Bateman, who modeled himself after her father, was her "ideal man" during her younger years.
The notion of Patrick Bateman as a presidential candidate might send shivers down one's spine, but it does offer an intriguing spin to this iconic character, further demonstrating the versatility and enduring fascination of Christian Bale's unforgettable portrayal.
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)