Christian Bale lost 63 pounds for his latest movie role

[mark414]

Despite a skinny star, 'Machinist' retains its weight

Christian Bale lost 63 pounds to play the lead role in "The Machinist," probably the most reckless, foolhardy thing ever done for the camera since daredevils danced the Charleston on biplanes. Dropping all that weight could not have been good for him, and there's a question whether it was even good for "The Machinist." The film presents a compelling portrait of mental illness, but looking at Bale may make audiences feel as though they're watching a documentary.

His appearance trumps every other consideration. It is the thing people will walk out talking about, and it's the thing that must be addressed first. Here's an actor who, in his normal incarnation, could be described as slender. Minus 63 pounds, he looks like something out of a concentration camp, with arms like sticks and a spine sticking out of his back like a vacuum cleaner hose. Easily, this is the skinniest performance in a feature film since Bette Davis' cadaverous turn in "The Wicked Stepmother."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/24/DDG4E9VFP61.DTL&type=movies

edit for a comparison pic (from american psycho):