Patrick Bateman is well beyond disturbed. Is it more disturbing however that the inspiration for the character came from Tom Cruise?
AMERICAN PSYCHO director Mary Harron did an interview with BlackBook to talk about current projects, as well as Bale’s idea to channel Cruise.
This is what was said on developing the character, “It was definitely a process. We talked a lot, but he was in L.A. and I was in New York. We didn’t actually meet in person a lot, just talked on the phone. We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.”
When I first read this and then tried looking for pictures to post, it all came together. If you were to switch actors, you might get a similar performance (if you think Cruise can act), expect for the fact that for Cruise it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Of course, he isn’t a serial killer, but you could see his personality fitting that role. Or maybe it’s just me.
I have no issues with Cruise, or what crazy ass things he’s up to, but for some reason, people just don’t think of the guy the same way they used to. All that aside, it’s sort of interesting to think that was Bale’s model for Bateman.
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