Christian Bale took home the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes tonight. No surprise, as Vice has had awards buzz for a while. But when he took to the stage, something sounded peculiar. No, it wasn't the moment where he thanked Satan for inspiration for playing former VP Dick Cheney. Did you hear that accent? Something was afoot.
Before you say it: Yes, I know that Bale is English. That's not what I'm talking about. And yes, I know he was born in Wales. But something sounded even stranger. I know I've heard Christian Bale give a speech before, and that's not his voice. So I launched a full-half-ass investigation: What's going on with Christian Bale's voice?
First I went to Twitter, where all academic discourse happens. I wasn't alone in feeling a certain way about the accent.
So, what was going on? Again, I've heard the man speak before, and that definitely wasn't the voice I remember. For reference, let's look at some of his past speeches:
Tonight, though, the whole accent was much thicker, like he's playing a role or something. I had no science to back me up, so I went to the next best thing: my British boyfriend, and my friend Kristin who just likes all of his movies a lot. When I asked Kristin if that's his normal accent, she said, "Yup. He just NEVER uses his voice in his roles. Like... never. Well, maybe we he did Empire of the Sun when he was a little boy."
And then Andrew, who is from Northeast England, got real arrogant about the whole situation and said, "He just sounded drunk, and I think he is weird. His accent if anything seems to get stronger? But it’s just a strong London accent." I thanked him for his services, and he said, "He sounds like every cabbie in London, except more obnoxious." (Andrew really hates London.)
Or maybe we're just so conditioned to the various voices Bale uses on screen that his actual accent seems so out of place. Either way, Twitter was briefly confused, and Bale thanked Satan.
Justin Kirkland is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers culture, food, and the South. Along with Esquire, his work has appeared in NYLON, Vulture, and USA Today.
