CHRISTIAN BALE
Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999, TV)
WHAT IT IS A tepidly received TV movie in which the story of Jesus is seen through the eyes of his mom (Pernilla August), who is portrayed as feisty and outspoken instead of a quiet bystander.
HIS CAREER B.C. He kicked up his heels in the 1992 flop musical Newsies and got his glitter-rock groove on in the cult hit Velvet Goldmine (1998).
HIS CAREER A.D. Several acclaimed performances and high-profile roles, most notably the reboot of the Caped Crusader franchise (2005's Batman Begins and 2008's The Dark Knight). And he's got Terminator Salvation out this May — you may have heard some scuttlebutt about that one.
FINAL JUDGMENT Bale had the right first name for playing Christ, but it's the role of Bruce Wayne that finally made him a star.
