Actor Christian Bale has garnered a somewhat surly reputation thanks to a viral video from a couple years ago that showed him losing his temper and then some on the set of "Terminator Salvation." He was seen screaming, and ranting about someone walking into his eye line and it all culminated with the now infamous "Good for you!" tag line that became quite the meme. Since then, he's still been lauded and praised for his acting skills, but he wouldn't win any Mr. Congeniality contests.
But in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, last week the 38-year-old star is showing that big stars can make a big difference in peoples' lives. The film that everyone was in the theater to see that tragic night was Bale's Batman swan song "The Dark Knight Rises." Christian become the talk of Facebook and Twitter yesterday when cell phone pictures of him posing with people starting popping up. Those people in the pictures were the victims of the shooting and the doctors and hospital staff tending to the injuries.
An online movement to get Bale out to Aurora apparently worked on some level, because there he was, shaking hands, hugging and taking numerous photos. It's not hard to see the joy on everyone's faces, and it's a very heartwarming feeling to see people who are going through tremendous tragedy get their spirits picked up in such a personal way. Nothing can take away what they went through, but a visit from the star of the summer blockbuster film they were trying to go see can help lift morale in a tangible way.
In a statement before he got to Aurora, where he also visited a memorial near the theater, Christian said, "Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them." In times of great tragedy, the healing process can be helped with simple actions, and one of Hollywood's biggest names recognizing an opportunity to help just by showing up and shaking hands and smiling should be commended.
No, he's not the real Batman, but for just one day Bale was a hero. He was a hero to the doctors, nurses, and victims he visited and took pictures with. For a man who was viewed largely after his on-set meltdown as a bit of a diva, this visit shows that he still understands the great ability his celebrity has to make people's lives better, just by showing up. In the face of tragedies like Aurora, it's really easy to get cynical, but for just a few hours, Christian was able to do as much as anyone could hope for; he gave them hope and encouragement, and thus balanced his Karma.
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