How Christian Bale transforms into Dick Cheney

Advances in prosthetics have allowed artists to create fleshy hyper-realistic likenesses - and also allow actors to be expressive

Actor Christian Bale (top right) transformed into Dick Cheney (above) with a weight gain of 18kg together with make-up and prosthetics in the new movie Vice, and a file picture of the former US Vice-President (right).
Actor Christian Bale transformed into Dick Cheney (above) with a weight gain of 18kg together with make-up and prosthetics in the new movie Vice, and a file picture of the former US Vice-President. PHOTOS: ANNAPURNA PICTURES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Actor Christian Bale (top right) transformed into Dick Cheney (above) with a weight gain of 18kg together with make-up and prosthetics in the new movie Vice, and a file picture of the former US Vice-President (right).
Actor Christian Bale (left) transformed into Dick Cheney with a weight gain of 18kg together with make-up and prosthetics in the new movie Vice, and a file picture of the former US Vice-President (right). PHOTOS: ANNAPURNA PICTURES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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NEW YORK • You would be forgiven for not recognising Christian Bale in Vice, a new movie in which he stars as former American Vice-President Dick Cheney.

Long creases run from his nostrils to his jowls, which sink into a starched collar. His jaw takes on the shape of a baseball and heavy forehead lines hover over a thick, furrowed brow.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 02, 2019, with the headline How Christian Bale transforms into Dick Cheney. Subscribe