Christian Bale has become something of a punchline. No, not because he sucks at acting or anything — we all know the dude is one of the best in the business — but rather for the extreme lengths he goes to prepare for his roles. More specifically, the dude is renowned for both losing and gaining weight in order to fit the aesthetic of the characters he portrays on screen.

The dude famously lost 62 pounds for his part in The Machinist, meaning he weighed 120 pounds when cameras were rolling. To make matters worse, this immediately preceded his need to beef up for his role in Batman Begins, where he gained 100 pounds in a few months — though it was too much weight, and he then had to cut down on the excess weight right before shooting.

RELATED – Academy Awards Watch – VICE Review: An Insightful Indulgence

In the days since then, his roles in films like American Hustle and the more recent Vice have also displayed his ability to put on unhealthy fatty weight. But as the man gets older, even he realizes he can’t go on like this forever, as he revealed to The Sunday Times.

“I can’t keep doing it. I really can’t. My mortality is staring me in the face.”

Well, at least he recognizes this as a problem. Going through this thinning and ballooning process for the past 20 years could not have been fun for his body. Will he suck it up and allow himself to be fitted for a fat suit like everybody else? Only time will tell.

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCES: The Sunday Times (via LADbible)