Christian Bale Asked Chris Rock Not to Talk to Him on 'Amsterdam' Set: 'I Found Myself Giggling'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage; Jeff Spicer/Getty

Christian Balehad a polite message for funnymanChris Rockwhile the two filmed director David O. Russell’s upcoming comedic mysteryAmsterdam: Don’t speak to me.

“I had to ask Chris Rock not to talk to me anymore because I found myself giggling during the takes,” Bale, 48, tells PEOPLE. In the movie, set in the 1930s, the Oscar-winning actor plays a disgraced doctor and World War I veteran named Burt Berendsen who’s framed for murder; Rock, 57, plays a fellow vet named Milton King.

Because Bale kept cracking up, “I was not Burt anymore,” Bale continues. “I was just like idiot Christian from England, giggling and being a fan of Chris Rock’s stand-up. So I actually had to go to him and I said, ‘Dude, no. I’ve got to close my ears,’ because he was so great.”

Amsterdamhas an impressive ensemble cast includingJohn David Washington,Margot Robbie,Robert De Niro,Michael Shannon,Taylor Swift,Rami Malek,Anya Taylor-Joy, Andrea Riseborough andMike Myers.

Bale tells PEOPLE the entire mood on set was positive thanks to five-time Oscar-nominee Russell, who previously worked with Bale on the 2013 dramedyAmerican Hustle. “David engenders this very creative, and to me, satisfying vibe that’s joyous,” he says. “And I’m not talking about everyone has to be ha-ha laughing all day long. More than that, it’s deeper.”

Amsterdampremieres in movie theaters Oct. 7.

Eric Andersson

source: people.com