User:Spider ian

Bale was born in Wales to parents of English descent. His South African–born father, David Bale, was an entrepreneur, commercial pilot, and talent manager, and his mother, Jenny James, was a circus performer.[4][5][6][7] He is the youngest of four children. After leaving Britain at the age of 2, Bale spent his childhood in several countries including Portugal.[1] Settling for four years in Bournemouth and Henley-on-Thames, Bale was educated at Shiplake Church of England Primary School, the independent Dolphin School, Berkshire, and at Bournemouth School. He played rugby.[1] Bale has described his childhood, with respect to his mother being in the circus, as "interesting."[citation needed] He recalled his first kiss was with an acrobat named Barta.[1] As a child, he trained in ballet and guitar.[1] His sister Louise's work in theatre also influenced his decision to become an actor.[1] Bale's father was very supportive of his son's acting, resigning from his job as a commercial pilot to travel and manage Bale's burgeoning career.[1] The elder Bale later married feminist icon Gloria Steinem.[8] He died, at age 62, on 30 December 2003 from brain lymphoma.[6] Bale's first foray into acting was a commercial for the fabric softener Lenor in 1982.[9] A year later, he appeared in a Pac-Man cereal commercial playing a child rock star. In 1984, he made his stage debut in The Nerd, opposite Rowan Atkinson.[10]