Several biopic films of combat sports athletes have come up in Hollywood. The Fighter, released in 2010, deserves special mention for the portrayal of Mark Wahlberg as Mickey Ward and Christian Bale as Dicky Ecklund.
Bale’s portrayal of Ecklund won several awards, including Best Supporting Actor at the 83rd Academy Awards. Ward, Ecklund’s younger half-brother, was in awe of Bale’s performance, so it was a no-brainer that Bale would win the Academy Award.
Ward Reflects on Bale’s Method Acting for ‘The Fighter’ Role
Mickey Ward was a recent guest on the JAXXON podcast. Ward, known for his intense trilogy with Arturo Gatti, is one of Dana White’s favorite boxers. Ward spoke of his biopic The Fighter on the podcast, particularly praising Christian Bale.
“Christian got to know Dicky so well, and he nailed him. You know what I mean? He played him. If it’s possible, he played Dicky better than Dicky plays himself. Crazy, you know what I mean? He’s just a method actor. He’s a guy that stays in character the whole time,” said Ward of Christian Bale.
Ward revealed that he and Ecklund stayed at Wahlberg’s residence in Beverly Hills during the movie’s shooting. Bale was also there, studying Ecklund to incorporate his mannerisms into the movie role, as is the case when Bale accepts a part in a movie.
Ward retired from boxing after his trilogy fight with Gatti. After he won the first fight via majority decision, Gatti won the rematch and the rubber match via unanimous decision. Wahlberg had plans to make a sequel to the film, but it didn’t materialize.
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