Before They Were Stars
Before They Were Superheroes: Your Favorite Stars, Spandex Optional
There’s no movie hero like a superhero, and summer brings out the best, with alluring women of justice and mysterious men with masks. As the season’s crime fighters fly in and out of theaters, take a peek at the latest crop of hot Hollywood heroes, long before they donned capes, latex, and leather. By Anna Dimond
Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun (1987)
Is this the face of a brooding, mysterious superhero-to-be? You're darn right it is. The Welsh-born Bale's first appearance as an actor was at age 8, and his breakout role was soon after, in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (1987). Unlike some of his fellow superheroes, Bale had quite the unconventional childhood: His mother Jenny was in the circus and they lived a nomadic life. Still, after Empire, Bale was in demand, appearing in Henry V (1989), Swing Kids (1993), Little Women (1994), and more—all by the age of 20.