Christian Bale learned to play the drums in two weeks for “The Big Short” because of course he did

Though we never doubted the already boundless talent of Christian Bale, he has, yet again, astounded us with his creative capabilities.

In his latest film, The Big Short, Bale’s character unwinds by playing drums and listening to Pantera. In a world where we can re-create the Titanic sinking onscreen or bring our thoughts to life (as in Pixar’s Inside Out) or even watch epic battles between people and dinosaurs, you would think an actor could easily fake the ability to play the drums. But, genuine to his core, Christian Bale insisted he learned to play them himself.

He even had a knee injury and the director, Adam McKay, suggested they use a body double for the drum scenes. Yet, Dark Knight Rises style, the method actor insisted on doing it himself.

If Joker and Bane can’t stop him, a little knee injury isn’t going to either.

Now, any mere mortal who wanted to convincingly play a physically difficult and complicated instrument along to heavy metal music would likely need years of study and practice. Or, one would learn, as I have, to master the art of the air drum.

But Christian Bale is no mere mortal. He learned the drums in a two week crash course by working with a drum instructor and listening to nothing but Pantera and Mastodon.

As if we needed another reason to see the star-packed film, which has already been nominated for multiple awards including an Oscar for “Best Picture,” the fact that we’ll get to see the ever-dedicated and always impressive Christian Bale play the drums for us is the cherry on an already deliciously talented sundae.

(Images via Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros/Tumblr,  NBC/Tumblr,