Hollywood is full of "what if" stories. You know the ones—the actor who turned down the role of a lifetime, or the two stars who supposedly hate each other's guts on set. But the history between Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale is different. It’s weirder. It involves a 1990s glam rock movie, a sex scene that went on way too long because the crew literally walked away, and a secret pact that helped define one of the most iconic horror-comedies of the 2000s.
Honestly, if you look at their careers now, it's hard to imagine them in the same room. Bale is the king of transformative intensity, the guy who loses 60 pounds to play a machinist and gains it back to play Batman. McGregor is the charming, versatile soul of Star Wars and Trainspotting. But back in 1998, they were just two rising British stars (well, Bale is Welsh, but you get the point) trying to navigate the chaotic energy of Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine.
The Movie That Bonded Them: Velvet Goldmine
If you haven't seen Velvet Goldmine, it’s basically a fever dream about the 1970s glam rock scene. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a David Bowie-esque superstar, while Ewan McGregor plays Curt Wild, a wild, Iggy Pop-inspired rocker who spends half the movie without a shirt. Christian Bale plays Arthur Stuart, a repressed journalist looking back at his youth.
The film is a cult classic now, but the stories from the set are what really stick.
That Rooftop Scene
There’s a legendary anecdote that Ewan McGregor has told on The Graham Norton Show a few times. He and Bale had to film a sex scene on a rooftop in King’s Cross. It was supposed to be a wide shot, with the camera crew stationed on a completely different building to get the scale of the city.
The director yelled "Action!" and the two actors went for it. They were committed. They were "in the zone," as actors say. The problem? They never heard anyone yell "Cut."
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McGregor eventually realized something was off. He whispered into Bale's ear—staying on the non-camera side, of course—something to the effect of, "I think I would have finished by now." When he finally looked up, the entire crew was gone. They had packed up their gear and moved to the next location, apparently thinking it was "sensitive" to let the actors finish their business in peace.
It’s a hilarious image: two of the world's biggest future movie stars just hanging out on a London roof, realize they’ve been performing for absolutely nobody for several minutes.
The American Psycho "Pact"
While Velvet Goldmine gave them a funny story to tell at parties, their most significant interaction happened off-camera regarding the movie American Psycho. This is a bit of Hollywood lore that sounds fake, but it's actually been backed up in various biographies and interviews over the years.
Basically, Christian Bale was the first choice for Patrick Bateman. However, the studio (Lionsgate) wanted a bigger name. They fired Bale and offered the role to Leonardo DiCaprio. When DiCaprio eventually passed, the studio went to Ewan McGregor.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
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Bale didn't just sit back and take it. He actually called McGregor. He told him about the "betrayals" he felt he’d suffered at the hands of the industry and basically asked McGregor not to take the part. He wanted the role back.
In a move that’s almost unheard of in the cutthroat world of acting, McGregor actually listened. He turned down the role of Patrick Bateman, citing Bale’s passion for it. Shortly after, the studio realized Bale was the only one who could actually do it, and the rest is history.
Without Ewan McGregor’s loyalty—or perhaps just his desire to stay out of a messy situation—we might never have seen Bale’s career-defining performance.
Why Their Careers Never Crossed Again
It’s kind of wild that after such a formative period in the late 90s, the two haven't shared the screen since. Maybe it’s because their "energies" are so different. Bale tends to disappear into roles, often requiring months of preparation and physical transformation. McGregor has a more "naturalist" approach; he’s incredibly present and human, even when he’s swinging a lightsaber or singing in a giant red windmill.
Contrasting Styles
- Christian Bale: The Method Master. From The Machinist to The Prestige, he’s about the "disappearance."
- Ewan McGregor: The Everyman. Even in his most extreme roles like Trainspotting, there’s a relatability that makes him the audience’s proxy.
They both ended up in massive franchises, though. McGregor became Obi-Wan Kenobi just a year after Velvet Goldmine came out. Bale became Batman in 2005. They both defined what it meant to be a leading man in the 21st century, just from opposite ends of the intensity spectrum.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Their Relationship
There’s a common misconception that there was some sort of "feud" because of the American Psycho casting or the Velvet Goldmine antics. People love a good rivalry. But honestly? Everything points to a mutual respect.
In interviews, McGregor always speaks fondly of Bale, usually laughing about how intense he was even back then. Bale, who is notoriously private and doesn't do much "actor talk," has never had anything but professional things to say about his former co-star.
It wasn't a rivalry; it was a partnership of two guys who were both "the next big thing" at exactly the same time.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Cinephiles
If you want to understand the DNA of modern acting, you have to look at this specific window of time (1998-2000).
- Watch Velvet Goldmine first. Don't expect a standard biopic. It's a non-linear exploration of identity. Pay attention to the chemistry between Curt Wild and Arthur Stuart; knowing the "rooftop story" makes their scenes together much funnier.
- Compare their "breakout" years. Watch Trainspotting (1996) and American Psycho (2000) back-to-back. It shows the two different paths British/UK actors were taking to break into Hollywood—one through gritty realism and the other through hyper-stylized satire.
- Look for the "Lionsgate" era. Research the production history of the late 90s. It was a weird time where indie directors were suddenly getting huge budgets, which is why we got such experimental films starring future A-listers.
The "Golden Era" of McGregor and Bale might be behind us, but their influence on how actors handle roles—and each other—is still very much alive in the industry today.
To dive deeper into this era, look for the 1998 interviews from the Cannes Film Festival. The press junkets for Velvet Goldmine are a goldmine (pun intended) of two young actors who had no idea they were about to become the faces of Star Wars and The Dark Knight.