Christian Bale, the renowned actor known for his roles in films like ‘Empire of the Sun,’ ‘American Psycho,’ and the Batman ‘Dark Knight’ series, has announced plans to build 12 foster homes in California. The project, which is estimated to cost $22 million, aims to keep siblings in the foster care system together and under the same roof. The foster village, set to be completed in 2025, will be the first of its kind in the state and is situated next to a park in Palmdale, California; a city 60 miles north of Los Angeles.
“Foster care has always been an important issue to me and I’m aware of similar models in the U.S. and globally, and it’s been a goal to bring it to California,” Bale said in a statement. “I’m thankful to my longtime partner Eric Esrailian and to so many people in our community for rallying to support these families for years to come.”
The idea for the foster homes came to Bale after the birth of his daughter in 2005. Christian was shocked to learn that California had more foster children than any other state in the US. Bale and his wife decided to focus on helping these California foster children, and he has been working on the project ever since.
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Bale’s interest in philanthropy and direct action can be traced back to his late father, David Bale. David was an environmental activist who worked for organizations such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Humane Society of the United States. Christian grew up with his father’s altruistic nature, as their home was often a temporary residence for people in need.
Bale credited his late father, David, for his interest in philanthropy and direct action. “I grew up with a dad who was always very active and altruistic,” he told the Hollywood Reporter, “and we would be headed to protests and shouting at Maggie Thatcher and stuff. As a kid, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I loved it, and I just admired the hell out of my dad in that way that he went out of his way to care for other people.”
Bale continued: “We were always having other people coming and living in our house who didn’t have homes, etc. That’s just the guy that he was.”
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“It is a dream come true for Christian and I to officially launch Together California with our partners and to start the process of change,” Esrailian, who is also a California entrepreneur and UCLA faculty member, said in a statement. “The loyal and generous support of donors and public officials has made it all possible and strengthens our mission to ensure brothers and sisters remain together in a single individual home.”
Bale, who was born in Wales and raised in England before moving to the US, won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2018 for his role in ‘The Fighter.’ However, Christian has not acted in a film for some time, with his last releases being ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ ‘Amsterdam,’ and ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ in 2022.
Bale will play the lead monster in Warner Bros. Frankenstein film, not Universal. In the horror romance, he reunites with Maggie Gyllenhaal, his co-star from The Dark Knight. Directed by Gyllenhaal, the untitled reimagining will surely take cues from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, published in 1818.
The actor’s dedication to helping California foster children in need is evident through his commitment to the foster home project. The village, once completed, will serve as a beacon of hope for children in need of a stable and loving environment.
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