December 23, 2016
By Iman Sadri
Sitting at the MGM Grand in Vegas where there are thousands of Persians this weekend at the Wolfgang Puck Pre-Party of the Fight of the Century, I was fortunate to have had several conversations with some of the country’s most influential figures. After a brief conversation with Charles Barkley about Demarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, I was fortunate to share my table with Christian Bale and his wife Sandra.
Sitting at a high top table at the crowded Wolfgang Puck Pre-Party 60 minutes prior to the Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao bout I was able to have a lengthy conversation with Bale about several topics. Bale struck up a conversation with me after sitting at my table. He first asked of me who I thought was going to win the fight. After replying with, “Mayweather“, he asked me who I wanted to win the fight. My answer, “Pacquiao.” Bale told me how he also wanted Pacquiao to win and that he had bet on Pacquiao also. He told me I should bet on who I wanted to win not who I thought would win. He almost convinced me to change my bet to Pacquiao, but Mayweather ‘s unblemished record was too convincing to bet against.
The conversation then turned to my asking Bale about his working with Persian actresses Golshifteh Farahani and Shohreh Aghdashloo. He had filmed Exodus : Gods and Kings co-starring Farahani the year prior, which grossed $262 Million at the box office. He was set to begin filmimg The Promise co-starring Aghdashloo several months after finishing The Big Short after the fight. Bale said working with Farahani was a “delight” and he was “looking forward” to filming The Promise with Aghdashloo and Oscar Isaac.
I was able to ask Bale about his working in Steven Spielberg’s film Empire of the Sun at such a tender age and how the film had a profound effect on me. In addition, I mentioned to him how The Dark Knight was one of my favorite films of all time.
Bale was at the Fight of the Century in Vegas because of his being an aficionado of boxing. He portrayed a boxer in an Oscar winning performance in The Fighter.
Bale and Aghdashloo’s film The Promise is due for an April 2017 release.
Hollywood Smile
We ended the conversation about 30 minutes to the Mayweather Pacquiao fight where I discussed the Teeth Whitening I do at the office. His wife Sandra also discussed how she worked with a Persian publicist and enlightened me with a few choice Farsi words. I was especially excited to discuss the Teeth Whitening because of the fact that Bale was set to shoot a Hedge Fund manager in The Big Short. Next Up for Christian Bale : He is co-starring with Shohreh Aghdashloo in The Promise due out April 2017
Iman Sadri is the founder of @HollywoodSmileTV and blogs for Persian Media outlets.
