Christian Bale - Is there a more versatile actor?
 

I think Christian Bale is one of the most versatile actors out there. His movies may not be the greatest, though I pretty much love all of them, the roles he chooses for himself are so incredibly different from each other. I watch the previews for 'Harsh Times' and you wouldn't think in a million years that he's British. He's had such a diverse filmography with roles in American Psycho, The Machinist, Batman Begins, The New World, and upcoming Harsh Times. He's always doing something different and always challenging himself. I hope he starts to land bigger roles and gets some bigger attention.

He's great, but I'm not sure he's going to have any bigger roles. I mean he is Batman, afterall.

I just want him to keep making good films. When I see his name in any project I know I'll at least be entertained.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Gary Oldman.

Don't forget Empire of the Sun. Or my personal favorite...Newsies!

Ching Wan Lau http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0490513/ although recently it seems like all he's doing in comedies :( his filmography is quite varied. When he needs to be the hard as nails cop (Full Alert) he can pull it off just as easily as playing the bafoon in some of his comedies (La Brassiere). He can play the romantic leading man (C'est la vie, mon chéri) or the confused "what's the hell has happened to me" role (The Victim) w/ equal adeptness. The one major thing he's lacking is that I don't believe he speaks english (or atleast not well enough to make it here in the US)... that and the aforementioned trend of just doing comedies.

That's not to detract from Christian Bale though as I've usually enjoyed his stuff as well.

FinkPish wins the prize with his answer.

Clint Howard.

Bale is great but so is Alanna Ubach

I'm surprised I'm the first one to mention Johnny Depp.

William H Macy

Chris Tucker.

First person I thought of.

Depp immediately springs to mind, and even though his time has sort of passed, Michael Keaton was an extremely versatile actor. From roles like Beetlejuice and Mr. Mom to his great performance in Clean & Sober.

I agree with the OP's opinion of Christian Bale. The contrast between 'The Machinist' and 'Batman Begins' still blows me away to this day. His work is extraordinary, and I think that his being in a movie, at least for me, garrentees I will enjoy it. Oh, and since no one mentioned Equilibrium, I will. :D

Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He can handle comedic roles too.

We have a winnah

I don't know. It seems to me that Depp can only pull of weird character roles. I never liked him whenever he's trying to play a normal person. Although, I do quite enjoy his eccentric characters.

I think Bale needs to play someone like an autistic guy, a transvestite or a really really old Indian before we start listing him amongst the all-time most versatile.

Edward Norton

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Meh. He seems slimy in everything I've ever seen him in. Always felt he was vastly overrated.

Edward Norton

I've got nothing to add. The ones that immediately came to mind, Depp, Norton, Oldman & Hoffman are all accounted for.

Did you not see "The Machinist"? The dude is committed!