The 2011 TIME 100 Poll

Cast your votes for the leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes that you think are the most influential people in the world. Though official voting for inclusion on the TIME 100 list has now closed (with Rain as the 2011 readers' choice), users can continue to vote for their favorites until the final list, selected by our editors, is revealed on Thursday, April 21st

TIME 100 Candidates

Christian Bale

By TIME StaffMonday, Apr. 04, 2011
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Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Age: 37
Occupation: Actor
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 0

Christian Bale can act. Really act. It's what got him recognized at age 13 when he was cast in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun and what keeps him in the public eye today. Last year Bale showcased his chops transforming himself into Dicky Eklund, the boxer turned drug addict in the biopic-drama The Fighter. The transformation was so complete that when a scene came on during the credits showing the real Dicky Eklund, it was hard to distinguish between the actor and the man himself. The powerful performance netted Bale both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

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