David Bale | |
|---|---|
 Bale in 2003 | |
| Born | David Charles Howard Bale (1941-09-02)2 September 1941 |
| Died | 30 December 2003(2003-12-30) (aged 62) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Movement | Animal rights |
| Spouse(s) | Sandra Kreunen (div. 1964) |
| Children | 4, includingChristian Bale |
David Charles Howard Bale (2 September 1941 – 30 December 2003)[1] was an English entrepreneur, environmentalist, andanimal welfare activist. He was the father of actorChristian Bale and the husband ofGloria Steinem.
Bale was born inSouth Africa, to English parents.[citation needed] His father Philip Bale served as aRoyal Air Force pilot.[2] Bale grew up inEngland,Egypt, and the BritishChannel Islands.[1] He initially pursued a career as a commercial pilot and later ran a commuter airline in England.[3] His business activities included marketing imported jeans andskateboards.[1][3]
Bale was an activist for environmental and animal rights causes. He served as a board member ofThe Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Ark Trust,[3] which in 2002 became the Hollywood branch of theHumane Society of the United States.[4] He also served as a board member for World Education, Inc., an international non-profit organisation known for its work in educational development, located inBoston, Massachusetts.
Bale was married three times. His first marriage to Sandra Kreunen in South Africa ended in 1964 after she filed for divorce when he returned to England to visit his mother.[5] His second marriage to Jenny James in England also ended in divorce. From his first marriage, he had a daughter named Erin Bale Kreunen, and from his second marriage, he had three children: Louise, Sharon, and the youngest being Academy-Award winning actorChristian Bale.
On 3 September 2000, Bale married the feminist writer, journalist, and social-political activistGloria Steinem. Their wedding inOklahoma was a private ceremony at the home of her friendWilma Mankiller, the first femalePrincipal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.[6] Bale had been facing deportation after overstaying his visa.[7] Both Steinem and Bale denied that Bale's immigration status was the motivation for the marriage.[7]
Steinem had previously been critical of the institution of marriage, saying that "marriage was the model for slavery law in this country".[8] She said of her change in attitude, 'I didn't change. Marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true any more. It's possible to make an equal marriage'.[9]
Bale died ofbrainlymphoma on December 30, 2003, aged 62.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Little Dorrit |