(CNN) -- He armors himself, keeps other people guessing and likes to wear a mask.



Christian Bale is known as a hard worker who immerses himself in his characters.



Batman? Try Christian Bale.



Though in his case the armor and mask are metaphorical, the 34-year-old "Dark Knight" star likes to keep his personal life as shadowy as a superhero's back story. He's been known to keep a low profile -- "You will never see me at a party," he told the Times of London -- and delights in concocting stories about his life.



"I make up [things]," he told Details magazine earlier this year. "Absolutely. I'm an actor -- I'm not a politician. I always kick myself when I talk too much about family, or personal things. I'll enjoy chatting now and then later I'll regret it."



But with the explosive impact of "The Dark Knight" -- the film has set box office records in the 10 days since its release, becoming the fastest film to reach the $300 million mark in history -- and the forthcoming release of the fourth "Terminator," which will star Bale, he may find his privacy limited. ("The Dark Knight" is a Warner Bros. film. The studio, like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner.)



"Can he stand the glare of the spotlight?" a rival studio executive asked Entertainment Weekly. "Being put in major roles and major films?"



Already there are signs that Bale has made the jump from actor to movie star. Last week, news of an alleged hotel-room tussle between the actor, his mother and his sister made headlines around the world. Bale, who has denied the allegations, described the incident as "a deeply personal matter" and asked the media to "respect my privacy in the matter" at a press conference.  Watch the latest on the incident »



In general, he's been successful at making sure his personal matters are off-limits. Though willing to do interviews about his films -- the Internet is filled with them -- he usually sticks to talking about their production and his performances, reluctant to bring up his personal life.



A few facts are well established: Christian Bale was born January 30, 1974, in Wales. His father, a former RAF pilot, once served as a film double for John Wayne; his mother was a one-time circus performer. (After divorcing his mother, Bale's father later married women's-rights advocate Gloria Steinem.) The family moved often, with Bale estimating he lived in 15 different places in his first 15 years.



He started his acting career while still a child. He received his first acting break appearing opposite Rowan Atkinson ("Mr. Bean") in the London stage show "The Nerd" in 1984, followed by two British TV miniseries. At 12 he was plucked from 4,000 hopefuls to star in Steven Spielberg's 1987 film "Empire of the Sun." (According to the Times of London, he was recommended by Spielberg's then wife, Amy Irving.) Even then he disliked dealing with the press: he abruptly walked out of a Paris press conference for "Empire" while promoting the film.



"Empire" was followed by an eclectic filmography: Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare adaptation "Henry V" (1989); the musical "Newsies" (1992); the historical drama "Swing Kids" (1993); and the 1994 version of "Little Women," which made him a sex symbol to a group of "Baleheads." (He was one of the first stars to have a fan site devoted to him.)



Through the latter, he also met his future wife, Sandra Blazic, a onetime assistant to "Little Women" star Winona Ryder. The two have been married for eight years, and have a 3-year-old daughter.



By the late '90s, he was acting in a number of independent films, including "Metroland" (1997)
The success of which work of fiction has resulted in the spotlight shining more brightly on him? Who has been known to make up stories about himself? What movie of Christian Bale's was successful? Who prizes his privacy? What was a success?
"The Dark Knight" Christian Bale "The Dark Knight" Christian Bale. "The Dark Knight"
question: The success of which work of fiction has resulted in the spotlight shining more brightly on him?, answer: "The Dark Knight" | question: Who has been known to make up stories about himself?, answer: Christian Bale | question: What movie of Christian Bale's was successful?, answer: "The Dark Knight" | question: Who prizes his privacy?, answer: Christian Bale. | question: What was a success?, answer: "The Dark Knight"