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Christian Bale opens up about playing Raiders owner Al Davis in ‘Madden’ movie
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- Christian Bale opens up about playing Raiders owner Al Davis in ‘Madden’ movie
Christian Bale opens up about playing Raiders owner Al Davis in 'Madden' movie appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
With the 2026 NFL season in full swing, Las Vegas Raiders fans have an additional treat to look forward to in the form of David O. Russell's new movie Madden , which features Christian Bale in a supporting role playing the late, great Al Davis .
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Stopping by SportsCenter to talk about the role with ESPN's Kevin Negandhi, Bale broke down what it's like to fill the shoes of such an iconic NFL figure and why Davis is much more complicated than some might think.
"Yeah, I mean, the man never backed down from a fight, loved to fight. That was the story that he would say that his dad never let him back down from a fight, ever. He knew every single role within the Raiders. You know, he started as a scout, became assistant coach, coach, he'd been general manager, you know, he was a commissioner and then owner. And he wasn't somebody with a lot of money who came in and bought the team. He earned his way up to have that team. So we understood everything about it. He was always down on the field," Bale explained.
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"He had that motto, you know, once a Raider, always a Raider. And he really stood by it. You know, the man said, 'All right, to get respect, you've got to be feared.' And I think he liked people to think about him that way. But the people who loved him and knew him very well said he didn't like to broadcast the fact that he had a really big heart and he genuinely took care of everybody who had been in his inner circle within the Raiders. No matter how many years they've been gone, he still took care of them.
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"And incredible things that he did. You know, he wouldn't allow the team to play in cities that segregated players. And then on top of that, you know, he had this great civil rights record. He was the first owner to hire an African-American coach in Art Shell, a Latino coach in Tom Flores, and a female executive director in Amy Trask. And they wanted to actually call that the Al Davis rule. And he said, no, no, I don't want that. Don't give me that credit. So he was a great contradiction, as all good characters are."
Recalled fondly for his perfectly coiffed hair, need for speed, and iconic "Just win, baby" catchphrase, Davis is a big reason why the NFL is the most popular sport in the United States and continues to grow each and every year globally. While only time will tell how he performs in Russell's picture, if his track record is of any indication, it's safe to assume Bale will do a bang-up job stealing every scene he's in.
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