Christian Bale called a Los Angeles morning radio show Friday and apologized for his caught-on-tape tirade on the set of the new "Terminator" film.
"I have no confusion whatsoever, I was out of order beyond belief," Bale told the Kevin & Bean show. "I was way out of order. I acted like a punk. I regret that. And there is nobody that has heard that tape that is hit harder by it then me.
"I make no excuses for it, it is inexcusable. And I hope that that is absolutely clear," Bale said.
In July 2008, Bale reportedly lashed out verbally against a crew member on the set of “Terminator Salvation.”
On Feb. 2, a tape from the incident surfaced, featuring the actor screaming, shouting and using profanity at director of photography, Shane Hurlbut. In the tape, posted on TMZ, Bale was recorded as he ranted at Hurlbut, after the DP walked on to the set as the actor was filming a scene with co-star Bryce Dallas Howard.
"I'm not comfortable yet with this notion of being a movie star," Bale said Friday. "I'm an actor and I don't quite know how to handle the movie star thing. The thing that disturbs me so much is that I've heard a lot of people saying that I seem to think I'm better than anybody else.
Bale goes on to describe the events that transpired on the "Terminator" set by setting up some of the franchise's backstory and that of his character, John Connor.
"On the day that all of this happened, the scene that we were doing, I was trying to show a little of that in-the-blood craziness," Bale said. "You know what? It went very wrong."
Bale says he and Hurlbut resolved the issue completely that very day.
"I absolutely believe in Shane's capability, he's done a wonderful job on that movie. I've seen a rough cut of the movie, it looks fantastic."
Bale also used Friday's call to come to the defense of swimmer Michael Phelps, who has come under fire after a photo surfaced in a British tabloid showing the Olympian smoking a bong.
“Please, Michael Phelps, swim in the next Olympics,” Bale said. “This guy has a God given talent. So he’s smoked a bit of weed, plenty of our presidents have.”
Phelps has since apologized for acting “in a youthful and inappropriate way,” and Bale hopes the incident will not impede the swimmer’s career.
“Everybody makes mistakes. Bounce back from it,” Bale said. “Do not waste that Godlike talent. Swim in the next Olympics, please.”