In what's just the latest in a series of extremely kind and charitable acts, The Dark Knight Rises star Christian Bale took some time to chat on the phone with Zach Guillot, an 8-year-old Batman superfan who's undergoing intense treatment for leukemia. A sweet little boy whose love for the DC Comics superhero is so strong that his parents sometimes call him "The Bat," Zach spoke with Bale about his homemade Batmobile and how he dresses as Batman at every opportunity. For his part, Bale lamented that he was not permitted to keep his Batman gear and promised to relate the details of his conversation with Zach to his Dark Knight Rises co-stars Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy.

Unlike many celebrities, Christian Bale does not publicize these sorts of interactions with his fans. What we know about his acts of kindness come mainly from Hollywood rumor and from the fans themselves, who sometimes share their experiences. Last year Bale visited Aurora, Colorado to meet with victims who were attacked by a gunman during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, and it's known that he provided another young leukemia patient with a trip to Disneyland and a lunch at the park's truly exclusive Club 33. Quite heroic indeed.

NOTE: You'll have to turn your volume almost all the way up to hear Bale on the speakerphone.



Zach suffers from acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of the disease that I understand is relatively rare in children. He's undergone two bone marrow transplants but has relapsed. Zach's finished his latest round of chemotherapy and his family and doctors are preparing him for what they hope will be a third and more successful treatment. You can learn more about Zach and his progress and find information on bone marrow donations on Facebook.

[Via io9]