Taylor Ferber | December 1, 2014 2:00 pm

The ever-so-talented Exodus: Gods and Kings star Christian Bale is left over hush hush no more. The British babe covers Wall Road Journal Magazine‘s December/January Holiday issue, and opens up about fame, the paparazzi, and the infamous rant that made headlines in 2009.

For someone of his stature, the Academy Award winner has done a decent job keeping his private life private. In the WSJ issue, he speaks about stars, specifically George Clooney, who have voiced concern over celebrity privacy, but seem to be all talk, and no action. “It doesn’t matter that he discussion about it,” Bale said. “It’s like, come on, guys, just shut up. Just get on with it and live your lives and stop buzzing about it. I prefer not to drone about it.”

One public mishap that Bale beyond doubt regrets was his curse-filled rant on the set of Terminator Salvation in 2009. He publicly apologized, expressing his embarrassment, and now five years later is looking back on how the incident affected the film’s success: “Look, it didn’t work regardless. But if it was going to fail, I wanted it to fail on its own merits. [Laughs.] Not because people said what an asshole I am, you know?”

Aside from this PR disaster, there is more that has prevented the actor from opening up throughout his career. “Some people poke you like you’re an animal in a zoo, looking for a response. If you’re smart, you don’t give it to them. If you’re dumb, irregularly, like me, you give it to them,” he said. “And then they’ve basically got what they wanted. I usually regret it afterwards.” Read more when the issue hits newsstands December 6.

You may still be terrified of the actor after his well-known rant. But over the years, Bale has proven that he can also be a pretty stand-up guy. Possibly one of Hollywood’s nicest, even. Check out the gallery below for more.

[Photo Credit: WSJ Magazine]

Tags: George Clooney, Christian Bale, Exodus: Gods and Kings