Steve Jobs: Michael Fassbender rang Christian Bale to tell him he would have been 'perfect' as the Apple founder

Bale reportedly quit the Danny Boyle biopic because he did not believe he was the right man for the role

Michael Fassbender's performance as the tech pioneer has been commended by critics (Universal Pictures/YouTube)

Michael Fassbender might be tipped to win an Oscar with his portrayal of Steve Jobs, but the actor has revealed that he thought Christian Bale would have been “perfect” for the role.

Fassbender, 38, stepped up to play the late Apple co-founder in Danny Boyle’s upcoming biopic after Bale quit in November.

“I thought to myself: Christian Bale is perfect, why isn’t he doing it?” he told The Hollywood Reporter while promoting the film in London. “I actually called him up and told him that myself.”

Fassbender came under criticism for not “looking anything like” Jobs but the movie is likely to excel at the box office after being met with glowing reviews from critics following its Telluride premiere.

“I think audiences accept things when you lay them out for them,” he said. “So you see at the beginning of the film that I don’t look anything like him, so you go ‘Okay, he doesn’t look anything like him, we can get over that now and watch the movie.

“Biopics can be very much about impersonation and that kind of overtakes the story at times.”

Bale reportedly left the film after deciding he was not right for the part despite “much deliberation and conflicting feelings”. Leonardo DiCaprio had also been in line to star as Jobs but moved on to shoot The Revenant instead.

Steve Jobs reaches UK cinemas on 13 November after its screening at the BFI London Film Festival on 18 October.

Don't worry, it won't be anything like 2013 flop Jobs, after Fassbender "studied Ashton Kutcher" to make sure his performance was better. Ouch.