Bale temper tantrum caught on tape

Christian Bale has reportedly been caught on tape ranting at a crew member on the set of Terminator: Salvation.

An audio recording obtained by TMZ allegedly features the actor screaming at director of photography Shane Hurlbut for interrupting a very intense scene.

"I want you off the set! You p***k!...No, don't just be sorry! Think for one f**king second! What the f**k are you doing? Are you professional or not?" the man said to be Bale shouts.

"Am I gonna f**king rip your lights down in the middle of the scene? Then why the f**k are you walking right through, ‘Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh,’ in the background...What the f**k is it with you? What the f**k don’t you understand?"

However, assistant director Bruce Franklin has insisted that the actor was a "consummate professional" and had just been having a bad day.

"This was my second movie with Christian and it has always been a good experience with him," he told E! News.

"[It] was the most emotional scene in the movie...and for him to get stopped in the middle of it... He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn't walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed."

The incident reportedly happened in July 2008.

Representatives for Bale and Hurlbut have declined to comment.