"Heath and I Connected on a Deep Level," Says Bale

Christian Bale has said that he knew he and Heath Ledger "connected on a deep level" before they had even finished shooting their first scene together.

The Dark Knight co-stars had never worked together before they started shooting the new Batman movie.

But Bale told Britain's Mail On Sunday newspaper that they immediately shared an "incredibly intense" scene -- before collapsing into uncontrollable giggles!

"I knew Heath's work and I thought he was good," he told the paper. "But you can't really judge an actor until you work with them.

"Our first scene together was an interrogation between Batman and the Joker.

"We were put into this small room with all these two-way mirrors. It was just us. It was incredibly intense and everything we did we could see reflected in the mirrors.

"There was an unbelievable amount of energy and tension in the room, and then out of nowhere came this hysterical laughter.

"Both of us were laughing madly. Looking back on it, I think it was because we both had this feeling that we connected on a deep level.

"We had this very similar approach – completely intense – and there was something so extreme it just came out as laughter."

The American Psycho star dismissed the calls for the movie to be shelved out of respect for Heath, who died on January 22.

"I know there are a lot of people out there who don't think this movie should be shown," he said. 'But if you're asking my opinion, I think that's bloody insane. I also think it's an insult to Heath and everything he stood for."

The Dark Knight is released July 18.