Oscar nominee Christian Bale is well known for transforming his body - gaining 40 pounds for "American Hustle" and losing 63 pounds for "The Machinist" - for his award-winning roles.

"The Dark Knight Rises" star's latest transformation, however, is for a completely altruistic cause, to send a message of support to a terminally ill, 21-year-old Pennsylvania man.

The actor, who is in the middle of a busy awards season, nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at next month's Oscars for "American Hustle," painted his face with the word's "Dan's Our Man," a photo of which was posted on Daniel Hammond's Facebook page.

Hammond has been battling cancer since he was 9 and has spent the last 64 days at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, according to the family's CaringBridge journal.

Bale, who portrayed Batman in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," found out about Hammond through the patient's cousin, who works with him in the film industry.

RELATED: 'We're Done': Christopher Nolan Says Ending 'Batman' Trilogy Was 'Emotional'

"Dan a personal message I am suppose to pass onto you from a colleague: Batman says , "To a real superhero!"," reads the message on Hammond's Facebook page, posted by his cousin, identified on the site as Jr Hawbaker.

Hammond's mother, Jody, wrote on his CaringBridge page last Friday, the same day the photo of Bale was posted, that the family was enjoying seeing all the "Dan's Our Man" signs from family and friends - and, now, Oscar nominees.

"We are all enjoying both the jokes for Danny Facebook Page as well as the Dan is our Man Facebook Page. Each make us laugh!" she wrote.

The message to Hammond is not the first time that Bale has used his "Batman" role for good in real-life.

In January, the 40-year-old actor had a nine-minute phone conversation with an 8-year-old Batman fan who is battling leukemia.

"Thanks for carrying the torch and keeping on playing Batman, Okay?" Bale told the boy, Zach Guillot.

In July 2012, Bale spent nearly three hours with the victims of the Aurora, Colo., movie theater massacre that occurred at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," allegedly by a man who fashioned himself as Batman's comic book arch-enemy, the Joker.