Mickey Rourke (15 page)

B
UT
M
ICKEY SHRUGGED IT ALL OFF AND GOT ON WITH ASSEMBLING HIS CROSS-DRESSING CONVICT LOOK, CUTTING THE SLEEVES OFF AN OLD BLUE COWBOY-STYLE SHIRT AND TYING IT UP AT THE WAIST, ADDING SOME HIP-HUGGING JEANS AND POWDER-BLUE SHOES WITH SPIKED HEELS AND FUR ON THE FRONT.
H
E COMPLETED THE ENSEMBLE BY HAVING A BELLY RING PUT IN – A PIERCING THAT HURT LIKE HELL.
T
HEN, TO GET INTO CHARACTER, HE FLEW ON THE PLANE FROM
LA
TO
V
ANCOUVER WEARING HIS FULL OUTFIT AND MAKE-UP FOR THE FILM.

T
HE MOVIE, ADAPTED FROM HIS BOOK BY ONE OF
S
TEVE
B
USCEMI’S
RESERVOIR DOGS
CO-STARS, EX-CON
E
DWARD
B
UNKER, SEES
E
DWARD
F
URLONG PLAYING A FIRST-TIME OFFENDER THROWN INTO A PRISON WITH A BUNCH OF FREAKS AND TOUGH GUYS INCLUDING CHARACTERS PLAYED BY PREVIOUS
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE CO-STARS
W
ILLEM
D
AFOE AND
D
ANNY
T
REJO.
M
ICKEY’S BEST MOMENT IN THE FILM IS A MEMORABLE MONOLOGUE – WHICH HE WROTE HIMSELF – WHERE
J
AN TALKS ABOUT WANTING TO become a butterfly and flying beyond the prison bars, then all the way to Paris. The lines were inspired by Mickey reasoning that institutionalized characters like Jan would try to cope with their situation by living in their heads and indulging in just such delusional fantasies.

M
ICKEY WAS REWARDED FOR HIS EFFORTS WITH SOME TERRIFIC REVIEWS BUT THERE WERE TO BE NO LARGE AUDIENCES FOR THE GRIM PICTURE ABOUT PRISON LIFE.
W
ITH HIS CAREER IN TROUBLE,
M
ICKEY WAS REALLY LOW ON CASH AND ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A ROLE IN A BIG-BUDGET MOVIE WHICH COULD GET HIM BACK ON TRACK.
A
T THAT POINT A GUARDIAN ANGEL WALKED ACROSS HIS PATH, IN THE RATHER UNLIKELY FORM OF
S
YLVESTER
S
TALLONE.

T
HE
R
OCKY AND
R
AMBO SUPERSTAR WAS DINING IN AN
I
TALIAN RESTAURANT, SAW
M
ICKEY EATING ALONE AT A NEARBY TABLE, FREE OF THE USUAL ENTOURAGE THAT HAD SURROUNDED HIM THE PAST, AND WENT OVER TO OFFER HIM A JOB IN HIS NEXT MOVIE,
GET CARTER
(2000).
S
TALLONE TOLD HIM, “
L
ISTEN,
I
’M DOING THIS MOVIE AND
I
NEED SOMEBODY IN IT WHO LOOKS LIKE THEY CAN KICK MY ASS.
Y
OU LOOK LIKE YOU CAN KICK MY ASS.”

M
ICKEY, WHO COULD BARELY AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE BOWL OF SPAGHETTI HE WAS EATING, EAGERLY ACCEPTED THE JOB AS VILLAINOUS CLUB OWNER
C
YRUS
P
AICE IN
S
LY’S REMAKE OF THE CLASSIC 1971
M
ICHAEL
C
AINE CRIME FILM.
B
UT WHEN THE CONTRACT CAME THROUGH, THE MONEY ON OFFER WAS SO STARTLINGLY LOW THAT
M
ICKEY FOUND IT DISRESPECTFUL AND TURNED THE JOB DOWN, BUT THANKED
S
TALLONE ANYWAY FOR THE OFFER.
T
HAT
M
ICKEY DID END UP IN THE FILM WAS ALL DOWN TO
S
TALLONE’S GENEROSITY.
W
HEN THE PRODUCER COULDN’T OR WOULDN’T PAY
M
ICKEY WHAT HE FELT HE WAS WORTH,
S
LY DOUBLED
M
ICKEY’S SALARY BY CHIPPING IN THE EXTRA MONEY OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET.

B
UT WHILE THE MONEY WAS RIGHT IN THE END, THE FILM WASN’T.
F
ROM
S
TALLONE’S STRANGE GOATEE BEARD TO THE JERKY CAMERA MOVEMENTS AND UNDERWHELMING SCRIPT, THERE WAS SOMETHING NOT QUITE RIGHT ABOUT IT.
S
TALLONE PLAYS MOB ENFORCER
J
ACK
C
ARTER WHO SETS OUT TO FIND AND KILL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS BROTHER’S MURDER.
B
UT IT’S JUST NOT A PATCH ON THE ROUGH, TOUGH ORIGINAL, AND
M
ICHAEL
C
AINE’S APPEARANCE IN A CAMEO REMINDED VIEWERS OF THAT FACT.
S
TILL, THE
GET CARTER
REMAKE WAS A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN
M
ICKEY’S NEXT MOVIE.

H
OPEFULLY,
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE’S FORTUNES WILL NEVER AGAIN SINK SO LOW THAT HE HAS TO TAKE A ROLE IN ANOTHER CRUMMY KILLER INSECT MOVIE LIKE
THEY CRAWL
(2001).
H
E APPEARS IN ONE SCENE AS WEIRDO
T
INY
F
RAKES, TRYING TO MISLEAD A POLICE DETECTIVE THAT HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT A SERIES OF MURDERS CAUSED BY A RAMPAGING POSSE OF GENETICALLY MUTATED COCKROACHES.
T
HE MOVIE IS SO BAD ON EVERY LEVEL THAT IT LEAVES YOU WONDERING HOW FILMS LIKE THIS EVEN GET MADE.

M
ICKEY’S TITANIC CAREER WAS SINKING FAST NOW.
B
UT THEN
S
EAN
P
ENN THREW HIM A LIFELINE.
P
ENN WAS DIRECTING THE HAUNTING, INTENSE DRAMA
THE PLEDGE
(2001), STARRING
J
ACK
N
ICHOLSON AS A VETERAN DETECTIVE TRYING TO SOLVE THE MURDER OF A LITTLE GIRL, AND HIRED SOME OF THE BEST ACTORS AROUND FOR CAMEO APPEARANCES, INCLUDING
B
ENICIO
D
EL
T
ORO,
H
ELEN
M
IRREN,
V
ANESSA
R
EDGRAVE… AND
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE.
S
EAN AND
M
ICKEY HAD BEEN GREAT FRIENDS DURING THEIR EARLY DAYS IN
H
OLLYWOOD BUT THEN HAD A FALLING OUT AND HADN’T SPOKEN IN OVER TEN YEARS.
P
ENN BROKE THE SILENCE, CALLED
M
ICKEY, ASKED HIM IF HE WAS SHORT OF CASH, AND WHEN HIS OLD FRIEND SAID HE WAS, HE ASKED
R
OURKE TO COME AND WORK FOR him on his new film. Mickey’s role was that of James Olstad, the grieving and tormented father of another murdered child who now goes through the motions working as a janitor in a rest home. In his one scene, acting opposite Jack Nicholson, Mickey reminded Hollywood just what a powerful actor he was, getting every ounce of emotion out of his tale of loss.

M
ICKEY WAS THRILLED TO BE BACK ACTING ALONGSIDE A REAL TALENT LIKE
J
ACK
N
ICHOLSON, WHOM HE THOUGHT WAS VERY GENEROUS AND GIVING IN THE SCENE BY TAKING A BACK SEAT AND ALLOWING HIM TO SHINE.
H
E WORKED FOR THREE MONTHS PREPARING FOR THAT ONE DAY’S WORK – AND IT’S AN ACTING MASTER CLASS.
T
HE FILM DOESN’T FOLLOW THE CONVENTIONS OF MOST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS BUT IS A THOUGHT PROVOKING AND WELL MADE PIECE OF WORK.

I
T WAS BACK TO LOWER-QUALITY STUFF FOR
M
ICKEY’S NEXT MOVIE,
PICTURE CLAIRE
(2001), A “WRONG TIME, WRONG PLACE” THRILLER STARRING
J
ULIETTE
L
EWIS AS A WOMAN WHO IS MISTAKEN FOR A KILLER AND ENDS UP FLEEING BOTH THE POLICE AND SOME VENGEFUL DRUG DEALERS.
G
INA
G
ERSHON CO-STARS AS THE REAL MURDERER AND
M
ICKEY IS THIRD IN THE CREDITS, BUT DOESN’T HANG AROUND LONG, AS HER VICTIM,
E
DDIE, A TOOTHPICK-CHEWING, LEATHER-JACKET-WEARING, FOUL-MOUTHED CRIMINAL.
H
IS ONLY SCENE IS SET IN A DONUT SHOP WHERE
J
ULIETTE
L
EWIS, AS
C
LAIRE, ASKS HIM FOR DIRECTIONS.
E
DDIE DOESN’T WANT TO BE BOTHERED, SPILLS COFFEE OVER HER, TELLS HER TO FUCK OFF, AND CALLS HER A CUNT.
W
HILE SHE IS IN THE BATHROOM WIPING COFFEE OFF HER CLOTHES,
E
DDIE’S LUSTY GIRLFRIEND,
L
ILY, PLAYED BY
G
INA
G
ERSHON, COMES INTO THE NOW EMPTY DONUT SHOP, STRADDLES HER LOVER, AND THEN STRANGLES HIM WITH SOME WIRE BEFORE RUSHING OUT.
T
HE ELDERLY STORE OWNER WRONGLY IDENTIFIES
J
ULIETTE’S CHARACTER AS THE KILLER AND, CONFUSED, SHE GOES ON THE RUN.

I
T’S ALL FAIRLY ROUTINE AFTER THAT WITH THE ONLY OTHER MOMENT IN THE MOVIE TO WATCH OUT FOR BEING
T
ORI
S
PELLING’S FUTURE HUSBAND
D
EAN
M
C
D
ERMOTT PLAYING “ATTENDANT AT STATION” – VERY BADLY.

T
HERE WAS ONE AMUSING MOMENT DURING FILMING IN
T
ORONTO, ALTHOUGH THE MOVIE MAKERS WEREN’T LAUGHING.
T
HEY CALLED FOR SILENCE WHILE SHOOTING A STREET SCENE ONLY FOR A WOMAN TO KEEP BLOWING A WHISTLE, THEREBY RUINING THE TAKES.
T
HE PHANTOM WHISTLER WAS EVENTUALLY ARRESTED FOR CAUSING A DISTURBANCE AND TAKEN AWAY BY THE COPS.
B
UT VIEWERS CAN PRETTY MUCH BLOW THE WHISTLE ON THIS MOVIE ONCE
M
ICKEY’S MEMORABLE SCENE IS OVER.

M
ICKEY HAD WORKED HARD TO BANISH HIS OLD HELL RAISER REPUTATION AND FELT THAT HIS PROFESSIONALISM IN RECENT MOVIES LIKE
THE PLEDGE
AND
GET CARTER
COULD HELP HIM LAND THE JUICY ROLES HE WANTED IN PRESTIGE PROJECTS.
B
UT HE CLEARLY HADN’T DONE ENOUGH TO IMPRESS SOME PEOPLE, FOR
M
ICKEY LOST OUT AT THIS TIME ON A LEAD ROLE IN THE LONG-IN-DEVELOPMENT EROTIC THRILLER
IN THE CUT
(2003) BECAUSE
N
ICOLE
K
IDMAN, MAKING HER PRODUCING DEBUT ON THE FILM AND GIVEN FINAL APPROVAL ON ALL CASTING DECISIONS, DIDN’T WANT HIM IN THE MOVIE.
M
ICKEY WAS FRUSTRATED, ESPECIALLY AS
K
IDMAN HAD DISCOUNTED HIM WITHOUT EVER MEETING HIM.

M
ICKEY NEEDED SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND HELP HIM TOWARDS THE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES HIS TALENT DESERVED.
E
NTER HIS NEW AGENT –
D
AVID
U
NGER.
M
ICKEY DIDN’T MUCH LIKE THE SCRIPT OF THE DRUG MOVIE
SPUN
(2002) AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
E
RIC
R
OBERTS, HAD LITTLE INTEREST IN THE CAST, BUT HE MADE THE MOVIE ANYWAY BECAUSE HIS NEW AGENT TOLD HIM TO DO SO.

M
ICKEY HAD PUT HIS CAREER IN THE HANDS OF THE YOUNG MAN WHO WANTED TO CHART A NEW COURSE FOR HIS CLIENT, HANDPICKING SUPPORTING ROLES FOR
M
ICKEY IN FILMS BY UP-AND-COMING DIRECTORS THAT
U
NGER SAID WOULD LEAD HIM BACK TO THE BIG TIME.
SPUN
WAS ONE OF THESE PROJECTS, AND WAS DIRECTED BY
J
ONAS
Å
KERLUND, WHO HAD SHOWN A PROMISING VISUAL STYLE AS DIRECTOR OF EYE-CATCHING POP VIDEOS LIKE
M
ADONNA’S “
R
AY OF
L
IGHT” AND
U
2’S “
B
EAUTIFUL
D
AY.”

D
AVID
U
NGER FIRST MET
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE, AND A FEW OF HIS DOGS, IN A COFFEE SHOP, AND TREATED HIM WITH GREAT RESPECT.
U
NGER ADMITTED HE WAS A YOUNG AGENT WITH A LOT TO PROVE, SAID HE BELIEVED IN
M
ICKEY, AND ASKED
M
ICKEY TO HAVE THE SAME BELIEF IN HIM.
S
OME OF HIS COLLEAGUES AT
ICM
MAY HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL, BUT
U
NGER WAS CONFIDENT HE COULD BRING ABOUT A COMEBACK FOR HIS NEW CLIENT.
U
NGER’S GRANDFATHER WAS A MOVIE PRODUCER, AND THE YOUNG AGENT WAS STEEPED IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS, HAVING BEEN BROUGHT UP ON FILMS LIKE
RUMBLE FISH
,
DINER,
AND
9½ WEEKS
.
H
E KNEW IF HE TARGETED DIRECTORS OF HIS THIRTY-SOMETHING GENERATION, THEY WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY.

S
O HE LINED UP MEETINGS WITH THOSE DIRECTORS.
M
ICKEY WOULD MEET THEM, APOLOGIZE FOR HIS PAST DEEDS, AND SAY HE WAS READY TO BE RELIABLE AND BECOME A MOVIE STAR AGAIN.
A
LL THESE “GETTING TO KNOW YOU” MEETINGS WERE OF THE KIND ANY PROMISING YOUNG ACTOR TRYING TO MAKE HIS WAY IN
H
OLLYWOOD GOES THROUGH, BUT
M
ICKEY WAS DOING THEM AS HE APPROACHED MIDDLE AGE.

T
HE OTHER THINGS THE NEW AGENT ASKED HIM TO DO TO MAKE HIMSELF MORE APPEALING TO MOVIEMAKERS AND CASTING AGENTS WAS TO STOP LIFTING WEIGHTS – SO HIS NECK WOULDN’T LOOK SO THICK AND HIS BODY SO PUMPED UP– AND STOP WEARING TANK-TOPS AND WORKOUT CLOTHES EVERYWHERE, AND GET HIS HAIR CUT.

D
AVID AND
M
ICKEY HIT IT OFF AND BECAME A GOOD TEAM AND TRUSTING FRIENDS.
W
HEN
D
AVID’S PARENTS’ DOG DIED,
M
ICKEY GOT THEM ANOTHER ONE – AND THEY CALLED IT
M
ICKEY.

I
T WOULD TAKE A WHILE BUT
U
NGER’S CAREER STRATEGY WOULD EVENTUALLY PAY OFF AND LEAD
M
ICKEY FROM OBSCURITY TO THE AWARDS CIRCUIT.
T
O SAY THANK YOU,
M
ICKEY GAVE
D
AVID THE
G
OLDEN
G
LOBE AWARD HE WON FOR
THE WRESTLER
.

B
UT SUCH GLORY SEEMED A LONG WAY AWAY ON
SPUN
, IN WHICH
M
ICKEY PLAYED
T
HE
C
OOK, A MAKER OF THE DRUG CRYSTAL METH WHO HAS SET UP A METHAMPHETAMINE LAB IN A MOTEL ROOM AND SPENDS HIS DAYS WITH SPACED-OUT DRUGGIES.
SPUN
WAS BASED ON INCIDENTS FROM THE LIFE OF THE FILM’S CO-WRITER,
W
ILL
D
E
L
OS
S
ANTOS, WHO ONCE DROVE A METH COOK AROUND
E
UGENE,
O
REGON, FOR THREE DAYS.