Mickey Rourke (28 page)

M
ICKEY BEGGED
A
RONOFSKY NOT TO SHOOT THE SCENE OR AT LEAST GIVE THE CHARACTER A DIFFERENT LOW-PAID JOB, SUCH AS A DISHWASHER, WHERE HE WOULD NOT HAVE TO MIX WITH THE PUBLIC.
B
UT
D
ARREN KNEW IT WAS A KEY MOMENT IN THE MOVIE AND FELT THAT
M
ICKEY COULD USE HIS OWN PAIN TO MAKE IT A MESMERIZING ONE.

T
HE MOVIEMAKERS DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO CLOSE DOWN THE SUPERMARKET AND FILL IT WITH ACTORS, SO THE STORE STAYED OPEN THROUGHOUT THE FILMING AND REAL PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN COME UP TO THE MEAT COUNTER AND
M
ICKEY WOULD SERVE THEM WHILE THE CAMERAS KEPT RUNNING.
A
S SUCH, A LOT OF THE DELI SEQUENCES ARE IMPROVISED.
M
ICKEY ACTUALLY GOT INTO TROUBLE WITH THE SUPERMARKET MANAGER FOR WRITING THE WRONG PRICES DOWN ON THE MEAT CONTAINERS MANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WERE TAKING TO THE REGISTER.

A
PART FROM GENUINE CUSTOMERS, MOST OF THE PERFORMERS IN THE DELI SCENE WERE
A
RONOFSKY’S FRIENDS OR RELATIVES.
T
HE IRRITATING WOMAN WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT THE PORTION SIZE IS
D
ARREN’S MOTHER.
B
UT THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER INTERESTING CASTING CHOICES IN THE FILM.
W
HEN
M
ICKEY WAS OUT WITH
A
RONOFSKY IN A CLUB ONE NIGHT, THEY SPOTTED, STANDING BY THE BAR, THE HE-MAN WHO WOULD PLAY THE STEROID-DEALING WRESTLER IN THE FILM.
P
OINTING AT THE HULKING STRANGER,
D
ARREN SAID THAT THAT WAS THE SORT OF GUY HE WANTED IN THE PART.
S
O
M
ICKEY ENCOURAGED HIM TO GO OVER AND OFFER THE MAN THE JOB.

S
COTT
S
IEGEL WAS THE MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME AND HE CERTAINLY MADE THE MOST OF HIS OPPORTUNITY.
M
ICKEY CALLS HIM “THE ONE GUY WHO EVER STOLE A SCENE FROM ME.”

B
UT IT’S NO WONDER HE SEEMED SO AUTHENTIC IN THE PART.
F
OR IT LATER EMERGED THAT
S
COTT
S
IEGEL HAD SERVED FOUR YEARS IN PRISON FOR TRAFFICKING STEROIDS.
A
FEW MONTHS AFTER THE RELEASE OF
THE WRESTLER
, HE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH THE SAME OFFENCE.
A
CCORDING TO COURT PAPERS, OFFICERS FOUND 1,450 BOTTLES OF STEROIDS IN HIS HOME, ALONG WITH $70,000 IN CASH, AND LEDGERS DETAILING HIS STEROID DEALING.
S
IEGEL ATTEMPTED TO FLEE AFTER COPS CLOSED IN ON HIM, DRIVING HIS
C
ADILLAC
E
SCALADE THROUGH A FENCE AND SMASHING INTO FIVE POLICE CARS WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE SCENE.
H
IS ATTORNEY,
B
ARRY
L
EVIN, WOULD LATER DESCRIBE IT AS A “ROAD RAGE” INCIDENT.
O
N 12
A
PRIL 2010 THE MUSCLEMAN WAS GIVEN A SIXTY-THREE-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE BY
J
UDGE
K
ENNETH
K
ARAS – THE JUDGE WHO SENT SPRINTER
M
ARION
J
ONES TO JAIL IN 2008 - AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND TWO COUNTS OF ASSAULTING, IMPEDING, AND INTERFERING WITH OFFICERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.

S
OME REAL WRESTLERS WERE USED IN THE FILM, BUT THEY WERE MID-LEVEL DRAWS LIKE
D
YLAN
S
UMMERS AS
N
ECRO
B
UTCHER AND
E
RNEST “
T
HE
C
AT”
M
ILLER, WHO PLAYED
R
AM’S FINAL OPPONENT,
T
HE
A
YATOLLAH, RATHER THAN MORE RECOGNIZABLE SUPERSTARS OF THE SPORT.
T
HE DIRECTOR FELT THAT USING
H
ULK
H
OGAN OR ANY OF THE OTHER BETTER-KNOWN WRESTLERS OF THE PAST WOULD HURT THE FICTION OF THE STORY AND PULL PEOPLE OUT OF THE MOVIE.

A
LTHOUGH
M
ICKEY DIDN’T REALLY GET ANY STAPLES IN HIS BODY IN THE HARD-TO-WATCH FIGHT SCENE WITH
N
ECRO
B
UTCHER,
S
UMMERS CERTAINLY DID.
H
E WAS SO PUMPED UP FOR THE MOVIE THAT HE FIRED THE STAPLE GUN INTO HIS FOREHEAD FIVE TIMES JUST IN REHEARSALS.

T
HE
A
YATOLLAH WAS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER BUT THE FACT THAT HE WAS PORTRAYED AS EVIL, WORE A SKIMPY LEOTARD IN
I
RAN’S NATIONAL COLORS, AND WAS PLAYED BY AN
A
FRICAN-
A
MERICAN ACTOR RATHER THAN AN
I
RANIAN ONE, AS A NOD TO THE SHAM-LIKE NATURE OF THE SPORT, DID NOT GO DOWN WELL WITH THE
I
RANIAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH CONDEMNED THE MOVIE.

W
HEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
US
FILM INDUSTRY, INCLUDING ACTRESS
A
NNETTE
B
ENING AND
A
CADEMY
P
RESIDENT
S
ID
G
ANIS, VISITED
T
EHRAN IN
M
ARCH 2009, THEY DIDN’T EXACTLY GET A WARM WELCOME.
P
RESIDENT
M
AHMOUD
A
HMADINEJAD’S ART AND CINEMA ADVISER
J
AVAD
S
HAMAQDARI COMPLAINED ABOUT VARIOUS “INSULTS AND SLANDERS” AGAINST
I
RAN IN RECENT
H
OLLYWOOD MOVIES, INCLUDING
THE WRESTLER
, IN WHICH
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE’S CHARACTER SMASHES A POLE CARRYING
I
RAN’S NATIONAL FLAG ACROSS HIS KNEE.

B
UT EVERYONE OUTSIDE
I
RAN SEEMED TO LIKE THE FILM AND, ALONG WITH GREAT REVIEWS FOR
M
ICKEY, THERE WAS PLENTIFUL PRAISE AS WELL FOR HIS TWO LEADING LADIES.
E
VAN
R
ACHEL
W
OOD, ONE OF
H
OLLYWOOD’S FASTEST RISING YOUNG TALENTS, PLAYED
T
HE
R
AM’S ESTRANGED DAUGHTER,
S
TEPHANIE.
B
ECAUSE HER CHARACTER AND
M
ICKEY’S WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN APART FOR SO LONG,
A
RONOFSKY DECIDED THAT THEY SHOULDN’T REHEARSE TOGETHER OR EVEN SPEAK TO EACH OTHER BEFORE FILMING THE FIRST SCENE THEY SHOT TOGETHER.
T
HE ACTORS FELT HIS ARTISTIC CHOICE WORKED IN THE FILM’S FAVOR BY MAKING THAT FIRST ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THEIR CHARACTERS TWICE AS EMOTIONAL.

B
Y FAR THE MOST EMOTIONAL SCENE OF THE MOVIE COMES WHEN
T
HE
R
AM IS POURING HIS HEART OUT TO HIS DAUGHTER, TELLING HER, “
I
’M JUST A BROKEN DOWN PIECE OF MEAT.”
U
SING ALL THE ACTING GIFTS THAT HAVE SERVED HIM SO WELL SINCE THE
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO DAYS,
M
ICKEY ISOLATED HIMSELF FOR A WHILE TO PREPARE FOR THE SCENE AND WHEN HE felt he had reached the right emotional level, walked on the set and performed that scene to perfection. But the director wanted him to keep doing it again and again. He recalls: “I nailed it on the first two takes. Darren wanted to do more. But I’d shot my load, it was all over the room, I was spent, I’d got my shit in the can.

“
W
E DID MORE TAKES AND
E
VAN KEPT GETTING BETTER IN THE SCENE,
I
KEPT GETTING WORSE.
T
HEN
D
ARREN SAID THIS WORD
I
HATE – ‘
D
UDE…’ HE SAID, ‘
D
UDE, SHE’S BLOWING YOU AWAY AND YOU SUCK.’

“
I
SAID, ‘
A
S FAR AS
I
’M CONCERNED, YOU GOT WHAT YOU REQUESTED.’
H
E SAID, ‘
Y
OU’VE GOT TO KEEP GIVING IT TO ME.’
I
KEPT TRYING TO BRING IT FOR HIM AND FOR
E
VAN.
I
T’S RARE YOU MEET SOMEONE LIKE
E
VAN
R
ACHEL
W
OOD.
S
HE’S SO FOCUSED AND NATURAL.
S
HE WOULD GO OFF, SMOKE TWENTY CIGARETTES, COME BACK AND DO A GREAT TAKE.
W
E WERE WORKING TOGETHER, YOU DON’T GET THAT THAT OFTEN.
I
’VE GOT NOTHING BUT UTMOST RESPECT FOR HER.”

T
HAT RESPECT ONLY INCREASED AFTER A SCENE WHERE
E
VAN ENDED UP BLEEDING FOR HER ART, JUST AS
M
ICKEY HAD DONE.
I
N THEIR BIG CONFRONTATION SCENE WHERE
E
VAN THROWS MAGAZINES AND A LAMP AT HER SCREEN FATHER, SHE ALSO PICKED UP A SOFT DRINK CAN TO THROW AT HIM BUT CUT HER FINGER ON IT, AND THE BLOOD POURED OUT.
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACTRESS, AND ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE LIMITED SHOOTING TIME THEY HAD LEFT AT THE LOCATION.
H
E SAID THEY COULD EITHER CALL AN AMBULANCE RIGHT THEN OR USE SUPERGLUE TO PATCH UP THE WOUND AND CONTINUE SHOOTING.
E
VAN LOOKED OVER AT
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE, WHO WAS BEATEN UP FROM THE TOLL OF FILMING THE PHYSICALLY DEMANDING MOVIE, AND SAID, “
I
GUESS WE’LL SUPERGLUE MY FINGERS!”

H
ER CHARACTER’S ISSUES WITH HER FATHER STRUCK CLOSE TO HOME FOR
W
OOD, WHO DIDN’T HAVE MUCH OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER REAL-LIFE FATHER.
S
HE WOULD GET TOGETHER WITH HIM GENERALLY ONCE A YEAR AND THOSE WERE ALWAYS FRUSTRATING OCCASIONS WHERE FINDING COMMON GROUND AND COMMUNICATION WAS DIFFICULT.
B
UT
E
VAN WAS SO MOVED BY THE STORYLINE OF
THE WRESTLER
THAT IT CAUSED HER TO WORK HARD AT RECONCILING WITH HER OWN DAD.
S
HE HOPES THE FILM INSPIRES OTHERS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS TO REBUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR OWN FATHERS.

M
ICKEY DIDN’T BECOME A FATHER FIGURE TO HER – OR A BOYFRIEND, DESPITE SOME WILD RUMORS – BUT MORE OF A CHEEKY FRIEND.
F
OR HER TWENTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY, WHICH HE HELPED HER CELEBRATE AT THE
T
ORONTO
I
NTERNATIONAL
F
ILM
F
ESTIVAL, HE GOT HER A CAKE WITH A PAIR OF HANDCUFFS IN IT.
E
VAN REMEMBERS WAKING UP THE NEXT MORNING HANDCUFFED TO A CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE, BUT WITH NO CLEAR RECOLLECTION OF HOW THAT HAPPENED.
B
UT WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT HER PERFORMANCE PLAYED A BIG PART IN
THE WRESTLER
’S SUCCESS AND
M
ICKEY HAS CONTINUED TO SING HER PRAISES.

M
ICKEY’S OTHER FEMALE CO-STAR,
M
ARISA
T
OMEI, ALSO WON RESPECT FROM
M
ICKEY, FROM CRITICS, AND AWARD VOTERS, TOO, LANDING
BAFTA
AND
O
SCAR
B
EST
S
UPPORTING
A
CTRESS NOMINATIONS FOR HER ROLE AS
C
ASSIDY, THE STRIPPER WHO CAPTURES
T
HE
R
AM’S HEART.
C
ASSIDY WAS WRITTEN AS A MIRROR IMAGE OF
R
ANDY: SHE WAS ALSO AT THE END OF HER SHELF-LIFE, GETTING OLDER, AND EARNING HER LIVELIHOOD ON STAGE WITH A MASK OF A PUBLIC PERSONA.

M
ICKEY HAD TO GET IN SHAPE AND LEARN THE RIGHT MOVES FOR HIS ROLE AS A WRESTLER.
S
IMILARLY, PLAYING A STRIPPER ALSO HAS ITS ROUTINES AND REQUIREMENTS.
S
O, AS WELL AS EXERCISING AND GIVING UP BREAD PRIOR TO FILMING,
M
ARISA WORKED OUT FOR WEEKS WITH A HULA HOOP so she could swivel her hips and shimmy perfectly for the part. But she turned down Darren Aronofsky’s suggestion that she should perform in a real strip club in front of actual customers as preparation for the role.

H
ER REVEALING PERFORMANCE IN THE FILM WAS DONE IN FRONT OF HIRED EXTRAS AND THE CREW – BUT IT WAS SHOT IN A REAL STRIP CLUB,
C
HEEQUES, IN NORTHERN
N
EW
J
ERSEY.
I
N FACT, IT WAS SO REAL THAN
A
RONOFSKY – WHO, INCIDENTALLY, HAD ATTENDED THE SAME
B
ROOKLYN SCHOOL AS
M
ARISA,
E
DWARD
R
.
M
URROW
H
IGH – HAD TO HAVE THE CLUB CLEANED BEFORE HE AND HIS ACTORS COULD WORK IN IT.

J
UST AS HE PUSHED HIS OTHER ACTORS HARD TO DO BETTER AND BETTER TAKES EACH TIME,
A
RONOFSKY SHOWED THE SAME DETERMINATION WITH
T
OMEI, TOO.
T
HE PIVOTAL DANCE SEQUENCE WHERE SHE STRIPS, GYRATES, FLAUNTS, AND PRANCES AROUND THE POLE WAS ACTUALLY THE TWENTY-SIXTH TAKE THE DIRECTOR HAD DEMANDED FOR THAT SCENE.

M
ANY MOVIEGOERS WATCHING
THE WRESTLER
WONDERED HOW THE FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS WAS ABLE TO MAKE HERSELF SO UNINHIBITED, LOOSE, AND FREE IN STRIPPING SCENES THAT MUST HAVE BEEN NERVE WRACKING TO FILM.
T
HE SECRET COULD BE FOUND IN HER COFFEE MUG.
M
ARISA ASKED HER PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO KEEP BRINGING OVER HER COFFEE MUG BETWEEN TAKES.
B
UT THE ACTRESS DOESN’T DRINK COFFEE.
S
HE HAD TEQUILA IN THERE, AND AFTER A FEW SWIGS AND A FEW SWINGS AROUND THE POLE,
T
OMEI WAS ABLE TO LET LOOSE.

A
LONG WITH THE ACTORS, ANOTHER CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN THE FILM’S SUCCESS WOULD BE THE MUSIC.
I
N SUMMER 2008, A FEW MONTHS AFTER FINISHING HIS WORK ON
THE WRESTLER
,
M
ICKEY WAS DRIVING AROUND
M
IAMI WHEN HIS MOBILE PHONE RANG AND THE VOICE ON THE OTHER END SAID, “
H
EY, IT’S
B
RUCE.”