Mickey Rourke (35 page)

“
S
HE FINALLY DID IT BUT WE COULDN’T RESUME THE SHOOT UNTIL IT STOPPED BLEEDING.
A
FTER A WHILE,
I
WAS LIKE ‘
I
T’S NOT BLEEDING.’
B
UT IT WASN’T UNTIL AN HOUR OR SO AFTER SHE LEFT HE WAS FINALLY EMOTIONALLY READY TO BE SHOT AGAIN.”

* * *

T
EDDY
A
NTOLIN, NOW ONE OF
LA
’S LEADING HAIR PROFESSIONALS, IS ONE OF MANY OLD FRIENDS WITH FOND AND AMUSING BUT OCCASIONALLY DISTURBING MEMORIES OF
M
ICKEY.
H
E RECALLS
M
ICKEY HAVING VERY DEFINITE IDEAS ABOUT HIS APPEARANCE. “
M
ICKEY WAS ALWAYS VERY OPINIONATED ABOUT THAT.
H
E TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN TO HAIRDRESSING SCHOOL.
H
E ALSO GOT KNOWLEDGE FROM HIS WIFE OF THE TIME,
D
EBRA, AND FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
H
E WOULD SOMETIMES BRING HIS OWN SCARVES AND SHOES TO USE IN THE PICTURES.

“
M
ICKEY CERTAINLY KNEW HOW TO WORK THAT HAIR OF HIS.
H
E WOULD ALWAYS COMB HIS OWN HAIR AND THEN
I
’D FINE-TUNE IT.
H
E WANTED IT TO LOOK LIKE IT WASN’T COMBED, LIKE HE’D DONE IT WITH HIS FINGERS, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD TAKEN FIFTEEN MINUTES TO GET TO THAT POINT.

“
T
HE ONLY ADVICE
I
GAVE HIM WITH MAKE-UP WAS ‘
K
EEP IT LIGHT’ – BUT HE NEVER WANTED TO.
H
E ALWAYS LIKED TO WEAR A LOT OF MAKEUP IN PHOTOS.
H
E TOOK CONTOURING TO AN EXTREME LEVEL AND REALLY LIKED DOING EYEBROWS, JAW LINES, CHEEKBONES, AND GIVING HIMSELF A LITTLE COLOR IN HIS CHEEKS.

“
I
KNOW HE DIDN’T WATCH HIS OWN FILMS BUT HE ALWAYS LOOKED AT THE
P
OLAROIDS TAKEN DURING HIS PHOTO SHOOTS, TO SEE HOW THINGS WERE PROGRESSING.

“
M
ICKEY WAS REALLY SEXY BACK THEN, WITH A GREAT SMILE.
H
E IS A STAR BECAUSE HE HAS THAT ‘
X
’ FACTOR, THAT DELICIOUSNESS.
B
UT HE WAS INSECURE.
I
DON’T THINK HE REALLY LIKED THE WAY HE LOOKED.
M
ICKEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ACNE, HE HAD SOME ACNE SCARS.
I
DETECTED A LOT OF INSECURITY IN HIM.
H
E NEVER PROJECTED IT BUT IT WAS JUST THERE.
I
CAN JUST TELL.
N
OBODY ELSE PICKED UP ON IT BUT ME.

“
I
THINK HE WANTED TO LOOK MORE
I
TALIAN – ANYTHING BUT
I
RISH!
H
E WANTED TO LOOK SMOLDERING.
I
THINK THAT’S WHY HE LOVED THE make-up so much and then he went into the plastic surgery. I know why he did that – he wanted cheekbones, he wanted a jaw line.

T
HE FIRST THING HE DID WAS THE CHEEK IMPLANTS.
I
WAS ON THE ROAD WITH
D
AVID
B
OWIE IN 1990 AND HIS RECORD COMPANY THREW A BIG PARTY FOR
D
AVID IN A
L
OS
A
NGELES RESTAURANT CALLED 72
M
ARKET
S
TREET.
T
ERRY
F
ARRELL,
M
ICKEY’S EX-GIRLFRIEND, CAME WITH ME TO THE PARTY AND IT WAS LOTS OF FUN.

“
I
WENT UP TO
M
ICKEY THERE AND
I
PINCHED HIS CHEEK, WHICH
I
ALWAYS DID TO SAY HELLO.
I
DIDN’T KNOW HE’D HAD THEM DONE UNTIL
I
WALKED AWAY AND
T
ERRY SAID, ‘
Y
OU PINCHED HIS IMPLANT – HE’S JUST HAD IMPLANTS!’
T
HAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF IT; FROM THEN ON
I
WOULD SEE HIM AROUND
H
OLLYWOOD AND THE LOOK GOT WORSE AND WORSE.”

I
T’S INTERESTING AT THIS POINT TO NOTE THAT
M
ICKEY’S EX-WIFE
D
EBRA
F
EUER PUBLICLY CLAIMED THAT
M
ICKEY GOT CHEEK IMPLANTS AROUND THIS PERIOD BUT SAID WHEN SHE CHALLENGED HIM ABOUT IT AT THE TIME HE TOLD HER HIS FACE WAS SWOLLEN BECAUSE HE’D HAD HIS MOLAR TEETH REMOVED.
H
E SAID THE SAME WHEN THERE WAS PRESS SPECULATION ABOUT WHY HIS FACE LOOKED DIFFERENT IN THE FILM
WILD ORCHID
.

T
EDDY
A
NTOLIN ALSO REMEMBERS
M
ICKEY’S BEHAVIOR AROUND THIS TIME.
H
E SAYS, “
A
LSO,
M
ICKEY WASN’T BEING SO LIKABLE TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD
I
WORKED WITH HIM, WHICH WAS AROUND 1982 TO 1991.
I
THINK HE TURNED INTO A BAD BOY.
T
HAT HAPPENS IN
H
OLLYWOOD.
A
FTER DOING THE MOVIES HE DID HE WAS LIKE A REBEL.
H
E WASN’T LIKE
P
ATRICK
S
WAYZE AND THOSE CLEAN-CUT GUYS OF THE 1980S.
I
THINK HE STARTED TO TAKE ON THE REBEL PERSONALITY OF THE CHARACTERS HE PLAYED IN THE MOVIES.
A
CTORS START BELIEVING THEIR OWN
PR
.
I
T HAPPENS.
H
E BECAME A CHARACTERIZATION OF HIMSELF.

“
I
T FIRST STARTED TO GET STRANGE WHEN WE DID A PHOTO SHOOT WITH
J
APANESE
COSMOPOLITAN
.
M
ICKEY WANTED TO ART DIRECT IT HIMSELF AND STARTED PUTTING HIS BIG FINGERS INTO THE MAKE-UP AND SMEARING IT ON THE MODEL THAT WAS IN THE SHOOT WITH HIM.
A
S THE
J
APANESE PEOPLE FROM THE MAGAZINE WATCHED,
M
ICKEY TURNED IT INTO THE DARKEST PHOTO SESSION EVER.
I
T WAS LIKE A PRECURSOR TO THAT MOVIE HE DID,
ANGEL HEART
.
H
E WAS POURING WATER ON THE MODEL’S HEAD, PULLING HER HAIR BACK, RIPPING HER BLOUSE – ALL THE
J
APANESE STOOD UP AND TURNED THEIR CHAIRS TO FACE THE WALL.
I
T WAS, LIKE, FREAKISH.

“
I
LEFT THINKING, ‘
W
HAT DID WE JUST WITNESS?’
I
T WAS SO WEIRD.
I
THOUGHT, ‘
W
HAT’S WRONG WITH YOU,
M
ICKEY?
Y
OU WERE SO CUTE AND SO SWEET.’
H
E’D BEEN SUCH A NICE GUY, WE WOULD HANG OUT AND HE EVEN GAVE ME THREE DESIGNER SUITS AND A HAT AS PRESENTS.

“
M
ICKEY GOT REALLY GROSS TOWARDS THE MID-1990S.
I
’D RUN INTO HIM IN PLACES AND HE’D REALLY SAY THE FOULEST THINGS.
H
E REALLY WASN’T WORKING THEN AT ALL.
H
E DIDN’T LOOK DISFIGURED YET, JUST DIFFERENT.
H
E WAS JUST NASTY TO PEOPLE.

“
I
SAW HIM IN THIS RESTAURANT ON
L
A
C
IENEGA
B
OULEVARD IN
LA
…EVERYONE WAS OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO, HE WAS SITTING BY THE DOOR WITH
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS AND HE WAS JUST BERATING HER IN PUBLIC AND HUMILIATING HER AND EVERYONE WAS LIKE ‘
J
EEZ, WHY DOESN’T HE JUST SHUT UP?’
I
T WENT ON AND ON.
I
DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE UNTIL THEY LEFT IN CASE HE TOOK A SWING AT ME.
W
E COULDN’T WAIT ANY LONGER SO WE LEFT REALLY QUICKLY BUT HE SAW ME AND SAID, ‘
W
HAT ABOUT YOU, YOU CUNT…AREN’T YOU GOING TO SAY HELLO TO ME, YOU LITTLE CUNT?’ AND
I
WENT, ‘
M
ICKEY, JUST COOL IT.’
I
T WAS LIKE HE JUST WANTED TO FIGHT.

“
W
HEN HE SWITCHED CAREERS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL BOXER, 
I
’M SURE BOXING WAS THERAPEUTIC FOR HIM.
I
JUST HOPE FOR
M
ICKEY THAT HE DOESN’T GO BACK TO HIS ARROGANT WAYS.
I
’M HAPPY THAT HIS ACTING CAREER IS GOING WELL AGAIN NOW BUT
I
DIDN’T THINK HE’D COME BACK LIKE THIS AND WIN ALL THOSE AWARDS.
THE WRESTLER
IS LIKE HIS STORY BUT IN THE CHARACTER OF A WRESTLER.
I
T’S HIM.
I
N THE FILM, WITH ALL THAT LONG BLOND HAIR, HE LOOKS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN
H
ULK
H
OGAN’S WIFE AND THE COWARDLY LION FROM
THE WIZARD OF OZ
.

“
A
S FOR HIS LOOK OFF SCREEN, HE’S NOW SORT OF GROWN INTO THAT FACE.
I
T DOESN’T LOOK AS BAD AS IT DID EIGHT YEARS AGO.
I
F WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE, THEY’D ONLY BE PLAYING THE
P
HANTOM OF THE
O
PERA.

“
H
E’S AN INTRIGUING PERSON TO LOOK AT.
B
UT HE NOW LOOKS A LITTLE MESSY TO ME.
I
THINK HE HAS EXTENSIONS AND HE’S PROBABLY STILL PUTTING HAIR PRODUCT IN IT.
T
HAT LOOK IS GREAT WHEN IT’S YOUR OWN HAIR.
M
ICKEY WOULD LOOK BETTER IF HIS HAIR WAS JUST SLICKED BACK, LIKE
V
ALENTINO.
Y
OU DON’T WANT TO SEE ALL THAT HAIR HANGING.
Y
OU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT FACE WITH HAIR OR NO HAIR.
B
UT SURROUNDING IT WITH A MUSTACHE IS A MISTAKE,
I
’D GET RID OF THAT.
I
T LOOKS
A
SIAN, OR LIKE THE BOXER
M
ANNY
P
ACQUIAO.
W
ITH MAKE-UP TO MAKE HIS FACE LOOK MOIST,
I
’D MAKE HIM AS DREAMY AS POSSIBLE.

“
I
THINK HE’S DRESSING WRONG, TOO.
T
HERE’S TOO MANY LITTLE BITS AND PIECES, LIKE THE SHINY JEWELRY AND THAT HORRIBLE CHAIN AROUND HIS WAIST.
H
E NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT CLEANER.
T
HAT LOOK WORKS ON AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD SKATEBOARDER BUT FOR HIM THERE’S TOO MUCH GOING ON.
I
WONDER HOW
M
ICKEY FEELS NOW WHEN HE SEES OLD PICTURES OF HIMSELF LIKE HE USED TO LOOK…”

J
OE
W
HEELER, WHO STILL WORKS AS THE DOORMAN OF
M
ICKEY’S OLD APARTMENT BUILDING, CHUCKLES, “
I
’LL NEVER FORGET THE TIME
M
ICKEY SET HIS APARTMENT ON FIRE!”
M
ICKEY LIVED IN
U
NIT 11 ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF
G
RANVILLE
T
OWERS IN
LA
FROM 1999 UNTIL 2003.
J
OE RECALLS, “
O
NE TIME,
M
ICKEY PUT A
TV
DINNER IN THE OVEN TO COOK, WENT IN THE LIVING ROOM AND FELL ASLEEP.

“
I
WAS WORKING THAT NIGHT, LOOKED OVER AND SAW ALL THIS SMOKE IN THE HALLWAY.
S
O ANOTHER DOORMAN AND
I
RUSHED OVER, SAW ALL THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM
M
ICKEY’S PLACE, KNOCKED LOUDLY ON HIS DOOR, GOT HIM WOKEN UP AND TOOK CARE OF IT.”

J
OE ADDS: “
T
HINGS WERE ALWAYS HAPPENING TO
M
ICKEY.
O
NE DAY WE HAD TO BANDAGE HIM UP AFTER HE GOT STABBED OUTSIDE.
H
E’D JUST GONE OUT FOR A COFFEE AND SOME GUY ATTACKED HIM ON THE STREET.
T
HE GUY ACTUALLY STABBED HIM AND SLICED
M
ICKEY’S ARM.
M
ICKEY GOT THE GUY OFF OF HIM BUT CAME HOME AND WAS BLEEDING.
W
E HAVE A FIRST AID KIT IN THE LOBBY AND DEALT WITH IT.
A
FTER THAT INCIDENT, WE’D JOKE WHENEVER HE WENT OUTSIDE, ‘
D
O YOU NEED COMPANY TODAY?’

“
H
E FELT COMFORTABLE AND SECURE IN HIS RESIDENCE BUT
I
DON’T THINK HE FELT AS COMFORTABLE OUT THERE IN THE WORLD, IT WAS JUST A FEELING
I
GOT FROM HIM.
H
E HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE AS FAR AS THE STREETS GO BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOKED AT
M
ICKEY AS THE BAD BOY.
P
EOPLE REMEMBERED HIS BOXING CAREER AND THOUGHT THEY COULD TAKE HIM.
T
HEY WOULD PUSH HIM AND TRY TO GOAD HIM INTO A FIGHT, LIKE THAT GUY WITH THE KNIFE.

“
B
UT
M
ICKEY WAS A QUIET GENTLEMAN WHO STAYED TO HIMSELF MOSTLY.
T
HE PEOPLE THAT KNEW HIM LIKED HIM.
O
THERS THAT DIDN’T WERE EITHER SCARED OF HIM OR WANTED TO CHALLENGE HIM TO SOMETHING.

“
M
Y EXPERIENCE WITH HIM WAS NOTHING BUT PLEASURABLE.
H
E was never rude or nasty to me and I never heard any complaints about him. None of the other doormen had anything bad to say about the man.

“
H
E WAS DOWN-TO-EARTH.
G
RANTED, HE HAD LIMOUSINES PICKING HIM UP HERE AND TAKING HIM DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT HE WASN’T EVER LIKE ‘
H
EY,
I
’M
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE!’
O
NCE HE GOT TO KNOW YOU,
M
ICKEY WAS VERY MAGNIFICENT.
I
N FACT, HE ONCE TRIED TO GET ME A JOB WORKING AS HIS DRIVER.
I
T DIDN’T COME TOGETHER BUT
I
WAS GRATEFUL TO HIM.

“
H
E WAS ONE OF MANY BIG NAMES WE’VE HAD AT THE
G
RANVILLE.
T
HIS BUILDING GOES BACK TO THE 1930S AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH
H
OLLYWOOD PEOPLE.
E
VERYONE FROM
G
RETA
G
ARBO TO
P
ARIS
H
ILTON HAS PAID A VISIT AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
B
RENDAN
F
RASER FROM
THE MUMMY
MOVIES LIVED IN THAT SAME TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT AS
M
ICKEY.
H
E MOVED OUT OF IT AND
M
ICKEY MOVED IN – WITH HIS DOGS.