Mickey Rourke (39 page)

T
HERE ARE NO COMEDIES AMONG HIS UPCOMING PICTURES.
I
N FACT, HE HASN’T FRONTED ANY COMEDY FILMS IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER, BECAUSE THAT’S SOMETHING HE’S HAD NO DESIRE TO TACKLE.
B
UT DRAMAS ARE A DIFFERENT MATTER AND, STRIKING WHILE THE IRON’S HOT, HE’S GOT THEM STACKED UP ONE AFTER ANOTHER.

S
O
M
ICKEY IS BUSIER THAN EVER, BACK IN THE BIG TIME, AND AIMING TO STAY THERE.
N
OW THAT HE’S FINALLY SHOWING SIGNS OF UNDERSTANDING HOW SHOW BUSINESS WORKS,
R
OURKE, TOGETHER WITH HIS AGENT, IS PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO KEEP HIS CAREER HOT AND BECOME A RESPECTED ELDER STATESMAN OF
H
OLLYWOOD.
T
HE IDEA IS THAT HE WILL CARRY ON HIS MUCH IMPROVED WORK ETHIC BY BEING CONSISTENT IN HIS PERFORMANCES AND PROFESSIONALISM, SELECT ONLY MOVIES WITH INTEGRITY, WORK ONLY WITH DIRECTORS HE RESPECTS AND CO-STARS HE LIKES, AND NOT SHOOT HIS MOUTH OFF SO MUCH.
I
F HE CAN ACHIEVE ALL THAT, THEN
M
ICKEY SHOULD REMAIN A MAJOR FIGURE IN MOVIES FOR A LONG TIME.

S
UCCESS LIKE THAT WOULD REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE CAREER TURNAROUNDS IN
T
INSELTOWN HISTORY.
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE LOOKS LIKE HE HAS GONE TWELVE ROUNDS WITH A HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION AND MAYBE SEVERAL MORE WITH A COSMETIC SURGEON…BUT HE’S STILL IN THERE PUNCHING.
T
RADITIONAL WISDOM WOULD SEEM TO BE AGAINST HIM FOLLOWING UP
THE WRESTLER
AND
IRON MAN 2
WITH MORE AWARDS AND HIT FILMS.
A
FTER ALL, THERE ARE FEW LEAD ROLES FOR ACTORS OVER FIFTY and Mickey threw away many chances at lasting stardom. But he’s also shown it’s always wrong to count him out.

I
N HIS FAVOR IS THE FACT THAT
M
ICKEY OCCUPIES A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE FILM BUSINESS AS JUST ABOUT THE ONLY STAR AROUND RIGHT NOW THAT CAN CONVINCINGLY PLAY THE VULNERABLE TOUGH GUY.
H
E HAS THE SAME TOUGH-ON-THE-OUTSIDE, TENDER-ON-THE-INSIDE QUALITY THAT CHARACTERIZED
H
OLLYWOOD LEGENDS
M
ARLON
B
RANDO,
C
LARK
G
ABLE, AND
H
UMPHREY
B
OGART.

A
FTER YEARS OF BEING A PUNCH LINE, PRAISE IS NOW COMING HIS WAY AND
M
ICKEY HAS MADE TIME IN HIS PACKED SCHEDULE TO ACCEPT THE ACCOLADES.
H
E MADE AN EMOTIONAL VISIT IN
J
UNE 2009 TO THE PLACE THAT HELPED MAKE HIM THE GREAT ACTOR HE IS TODAY – THE
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO.
H
E WENT BACK TO BE INTERVIEWED ABOUT HIS CAREER FOR AN EPISODE OF ACCLAIMED CABLE
TV
SERIES
INSIDE THE ACTORS’ STUDIO,
AND WAS TOUCHED BY THE WARM RECEPTION FROM CURRENT STUDENTS WHO HUNG ON HIS EVERY WORD.
H
E TOOK TIME AFTERWARDS TO SHAKE PLENTY OF HANDS AND TALK TO THE AUDIENCE, HUMBLY ACCEPTING CONGRATULATIONS ON HIS COMEBACK AND BEST WISHES FOR THE MANY MOVIES AHEAD OF HIM.

T
HAT SAME MONTH, HE WAS THE TOAST OF
S
PIKE
TV
’S
G
UY
A
WARDS WHERE HIS VICTORY AS
G
UY OF THE
Y
EAR WAS LOUDLY CELEBRATED BY A HOST OF FELLOW STARS INCLUDING
Q
UENTIN
T
ARANTINO,
B
RAD
P
ITT,
B
EN
S
TILLER,
H
ALLE
B
ERRY, AND
C
LINT
E
ASTWOOD.
S
ACHA
B
ARON
C
OHEN WAS THERE ALSO, APPEARING AS HIS CAMP CHARACTER
B
RUNO TO PAY AN AMUSING TRIBUTE BY CHEEKILY JOKING, “
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WAS SO SEXY IN
THE WRESTLER
AS A BROKEN-DOWN PIECE OF MEAT – WHICH IS, COINCIDENTALLY, WHAT
I
HAD IN MY HAND AT THE END OF THAT MOVIE.”

M
ICKEY NO LONGER LOOKED OUT OF PLACE IN SUCH
A
-LIST COMPANY. 
A
FTER YEARS OF STRUGGLE TO GET BACK TO THIS POINT, HE WAS A GENUINE MOVIE STAR ONCE AGAIN.
C
LEARLY, THE DAYS OF WAITING FOR THE PHONE TO RING WITH FILM OFFERS ARE LONG GONE.
T
HANKS TO BEHAVING HIMSELF, THANKS TO THERAPY, AND ESPECIALLY THANKS TO
THE WRESTLER
, HE HAS THE CHANCE TO WORK ON A STRING OF HUGELY PROMISING PROJECTS.

N
OW THAT HIS CAREER IS NO LONGER A TRAIN WRECK, THE TASK IS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS LONG-AWAITED OPPORTUNITY.
H
E IS DETERMINED NOT TO MESS IT UP.
M
ICKEY SAYS, “
I
WAS OUT OF THE GAME SO MANY YEARS AND DIDN’T REALIZE IT WOULD TAKE THIS LONG TO GET BACK.
B
UT THERE AIN’T NO QUIT IN ME AND
I
’M GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS CHANCE NOW.
I
APPRECIATE IT A LOT THAT PEOPLE TRUST ME AGAIN AFTER ME RAISING HELL FOR YEARS.
B
UT
I
KNOW THIS IS MY LAST CHANCE.
I
’M NOT GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE.
I
’LL ALWAYS HAVE THAT LITTLE MAN INSIDE ME WITH TWO AXES BUT
I
’VE GOT TO LEARN TO KEEP HIM THE FUCK QUIET.”

B
UT YOU CAN BANISH ANY THOUGHTS THAT THIS MORE SERIOUS AND MILD-MANNERED
M
ICKEY IS DISPENSING WITH HIS DANGEROUS AND ECCENTRIC SIDES.
A
LOOK AROUND THE CONTENTS OF HIS
N
EW
Y
ORK HOME WILL CONFIRM THAT.
M
ICKEY IS NOW BACK LIVING IN
G
REENWICH
V
ILLAGE, AND JOURNALIST
S
TEVE
G
ARBARINO VISITED THE STAR’S RENTED TOWNHOUSE AS PART OF AN EXCELLENT PROFILE OF THE ACTOR FOR
MAXIM
MAGAZINE.
H
E FOUND IT TO BE A PLACE OF FASCINATING CONTRASTS.
A
S WELL AS ORNATE CHANDELIERS, A MARBLE FIREPLACE, AND FANCY FURNITURE, THE HOME CONTAINS A LOADED HANDGUN, A STRIPPER’S POLE, AND A RUBBER DILDO SUCTION-CUPPED TO A WALL.
T
HERE’S ALSO A PUNCHING BAG, PORTRAITS OF
L
OKI,
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS, AND
R
ICHARD
H
ARRIS, AND PLENTY OF PRESCRIPTION PILLS.

M
ICKEY REGULARLY INVITES FRIENDS ROUND FOR
M
EXICAN NIGHTS WHERE THEY EAT TAKE-OUT TACOS AND BURRITOS WASHED DOWN WITH Corona beer. When he fancies something grander, celebrity-packed restaurant The Waverly Inn is just two streets away.

D
URING ALL THE YEARS HE LIVED IN
L
OS
A
NGELES,
M
ICKEY NEVER KNEW HIS NEIGHBORS, BUT NOW HE IS SEEMINGLY ON FIRST-NAME TERMS WITH EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
H
APPY IN HIS HOME LIFE AND CONTENT IN HIS CAREER, IT’S A TRIUMPHANT TURNAROUND IN FORTUNES FOR THE FILM STAR.

M
ANY MOVIE FANS HAD WATCHED IN DISMAY AS
M
ICKEY’S PROMISING CAREER IMPLODED, AND HIS RICHES TO RAGS STORY CAN BE SEEN AS A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR UP-AND-COMING ACTORS.
H
E DROPPED SO FAR AND SO FAST THAT HIS LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN A BLUES SONG.
B
UT THE WAY HE TURNED THINGS AROUND CAN ONLY BE ADMIRED.
H
IS POSSE PUSHED OFF AND HIS WIVES WALKED OUT BUT
M
ICKEY’S TALENT NEVER LEFT HIM.
T
HAT WAS CLEAR FROM HIS ACTING IN
THE WRESTLER
, A PIECE OF WORK THAT REVIVED MEMORIES OF OTHER SPELLBINDING PERFORMANCES FOR WHICH
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE DESERVES A PLACE AMONG THE ACTING GREATS.

H
E COULD GET ONE, TOO, IF AN ONGOING CAMPAIGN BY FANS TO GET
M
ICKEY HIS OWN STAR ON THE
H
OLLYWOOD
W
ALK OF
F
AME PROVES SUCCESSFUL.
T
HE
O
SCAR NOMINEE CERTAINLY SEEMS MORE DESERVING THAN SEVERAL OF THE ACTORS SELECTED FOR THAT PARTICULAR HONOR IN 2010, SUCH AS
J
ON
C
RYER,
S
AM
W
ATERSTON, AND
M
ARK
W
AHLBERG.
A
ND THOSE LOYAL
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE FANS ARE SUDDENLY EVERYWHERE NOW – FROM
F
ACEBOOK TO
M
Y
S
PACE – AND SPREADING THE WORD ON LOVINGLY MAINTAINED WEBSITES LIKE
U
NIQUELY
R
OURKE.COM
.

A
FTER SOME LONELY YEARS,
M
ICKEY HAS MORE FRIENDS IN HIS LIFE NOW, AND ONES WHO ARE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE.
A
MONG THEM IS FELLOW
O
SCAR-NOMINEE
B
RAD
P
ITT, WHO SHARES
M
ICKEY’S ENTHUSIASM FOR MOTORBIKES.
M
ICKEY CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY THE REALLY EXPENSIVE MODELS
B
RAD OWNS, BUT ENJOYS CHATTING ABOUT BIKES WITH THE HEART-THROB SUPERSTAR.

M
ICKEY’S WILD, HIGH-OCTANE LIFE APPEARS TO BE CALMING DOWN AT LAST AND HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
H
E IS STILL IN THERAPY, ALTHOUGH HIS APPOINTMENTS ARE NOW DOWN TO A COUPLE OF PHONE CALLS PER WEEK.
H
E IS STILL IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH
F
ATHER
P
ETER
C
OLAPIETRO AND ALWAYS HAS
C
HRISTMAS DINNER WITH HIM AT THE CHURCH RECTORY.
A
ND
M
ICKEY CONTINUES TO PRAY – NO LONGER FOR HIMSELF, BUT NOW FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS DOGS, WHICH HE HAS LATELY BEEN MISSING TERRIBLY WHILE AWAY SO OFTEN FILMING.

M
ICKEY IS STILL WRESTLING WITH HIS DEMONS, BUT IT’S A FIGHT HE SEEMS TO BE WINNING.
R
ANDY “
T
HE
R
AM”
R
OBINSON COULDN’T GIVE HIMSELF A FUTURE IN
THE WRESTLER,
BUT IT CERTAINLY LOOKS AS IF THE MOVIE HAS GIVEN
M
ICKEY A VERY BRIGHT ONE INDEED.

M
ICKEY
R
OURKE
F
ILMOGRAPHY

FILM ROLES