Remember last year when no matter where you looked, you heard about formerly down and out actor Robert Downey Jr.? Everything Downey touched turned to gold. It seems like this year, the big return may be that of Mickey Rourke.
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Rourke’s breakout acting role was in the 1981 film Body Heat. But, he also appeared in the ‘80s cult film Diner as well as the coming of age tale Rumble Fish. Like it’s predecessor The Outsiders, which literally featured every hot, young actor in Hollywood at the time, Rumble Fish starred Dennis Hopper, Diane Lane, Nicolas Cage, Chris Penn, and Laurence Fishburne, but Rourke was able to hold his own. In 1986, Rourke starred in the steamy film 9 ½ Weeks alongside Kim Basinger. While the film wasn’t a commercial success, the storyline made Rourke a sex symbol. In 1987, he starred in Angel Heat with Cosby kid Lisa Bonet. The sex scenes in this film were controversial and it was like a stake in the heart of Lisa Bonet’s acting career.
By the ‘90s, Rourke got off track, starring in the bombs Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (with Don Johnson) and Wild Orchid. Rumor spread that he was difficult to work with on the set and he made some poor choices, turning down lead roles in generation defining films like Beverly Hills Cops, Silence of the Lambs, Rain Man, and Platoon.
In 1991, Rourke decided to go back to one of his first loves, boxing. That really never went anywhere and he suffered injuries such as a broken nose, split tongue, and a compressed cheekbone. He retired from boxing in 1995, but the physical damage had been done. Somewhere along the way, Rourke decided to have plastic surgery on his face, which put him in the Priscilla Presley “Oh my goodness, what happened to their face?” category. He went from roughly handsome to horribly plastic looking.
More bad acting luck followed as Rourke turned down Bruce Willis’ role of Butch in Pulp Fiction and his part in The Thin Red Line ended up on the editing room floor. The end of the ‘90s saw many of Rourke’s movies go straight to DVD, including a sequel to 9 ½ Weeks.
So, at a time when many had written Rourke off years ago as an actor, he and that one primo role finally connected. That happened in last year’s The Wrestler in which Rourke plays a washed up wrestler. So far, Rourke has been nominated for a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award, and a SAG award for his portrayal in the film. Better yet, it has put his name back out there and people are paying attention. There are rumors that Rourke may play a villain in the sequel to Iron Man, which would bring two truly Iron Men of acting – Rourke and Downey Jr. – together.