OT: Mickey Rourke

[StickyBun]

The Vikefans Twitter feed made me laugh with the pic of Mickey Rourke and Axle Rose: yikes. But there is an interesting backstory on Rourke and what happened to his looks. Do you remember when he got into boxing for awhile? Do a Google search and you'll see what I'm talking about if you didn't know. He did box when he was a youth in Miami but got back into it later in life. Anyway, he got his face mashed more than once in the ring (he was actually a decent fighter), sparring and that, along with some failed plastic surgeries to try and correct it, basically ended his acting career for a 12 year period before he was resuscitated in the movie 'The Boxer' (which is excellent). He was an A list actor at one time and it all changed after he started boxing. He regrets it and says as much in various interviews. He was full of ego, fancied himself a tough guy and he's now unrecognizable. Its actually kind of a sad story. He acted like a huge asshole for a number of years, burning bridges in Hollywood.

This article is from 2009 but kind of sums it up. He's brutally honest:

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive...-life.html

This story gets into what a great actor he was and how much potential he had:

https://uproxtwitter.com/movies/the-stor...up-face/2/

[Guest]

I really like Mickey Rourke as an actor...  he has great charisma on the screen, even now with his mashed up face.  I actually think it enhances that tough guy vibe that comes naturally to him.  I just watched Killshot for the first time earlier this fall...  he was really good in that.

[Guest]

I liked him on the last "Dice" episode on Showtime. If you haven't seen it, he plays himself. When he and Dice were younger, they made a pact that they would kill themselves before they hit 60 years old. Rourke shows up to fulfill that pact. He's quite convincing.

[Guest]

Drugs and alcohol destroy many lives and the lives of those around them.  

[Guest]

Really liked Mickey Rourke in the 80s. He was a modern-day James Dean in movies like Rumble Fish, Diner and Barfly. But his face is a long way from 9 1/2 Weeks. 

[Guest]

I believe you meant to reference "The Wrestler". Which was a very good movie I am due to watch again.

[Guest]

Just watch "Pope of Greenwich Village", the best work he ever did, period.

[Guest]

@purpleloki said:
Just watch "Pope of Greenwich Village", the best work he ever did, period.

Absolutely

[Guest]

couple of stories:  i worked with both Mickey Rourke and Geraldine Page.  Gerry finally won her Oscar for Pope of Greenwich Village.  I trhink she was nominated 8-9 times.  she only worked 3 days on that picture but man, did she make an impression.  She was absolutely brilliant with an ego to match.  She could break your heart, terrify you or make you fall out of your seat laughing.  Gerry story:  we worked on 3 shows together, in NY in the 80s.  In one, i was playing the title role, which meant Gerry wasnt.  the two of us were waiting to enter one night— maybe 30 seconds from our cue.  Gerry looks down, starts chuckling  and says, “ I’m wearing the green shoes.”  more chuckling.  I nod and smile.  She says “I’m supposed to be in the blue shoes.”. More chuckling.  Somi chuckle and say “ahhh.” She sighsand calmly walks away. She goes to her dressing room to change shoes! Of course the cue comes and im left to enter alone, make up stuff to cover for whatever Gerry was supposed to say and after about a minute she enters saying, “ hello everyone, sorry I’m late, did you miss me?  Now, where were we?” and the show went on.  Only Gerry.  
Mickey story: Absolutely NUTS!  it was a movie, maybe 2009.  He was playing the CEO of an oil company—I was his right hand man.  He didnt learn a line—read everthing off cue cards that were held up everywhere.  But frequently couldnt locate the proper card so he just made shit up.  He insisted in choosing his own wardrobe so he wore a suit with an outlandish tie  with a knot the size of a fist that sat about a foot below his neck.  Collar with huge points that were ouside the jacket —like it was 1975.  He wouldn’t stick to any blocking so cameras had NO idea where he was going.  Just did their best to frame up something as he wandered around. THE most bizarre experience i can remember. 
That was Mickey Rourke.

[Guest]

Awesome tales Caact. Love hearing that kind of stuff.

I was never a big Mickey Rourke fan, but I do really enjoy his interviews when "The Wrestler" came out. In a sense that movie was a parallel to his life. He reminds me of a lot of old rockers I know, they been burned up for so long they just wanna make something out of what they have left. They get a look in their eye, and you just know that they're trying. They may not know how, but they're gonna try what they can.