While the Academy awarded one of the finest actors of all time
best actor for a feature film in his performance in Milk, Sean
Penn humbly gave much recognition to his friend, and another
great talent of our time, Mickey Rourke. Academy Award®
nominee Mickey Rourke appears in ‘The Wrestler’ as
Randy, in a truly moving and powerful performance. Mickey Rourke
is one of the few true method actors of today and a graduate of
New York’s Actor’s Studio, he is this
generations’ classic working actor.
His career has been defined by his bad boy, edgy, erotic
performances in soft core filmmaker Zalman King’s 9 1/2
WEEKS, ANOTHER 9 ½ WEEKS, and WILD ORCHID, as well as
often sexually charged and outsider films including BODY HEAT,
BARFLY, ANGEL HEART, YEAR OF THE DRAGON, POPE OF GREENWICH
VILLAGE, DINER, JOHNNY HANDSOME, Vincent Gallo’s BUFFALO 66
starring Christina Ricci, FRANCESCO, and Francis Ford
Coppola’s cult classic RUMBLE FISH. Most recently, Rourke
received acclaim for his roles in Robert Rodriguez’ ONCE
UPON A TIME IN MEXICO and SIN CITY.
Rourke’s bad boy image on screen, was complemented by a
tough guy position in real life. In the late 60’s, he began
a professional boxing career which led to him scoring 16
knockouts, getting two concussions, at one point earning over a
million during a fighting year, fighting champions, and receiving
severe facial injuries which led to his need for surgery. After
his hard edged, party hard lifestyle, he left Hollywood and began
a successful run at bar and nightclub ownership and management in
Miami. The Wrestler brought him back in to Hollywood, more wise,
mature, still handsome, and better than ever.
Backstage after the 81st Academy Awards, Sean Penn himself had
some more words for this explosively powerful actor.
Q.You spoke very emotionally about your
competition this evening with Mickey Rourke. Could you speak a
little bit about your relationship and what you feel about him
and sort of the sense of how you guys have grown together?
SEAN PENN: ‘I've been making movies for
over 25 years and I can't speak for his consistent sense of
me… ( )… but we've had for the most part a very
close friendship. And he's somebody that I alternatively looked
up to and advised and directed. I've wanted to work with (him)
and admired (him) and quite literally (he) had me, almost
throughout THE WRESTLER, weeping. He's one of our most talented
actors, he always was. I don't really think of it as (a
comeback). Comebacks are funny, and we talk about it with him,
but everyone in this room has to make a comeback every day. Life
is tough. And I think what's sensational about him is always
what's been sensational about him, he's one of the great poetic
talents in acting that we have.’
Rourke’s forthcoming releases include KILLSHOT written by
literary legend Elmore Leonard, and THE INFORMERS directed by
Gregor Jordan. Other planned starring roles for Rourke in to
2010, include ST. VINCENT, THE EXPENDABLES, 13, IRON MAN 2,
BROKEN HORSES, and SIN CITY 2.