The actor who saved Mickey Rourke’s career: “He paid my fee out of his own pocket”
The ‘movie star comeback’ is as much a part of Hollywood as cameras, scripts, and overworked interns. If you want an example, take a look at Mickey Rourke. The former boxer was a big deal in the early 1980s, a heartthrob leading man who could do no wrong. After a string of commercial and critical failures — and a stint back in the boxing ring — Rourke’s career roared back to life. He returned to prominence with a role in Sin City, which reminded everyone how good he could be. Then, in 2008, he cemented his rebirth in a big way.
He starred in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, playing one-time superstar grappler Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson. This performance won him a Golden Globe and a Bafta and could very well have captured him an Oscar had Sean Penn not come along and won for Milk. He might not have won the big one, but Rourke was back at the top after a long time away.
When talking all things The Wrestler with Uncut, Rourke reflected on his wilderness years: “I wasn’t a little bit bad—I was fucking horrible,” he admitted. “For fifteen or sixteen years. I was out of line, out of control, out of my mind. I had to lose my house, my wife, my money, everything. I was reduced to selling off my motorcycle collection for cash: where I come from, you’re not supposed to sell your motorcycle.”
Between his two successful stints, the Iron Man 2 star fell into a dark pattern of drinking and abusing drugs. In 1994, he was arrested for allegedly abusing his wife, although he was later cleared of those charges.
Thankfully, the man who once tried to change his name to ‘Romeo Florentino’ had an unlikely guardian angel. “Sly Stallone gave me a part in the Get Carter remake and saved me,” Rourke continued. “I found out he paid my fee out of his own pocket, though he tried to keep that secret from me.” This 2000 movie, which was a remake of the 1971 original, starred Sylvester Stallone in the title role. Rourke played Cyrus Paice, a small-time crook who Stallone’s character intimidates early in the runtime. It isn’t a big part, but it was enough to help Rourke get back on his feet.
Stallone, who has experienced his own share of career fluctuations, would hire Rourke again for his action-star extravaganza The Expendables. The two hadn’t worked together prior to Get Carter but obviously moved in the same circles. Stallone clearly considered Rourke enough of a friend to stand by his side.
‘Rocky Balboa’ wasn’t the only person who came to Rourke’s aid in his time of need. Rourke also credits his therapist, known only a ‘Steve’ with helping him bounce back. He also gave thanks to David A Unger, CEO of the management company Artist International Group and the star’s agent, and his renewed faith in God. He recalls a story about walking into a New York church with a gun, intending to shoot himself, only to be talked down by the local priest.
Stallone took a big risk reaching out to his friend and putting his neck (and money) on the line for Rourke, who nobody else would touch at the time. Given the career he went on to have, this risky tactic most definitely paid off.
