The movie Mickey Rourke he called “a piece of crap”
It’s not all that uncommon for actors to disown their past performances. As time goes on and craft is improved, it’s natural that cases arise in which actors feel less than nostalgic for some of their weaker screen offerings. This was the case with Paul Newman, who loathed his screen debut The Silver Chalice to such an extent that he paid for a full-page advertisement prior to the screening of the film on television to beg audiences to pick another channel for their evening’s viewing.
In other cases, actors are seduced by a paycheck or strong-armed by their management into giving their time to projects they don’t believe in. This seems to have been the story behind Halle Berry’s lead role in the execrable Catwoman. In a message to her manager, who she described as “someone who convinces me to do projects even when he knows they’re shit”, Berry made it clear that the motivation behind her starring in Catwoman was never artistic: “Counting the zeros behind the one really isn’t enough.”
At least both of these actors waited until after their films had been released and critically panned before giving their true thoughts on their merits. That’s something that Mickey Rourke, former professional boxer and star of Rumble Fish, Barfly, Sin City and The Wrestler, did not do when interviewed in 2011 by Blackfilm about his role in the movie 13, then still in theatres: “It’s a piece of crap,” Rourke said.
Adding: “If you don’t believe me, call up Jason (Statham) and Ray (Winstone.)” Perhaps surprised by Rourke’s frankness, the interviewer asks a question about the film’s costumes, but Rourke doesn’t relent on his criticism, venting that his character’s sword “was made of fucking rubber”.
Although Rourke’s opinion of 13 was consistently vindicated by broader critical opinion, its filmmakers can hardly have been too pleased to have their movie trashed by one of its stars during its release period. Incredibly, this was not the last time that Rourke behaved like a loose cannon during the theatrical release of a film he featured in. He described the film Passion Play – released only a few months after 13 – as “terrible”.
The actor added: “Another terrible movie. But, you know, in your career and all the movies you make, you’re going to make dozens of terrible ones”.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the opportunities for Rourke to star in ‘dozens’ of films – even terrible ones – dried up after 2011. Filmgoers who appreciated Rourke’s talents in films like The Wrestler may regret this swift end to his brief post-Oscar nomination comeback arc. Still, it’s possible their disappointment is greater than Rourke’s own. When congratulated by Blackfilm after being invited to leave his handprints and autograph in the cement of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, a proof of Hollywood success and recognition, Rourke replied, “You’re probably more excited about that than me.”
Mickey Rourke, clearly, is an actor who can go without Hollywood’s approval – especially if it comes at the expense of not playing by his own rules.
