Mickey Rourke used to epitomize the dashing hero cliche in the Hollywood heyday, but plastic surgery and dabbling in addictions led him astray. Alas, his career is yet another Hollywood comeback story, with Darren Aronofsky to thank for that. Even ten years ago, Rourke was barely working, with bit parts here and then and mainstream roles pretty much dried up. However, The Wrestler changed all that, grossing a remarkable box office and earning Rourke an Oscar nomination, among many other awards accolades.
Mickey Rourke out and about
In a surprise, he ended up losing the award to Sean Penn, but he certainly took advantage of the momentum built from that awards campaign. Since then, he's gone on to star in Iron Man 2 and The Expandables. However, even with those two hits, his other choices have been largely hit or miss.
He had Passion Play with Megan Fox, which was a huge dud and failed, both critically and commercially. Then, he had Black Gold in 2011, which was barely seen by audiences. Of course, Immortals helped a little, but the film didn't make enough of an impact to really make a big difference. By and large, it seems as though he's been taking whatever roles offered to him, and while there are a few gems tossed into his recent filmography, by and large they're not great choices.
Mickey Rourke at the premiere of Iron Man 2
What do you guys think of Mickey Rourke's career after The Wrestler? Do you think he should make better choices? Let us know in the comments.
Mickey Rourke interview for Generation Iron
