10 Actors Who Took Method Acting Too Far

Mickey Rourke’s career revival initially came about via a supporting role in Robert Rodriguez’s stylized crime thriller anthology Sin City, adapted from Frank Miller’s comic series of the same name (not to mention playing the antagonist in Enrique Igleasis’ classic music video Hero).

But the actor proved his commitment to the craft and earned critical plaudits to match the height of his earlier career with 2008’s The Wrestler, a naturalistic Darren Aronofsky drama which followed the titular down-on-his-luck sportsman as he navigated an ailing career, aging into irrelevance, and the difficulties of fatherhood.

Critics adored the tender, brutal turn, a far cry from Sin City’s over-the-top theatrics, and Rourke was firmly accepted back into Hollywood after his moving, elegiac performance. It came at a cost to the actor though, with Rourke risking his health for the role.

The actor was trained to fight by real life wrestling coaches and sustained a handful of injuries during filming, as well as stopping by the WWE studios to fight superstar Jericho (yes, really). Rourke also engaged fully for the less glamorous elements of the film, actually picking up shifts in the deli his character works at for the sake of realism.