10 Actors Who Tried Like Hell To Win An Oscar (But Failed)

Anyway you look at it, 2008's The Wrestler was a major career highlight for Mickey Rourke. It just didn't wind up sparking quite the professional resurgence that many had expected at the time, and that Rourke himself was doubtless hoping for.

The role of Randy 'The Ram' Robinson echoed much of Rourke's own career; after rising to superstardom in the 1980s, a combination of bad professional choices and personal missteps saw him fall from the limelight, leaving him physically crumbling and anxious for redemption.

While the role deservedly saw Rourke win rave reviews and a slew of awards (likewise for his co-star Marisa Tomei), it has been widely speculated that the actor's outspoken, non-PC public persona - not to mention the decision to promote the film by participating in that year's WWE Wrestlemania event - might not have gone over well with Oscar voters.

Rourke lost out on the Best Actor Oscar to Sean Penn in Milk; and when Penn is deemed the safer, more respectable choice, you know you're in trouble. After a few high-profile roles the following year (Iron Man 2, The Expendables), he has largely returned to obscurity since.