It's almost unbelievable that Mickey Rourke was once one of the hottest actors on the planet. But at his prime, when he was tuned in, Rourke was the best, with roles in Diner, Rumble Fish and Angel Heart marking him out as a kind of 1980s Brando. Still, uneasy with Hollywood, and having burned many of his bridges, Rourke turned his back on it all in the early 90s to embark on a professional boxing career. Surprisingly successful (six wins and two draws - result!), Rourke's new vocation nonetheless left his once-handsome face disfigured and his celebrity at almost zero. When Rourke returned to acting in the mid-90s, Hollywood unsurprisingly wasn't interested. Picking up minor roles here and there for years, 2008's The Wrestler suddenly resulted in a major resurgence of interest in Rourke's career. It's not hard to see why: The Wrestler's Randy "The Ram" Robinson is the defining role of Mickey Rourke's career, and Rourke's investment in the character sees him give one of the most affecting performances of all time. Subsequent roles have seen Rourke on a downward slide once more, but The Wrestler was more than enough.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
