Mickey Rourke: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked‏

4. Harold R. "Harry" Angel - Angel Heart (1987)

This supernatural thriller caused a fair bit of controversy when it was released in 1987, mainly owing to the explicit sex scene between Mickey Rourke and co-star Lisa Bonet - the latter of whom was best known at the time for being one of the kids from The Cosby Show. Ew. Besides providing the springboard for Rourke's unlikely middle period of starring in erotic dramas (this was the same era when Michael Douglas appeared in numerous "sexy" films, because Hollywood knows when women want), Angel Heart was also one of the strongest early appearances and first starring roles that the young Rourke got, and he doesn't mess around with it. It's saying a lot that he provides a pretty memorable performance when he shares billing with none other than Robert de Niro. In fact you could argue that Rourke does a better job than Scorsese's fave method actor, since de Niro's intense villain Louis Cyphre has a tendency to tip over into a hamminess befitting the goofiness of his name (SPOILERS HE'S THE DEVIL). Rourke's downtrodden private investigator Harry Angel, meanwhile, simmers with a repressed anger and frustration which finally boils over when he confronts Mr Cyphre - having discovered his true nature - in a powerhouse scene which could easily have been as scenery-chewing as some of de Niro's, but is instead just a thrilling and sweaty bit of brilliant acting. A different sort of sweaty acting than he'd soon be doing with Kim Basinger, more's the pity.