Mickey Rourke

Biography:

Philip Andre “Mickey” Rourke Jr. (born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional boxer best known for leading roles in drama, action, and thriller films. Over a career spanning more than four decades, his work has earned him a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and nominations for both the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. Collectively, films featuring Rourke have made more than $1.9 billion worldwide.

Rourke’s early screen appearances included small parts in Heaven’s Gate (1980) and Body Heat (1981). His breakout came with Diner (1982), which won him critical praise and a National Society of Film Critics Award. Throughout the 1980s, he solidified himself as a leading man in films such as Rumble Fish (1983), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Year of the Dragon (1985), 9½ Weeks (1986), Angel Heart (1987), Barfly (1987), and Johnny Handsome (1989). After several box office disappointments in the early 1990s, Rourke—who had boxed as a youth—stepped away from acting to pursue professional boxing in 1991.

From 1991 to 1994, Rourke fought eight bouts, remaining undefeated with six wins and two draws. His boxing career, however, left him with serious injuries including broken bones, a split tongue, and memory loss, leading to reconstructive surgeries that altered his appearance. He later returned to acting, taking supporting roles in films such as The Rainmaker (1997), Buffalo ’66 (1998), Animal Factory (2000), The Pledge (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Man on Fire (2004), and Domino (2005). His Hollywood comeback arrived in 2005 when he played Marv in Sin City.

His career resurgence peaked with The Wrestler (2008), where he portrayed Randy “The Ram” Robinson, an aging professional wrestler. The role won him both a Golden Globe and BAFTA, along with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He went on to appear in several commercial hits including Iron Man 2 (2010), The Expendables (2010), and Immortals (2011), later working primarily in independent and direct-to-video productions.

Born in Schenectady, New York, Rourke grew up Catholic with Irish and French heritage. After his parents divorced, his mother remarried a Miami Beach police officer, and the family relocated to Florida. Rourke described his stepfather as abusive. At Miami Beach Senior High School, he played sports and boxed, winning his first amateur match at age 12. Over nearly a decade, he built a record of 27 wins and 3 losses before retiring in 1971 due to concussions.

Although initially focused on boxing, Rourke discovered acting when a friend recruited him for a play at the University of Miami. He later moved to New York, trained with respected acting coaches, and earned high praise early in his career—Elia Kazan reportedly called his Actors Studio audition “the best in thirty years.”

Rourke became a critical darling in the 1980s, praised for his work in Body Heat, Diner, Rumble Fish, and Barfly. His role in 9½ Weeks opposite Kim Basinger also made him a sex symbol. However, his personal issues and reputation for being difficult on set damaged his career, and he turned down several high-profile roles in films like Platoon, Top Gun, Rain Man, and Pulp Fiction.

His later career included collaborations with Robert Rodriguez and Tony Scott, roles in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Man on Fire, Domino, Killshot, and Stormbreaker. He also voiced a character in the video game Driver 3 and starred in music videos and photography features. Rourke has written or co-written several screenplays, including Homeboy, The Last Ride, Bullet, and Pain.

Beyond film, he had notable performances in The Informers (2008), Java Heat (2013), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Girl (2020), Man of God (2021), and The Palace (2023). In 2020, he appeared on The Masked Singer as “Gremlin,” becoming the first contestant to unmask himself.

In April 2025, Rourke joined Celebrity Big Brother UK but was removed from the house after a series of controversial incidents, including inappropriate behavior and offensive remarks toward fellow contestants.

Rourke’s personal life has often been turbulent. He has been married twice, first to actress Debra Feuer (1981–1989) and later to Wild Orchid co-star Carré Otis (1992–1998), with whom he had a troubled and sometimes violent relationship. He has also struggled with arrests, public controversies, and career setbacks. From 2009 to 2015, he was in a relationship with model Anastassija Makarenko.

Despite difficulties, Rourke has credited his agent David A. Unger, therapy, and his Catholic faith for helping him rebuild his career. He has continued training in martial arts, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and remains active in film as of 2025.