Mickey Rourke biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Actor, wrestler. Born Philip Andre Rourke on September 16, 1956, in New York to Ann and Philip Andre, Sr. During his teenage years, the family relocated to Miami, Florida. At Miami Beach Senior High School, Rourke spent a lot of time playing sports, especially baseball. Although Rourke rarely speaks of his family life growing up, the actor alludes to a history of physical abuse. He had five step-brothers, none of whom he speaks with now. "I was nuts and angry and ashamed...and that shame turned into anger," Rourke says of his early life. "I believe it came from when I was a young boy, just a little kid, and I felt a lot of inferiority at home. I was pushed around and I went out into the street believing that kicking ass was what it was all about." Rourke's interest in athletics, and his need to defend himself physically, led him to pursue an amateur boxing career.

In 1969, Rourke faced former boxing champion Luis Rodriquez in the ring, but received a concussion during the bout. The aspiring boxer faced a similar incident a few years later. Consequently Rourke was told by doctors to take a year off to rest. Instead, Rourke chose to throw in the gloves altogether, and officially retire from the ring.

Rourke caught the acting bug in the late 70s, and headed back to New York to study under the actress Sandra Seacat. In 1979, he landed his first significant role in Steven Spielberg's film, 1941. But it wasn't until his role as an arsonist in the film Body Heart (1981) that Rourke was able to attract critical notice. Despite his brief presence on-screen, the actor earned rave reviews.

Notable Film Roles

Throughout the 1980s, Rourke starred in a number of small budget films. His most notable role came in 1982 with the cult hit Diner, directed by Barry Levinson. Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish (1983) saw Rourke take a role as Matt Dillon's elder brother. He was subsequently praised for the energy he portrayed in the character, standing out from other big names in the film, including Dennis Hopper and Nicholas Cage. In 1984, The Pope of Greenwich Village earned Rourke yet more acclaim despite the film panning at the box office. Praised by the likes of Johnny Depp as "perfect cinema," Rourke recently named it as his favorite film of all he's made. Both he and and actress Daryl Hannah note it as highlights of their careers.

Rourke earned sex-symbol status in his next role for the film, 9 ¬O Weeks (1986) with Kim Bassinger. The sexually charged film caused controversy, but earned Rourke high critical praise. The role catapulted him to success, and helped him score his next film, Barfly (1987).