Mickey Rourke (11 page)

T
HE MOVIE IS MOST REMEMBERED FOR ITS PASSION-PACKED, CLIMACTIC NUDE SEX SCENE WHERE
M
ICKEY AND
C
ARRÉ WERE RUMORED TO HAVE HAD SEX FOR REAL.
T
HE “DID THEY OR DIDN’T THEY?” INTRIGUE WAS GOOD
PR
AND PERHAPS HELPED
WILD ORCHID
TO AVOID UTTER EMBARRASSMENT AT THE BOX OFFICE AND ESCAPE WITH MODERATE TAKINGS.

M
UCH BETTER ENTERTAINMENT WAS PROVIDED BY
M
ICKEY’S NEXT CINEMATIC OUTING, CRIME THRILLER
DESPERATE HOURS
(1990).
T
HE MOVIE WAS A REMAKE OF A 1955 FILM OF THE SAME TITLE AND SAW
M
ICKEY IN THE LEAD ROLE ORIGINALLY PLAYED BY
H
UMPHREY
B
OGART.
H
IS CHARACTER,
M
ICHAEL
B
OSWORTH, IS AN ESCAPED CON ON THE RUN FROM THE LAW WHO HIDES OUT IN A MARRIED COUPLE’S SUBURBAN HOME AND PROCEEDS TO TERRORIZE THE FAMILY.
A
NTHONY
H
OPKINS IS EXCELLENT, AS USUAL, AS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AND HIS SCENES WITH
M
ICKEY REALLY CRACKLE.
T
HE FILM GAVE
M
ICKEY THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AGAIN WITH ONE OF HIS FAVORITE DIRECTORS,
M
ICHAEL
C
IMINO, BUT – AS WITH THEIR PREVIOUS EFFORTS TOGETHER – THIS ONE FLOPPED, TOO.

N
EXT CAME THE LEADING CANDIDATE FOR WORST MOVIE OF
M
ICKEY’S CAREER, THE EMBARRASSMENT THAT WAS
HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN
(1991).
I
RONICALLY, IT SAW HIM EARN THE BIGGEST SALARY OF HIS CAREER – $2.6 MILLION – THANKS TO SOME ACE NEGOTIATING BY HIS THEN AGENT,
R
ICK
N
ICITA OF
CAA
.
M
ICKEY KNEW THAT THE MATERIAL WAS BAD, BUT THE FEE WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE – ESPECIALLY AS HE HAD TO PAY FOR HIS BIG HOUSE, BIG CARS, AND BIG ENTOURAGE.

T
HERE’S NO SHAME IN TAKING ROLES IN RUBBISH FILMS JUST FOR THE LARGE SALARY.
B
IGGER STARS THAN
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.
W
HENEVER
M
ICHAEL
C
AINE WOULD GET A BAD REVIEW, HE WOULD TELL THE PRESS, “
OK
, THE MOVIE WAS TERRIBLE, BUT THE HOUSE
I
BOUGHT FOR MY MOTHER IS BEAUTIFUL.”

B
UT
M
ICKEY HATED HIMSELF FOR TAKING THE MOVIE PURELY FOR THE MONEY AND QUICKLY FELL OUT OF LOVE WITH THE MOVIE BUSINESS ALTOGETHER.
I
T’S NO WONDER, GIVEN THE WEAK PLOTTING AND MINDLESS VIOLENCE OF A FILM THAT SEES HIS CHARACTER,
H
ARLEY
D
AVIDSON (LIKE THE BIKE HE RIDES), TEAM UP WITH SMOKING COWBOY PAL,
M
ARLBORO
M
AN, PLAYED BY A LOUSY
D
ON
J
OHNSON, AND TURN TO CRIME SO THEY CAN RAISE MONEY TO SAVE THEIR FAVORITE BAR FROM CLOSING.
I
N BETWEEN SHOOTOUTS AND FIGHT SCENES, THE STARS ARE SADDLED WITH DIALOGUE SO BAD IT MADE
SCOOBY DOO
LOOK LIKE
S
HAKESPEARE.

A
UDIENCES QUITE RIGHTLY IGNORED THE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY
S
IMON
W
INCER, AND WHILE
M
ICKEY MADE A LOT OF MONEY FROM THE PICTURE HE LOST ALL RESPECT FOR HIMSELF.
H
E DECIDED THE ONLY WAY HE COULD WIN IT BACK WAS IN THE BOXING RING AND MADE THE STARTLING DECISION AT THIS TIME TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER.
T
HE FORMER AMATEUR BOXER HAD LONG WANTED TO GET BACK INTO THE FIGHT GAME AND KNEW HE WOULD BE TOO OLD IF HE WAITED ANY LONGER.

B
UT BEFORE HE COULD PUT ON THE GLOVES,
M
ICKEY HAD ONE LAST CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION TO
H
OLLYWOOD, CRIME THRILLER
WHITE SANDS
(1992).
S
TARTING WITH THE DISCOVERY IN THE DESERT OF A SUITCASE FULL OF CASH NEXT TO A MAN’S DEAD BODY, THE STORY TWISTS AND TURNS ITS WAY INTO A FAIRLY STANDARD THRILLER WHICH GETS A BURST OF ENERGY WHENEVER
M
ICKEY IS ON SCREEN GIVING HIS INTENSE PERFORMANCE AS THE SHADY AND SINISTER
G
ORMAN
L
ENNOX.
H
E WAS SURROUNDED BY GOOD TALENT IN THIS ONE, SUCH AS DIRECTOR
R
OGER
D
ONALDSON AND CO-STAR
S
AMUEL
L
.
J
ACKSON, BUT
M
ICKEY JUST WASN’T MOTIVATED BY ACTING IN MOVIES ANY MORE.

H
IS FUTURE, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, WAS GOING TO BE ALL ABOUT BOXING.
A
ND
M
ICKEY COULDN’T WAIT TO GET BACK IN THE RING.

3
L
ORD OF THE
R
ING

M
ICKEY
R
OURKE NERVOUSLY PACED THE DRESSING ROOM AT THE
W
AR
M
EMORIAL
A
UDITORIUM IN
F
ORT
L
AUDERDALE,
F
LORIDA, AS HE PREPARED TO MAKE HIS PROFESSIONAL BOXING DEBUT.
I
T WAS 23
M
AY 1991 AND HE WAS ABOUT TO FACE JOURNEYMAN FIGHTER AND PART-TIME CAR MECHANIC
S
TEVE
P
OWELL IN A FOUR-ROUND CONTEST.
T
HERE WOULD BE NO SECOND TAKE IF HE SCREWED UP HERE.
P
LAYING MAKE-BELIEVE IN MOVIES WAS OVER.
T
HIS WAS ALL TOO REAL.

A
DDING TO
M
ICKEY’S ANXIETY WAS THE FACT THAT HE HAD SUFFERED A HAND INJURY BEFORE THE BOUT.
H
E DIDN’T WANT TO CANCEL AND UPSET BOTH THE PROMOTERS AND THE PUBLIC, SO HE DECIDED TO SUCK IT UP, FIGHT ON, AND GO FOR IT.

A
PACKED HOUSE OF 2,300 FANS, CURIOUS TO SEE IF THE
H
OLLYWOOD ACTOR – WHO ARRIVED AT THE VENUE IN A WHITE LIMOUSINE – COULD REALLY CUT IT IN THE BOXING RING, WERE FIRST TREATED TO OTHER FIGHTS INVOLVING THE LIKES OF FIGHTING PHYSICIAN
D
R.
H
AROLD “
H
ACKIE”
R
EITMAN AND WORLD CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP
P
HIL “
E
NFORCER”
J
ACKSON.

T
HEN, FINALLY, IT WAS THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING AND
M
ICKEY, WEIGHING IN AT 178 LBS, EMERGED READY TO DO BATTLE, WEARING GOLD SATIN SHORTS EMBLAZONED WITH GREEN SHAMROCKS.

H
E WAS APPLAUDED TO THE RING BY AN AUDIENCE RELIEVED THAT HE HADN’T DONE WHAT MANY SUSPECTED HE MIGHT – LOSE HIS NERVE AND CHICKEN OUT OF THE CONTEST.

W
HAT FOLLOWED WAS A SCRAPPY, STOP-START FIGHT WITH
M
ICKEY STARTING OUT TENTATIVELY BUT GRADUALLY GETTING INTO HIS STRIDE AND MAKING UP IN ENTHUSIASM WHAT HE LACKED IN FINESSE.
R
ESTRICTED BY HIS INJURY, HE FOUGHT DIRTY WITH A FEW NASTY TRICKS PICKED UP IN VARIOUS BOXING GYMS DOWN THE YEARS.

“
S
OMETIMES YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO,” HE TOLD ME WHEN WE DISCUSSED THAT FIRST FIGHT.
I
T WORKED FOR HIM AND HE WON THE FIGHT ON THE JUDGES’ DECISION.

T
HE CROWD, MANY OF WHOM WERE
V
IETNAM VETERANS, WASN’T WILDLY IMPRESSED WITH HIS SHOWBOATING, DANCING AROUND THE RING, STREET BRAWL PUNCHES AND DIRTY TACTICS.
S
OME WERE BOOING AND OTHERS WERE CHANTING “
M
IC-KEY SUCKS,” BUT
M
ICKEY LOVED EVERY MINUTE.

O
RIGINALLY,
M
ICKEY HAD PLANNED TO HAVE ONLY ONE PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCH, BUT FOLLOWING THE DEBUT VICTORY, THE SPORT WAS BACK IN HIS BLOOD AND IT BECAME THE MAIN FOCUS OF HIS LIFE.

H
IS AMBITION RAPIDLY GREW TO WIN A TITLE.
H
E DIDN’T GET THAT BUT HE DID GET SELF-RESPECT – ALONG WITH A SUCCESSION OF SEVERE FACIAL INJURIES.

* * *

I
T WAS ON THE SET OF HIS BOXING MOVIE,
HOMEBOY
, THAT
M
ICKEY FIRST GOT THE IDEA TO RETURN TO THE RING AS A PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER.
T
HE CLIMACTIC FIGHT SEQUENCE WASN’T WORKING OUT AS CHOREOGRAPHED – EVERYTHING LOOKED CLUMSY AND FAKE.
S
O THE STAR DECIDED TO THROW AWAY THE SCRIPT AND IMPROVISE HIS OWN MOVES BY BOXING HIS EQUALLY ENTHUSIASTIC OPPONENT, AN ACTUAL FIGHTER, FOR REAL TO ADD authenticity to the film’s ending. Suddenly, all the excitement of those amateur fights came rushing back to him and, as he threw and took actual punches, he felt gloriously alive.

L
OOKING BACK,
M
ICKEY FEELS HE SHOULD HAVE MADE THE SWITCH TO PRO BOXING THERE AND THEN.
I
NSTEAD, HE STAYED IN ACTING FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.
B
UT FILM WORK WASN’T MAKING HIM HAPPY.
H
E LONGED FOR THE UNSCRIPTED ADRENALIN RUSH OF BOXING THAT WOULD MAKE HIM FEEL GOOD ABOUT HIMSELF AGAIN.
A
FTER ALL, WHEN THE BELL RINGS, YOU CAN’T SAY, “
I
’M NOT EMOTIONALLY READY,” OR ASK FOR MORE MAKE-UP – IT’S RAW, ROUGH AND REAL, MAN AGAINST MAN, WITH NO
H
OLLYWOOD BULLSHIT.

W
HEN 1991 ROLLED AROUND,
M
ICKEY REALIZED HE WASN’T GETTING ANY YOUNGER AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE NOW OR NEVER.
T
O SEE IF HE STILL HAD FIGHT SKILLS, HE WENT BACK TO
M
IAMI’S
F
IFTH
S
TREET
G
YM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS AND SPARRED WITH VARIOUS BOXERS THERE.
H
E LOVED IT, FELT TOTALLY AT HOME, AND FOUND HE HADN’T LOST HIS RING ABILITY.
T
HAT’S WHEN HE TOOK THE DECISION WHICH STUNNED
H
OLLYWOOD – TO SWAP FILMS FOR FIGHTS.
H
E THEN PERSUADED RESPECTED BOXING INSIDER
T
OMMY
T
ORINO TO MANAGE HIM AND FIX HIM UP WITH A PROFESSIONAL FIGHT.

T
HE SWITCH TO BOXING WAS MORE ABOUT SELF-RESPECT THAN STARDOM AND
M
ICKEY CHOSE NOT TO FIGHT UNDER HIS FAMOUS NAME.
I
NSTEAD, HE HOPED TO ENTER THE RING AS
R
OMEO
F
LORENTINO, WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD FIGHTER’S NAME TO HIM.
B
UT THE PROMOTERS OF HIS CONTESTS WOULDN’T HEAR OF IT.
T
HEY WERE PAYING GOOD MONEY FOR
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE, AND THEREFORE THEY WANTED HIS RECOGNIZABLE – AND BANKABLE – NAME ON THE POSTERS.

S
O HE SETTLED ON ADDING A MIDDLE NAME: “
M
ARIELITO.”
I
T WAS A
C
UBAN NICKNAME AND HE CHOSE IT AS A MARK OF RESPECT TO THE TOUGH
C
UBAN KIDS HE HAD GROWN UP WITH, AND FOUGHT WITH, IN
M
IAMI.
MARIELITO
WAS A TERM APPLIED TO THE 125,000
C
UBAN BOAT PEOPLE WHO FLED TO THE
US
IN 1980 AS PART OF AN EXODUS OF REFUGEES FROM THE
C
UBAN PORT OF
M
ARIEL.
A
L
P
ACINO’S TITLE CHARACTER IN THE 1983 MOVIE
SCARFACE
WAS A FICTIONAL
M
ARIELITO.

M
ICKEY “
M
ARIELITO”
R
OURKE FOUGHT EIGHT PROFESSIONAL BOUTS IN ARENAS AROUND THE WORLD, RANGING FROM
A
RGENTINA TO THE
B
AHAMAS,
G
ERMANY TO
J
APAN.
M
ANY OF THE AUDIENCES CAME OUT OF CURIOSITY AND EVEN A DESIRE TO SEE THE
H
OLLYWOOD STAR BEATEN UP, BUT
M
ICKEY HELD HIS OWN, WON THEIR RESPECT, AND EMERGED WITH AN UNBEATEN RECORD.
D
ESPITE THE FACT THAT HE WAS A PRETTY LAZY TRAINER MUCH OF THE TIME.
N
OT FOR HIM THE FIGHTER’S DISCIPLINE OF GETTING UP AT SIX EVERY MORNING AND GOING FOR A LONG RUN.
H
E WAS MORE INCLINED TO DO A BIT OF GYM WORK, THEN HAVE A REST, HIT THE PUNCHING BAG, AND THEN HAVE A CIGARETTE.

B
UT THINGS GRADUALLY IMPROVED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE LEADING FIGHT TRAINER HE HIRED TO KNOCK HIM INTO SHAPE AND MAKE HIM A WINNER.
F
REDDIE
R
OACH, A FORMER BOXER HIMSELF, KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AND IS TODAY WIDELY CONSIDERED THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AS TRAINER TO THE LIKES OF
M
ANNY
P
ACQUIAO AND
A
MIR
K
HAN.
R
OACH TOOK A NO-NONSENSE APPROACH WITH
M
ICKEY AND EVEN QUIT IN DESPAIR EARLY IN THEIR ASSOCIATION WHEN THE ACTOR-TURNED-BOXER STAYED OUT ALL NIGHT PARTYING WHEN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESTING AND TRAINING. “
I
DON’T TRAIN FIGHTERS TO LOSE,” WERE HIS PARTING WORDS.

H
E HAD SHOWN UP IN THE GYM ON SEVEN STRAIGHT DAYS TO TRAIN
M
ICKEY, BUT
R
OURKE SHOWED UP ON ONLY ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
R
OACH ripped into the star for his lack of commitment and reduced Mickey to tears with his angry tirade. The actor’s plea for him to stay fell on deaf ears.

B
UT
M
ICKEY PHONED
F
REDDIE EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT THIRTY DAYS BEGGING HIM TO COME BACK AND PROMISING TO DO BETTER.
H
E KEPT TELLING
R
OACH HOW MUCH THE FIGHT GAME MEANT TO HIM AND INSISTED HE WAS READY TO GET SERIOUS.
R
OACH RELENTED AND RETURNED TO TRAIN
R
OURKE ON THE CONDITION
M
ICKEY GAVE HIM 110 PER CENT – AND THAT’S JUST WHAT HE GOT.

M
ICKEY KNUCKLED DOWN TO HIS TRAINING, GOT A SENSE OF DISCIPLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, DROPPED HIS FIGHTING WEIGHT DOWN FROM 210 TO 168 LBS AND EVENTUALLY FOUND GREATER RESERVES OF STAMINA AND SKILL, WHICH GOT HIM THROUGH HIS SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHTS.