Mickey Rourke (22 page)

M
ICKEY WAS NOTHING BUT GENEROUS TO THE FLUNKIES IN HIS CIRCLE.
I
N ADDITION TO THE HIGH WAGES, HE EVEN BOUGHT THEM MOTORBIKES AND CARS.
B
UT HE PROJECTED A MENACING PICTURE TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

W
HEN HE WALKED INTO A RESTAURANT, ALL MACHO ATTITUDE AND TOUGH GUY SWAGGER, PEOPLE WOULD FLINCH AS IF ANTICIPATING TROUBLE.
N
EIGHBORS IN SWANKY
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS WOULD BE HORRIFIED BY THE NOISE AND PARTY ATMOSPHERE AT HIS MANSION, WHICH WOULD REGULARLY HAVE MORE THAN TWENTY MOTORBIKES PARKED OUTSIDE –
M
ICKEY’S SIX
H
ARLEY
D
AVIDSONS, FIVE BELONGING TO HIS BROTHER
J
OEY, WHO LIVED IN THE GUEST HOUSE AND FLEW A
J
OLLY
R
OGER PIRATE FLAG OUTSIDE, AND TEN OR SO MORE BELONGING TO VISITING BIKER PALS.
A
CTOR
R
ICHARD
H
ARRIS, WHO LIVED THERE BEFORE HIM, HAD WARNED
M
ICKEY THAT THE NEIGHBORS WOULDN’T WELCOME HIM WITH OPEN ARMS, BUT
M
ICKEY WASN’T GOING TO CHANGE HIS WAYS AND SAW IT AS THEIR PROBLEM.
U
NSURPRISINGLY, THE NEIGHBORS ON EITHER SIDE OF HIM MOVED OUT.

O
UTRAGED
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS DEMANDED THE CLOSURE OF
M
ICKEY AND
J
OEY’S, THE TINY STREET-SIDE CAFÉ HE CO-OWNED IN THE HEART OF THE CITY’S SWANKY SHOPPING DISTRICT, BECAUSE HE WAS USING THE POSH STREET OUTSIDE FOR NOISY, NIGHT-TIME, HIGH-SPEED
H
ARLEY
D
AVIDSON RACES WITH HIS LEATHER-CLAD PALS.
I
T WAS ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE PRESENCE OF BEER-SWILLING, UNSHAVEN, TATTOOED TYPES IN SLEEVELESS
T
-SHIRTS AROUND THE STAND UNSETTLED SHOPPERS AND FRIGHTENED CHILDREN VISITING
L
E
G
RAND
P
ASSAGE, THE UP-MARKET ARCADE OF SHOPS WHERE THE CAFÉ WAS LOCATED.
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS COPS EVEN IMPOUNDED HIS
H
ARLEY IN THE SUMMER OF 1989 ON A “MUFFLER VIOLATION,” BASICALLY SAYING IT WAS MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE.

M
ICKEY’S BAD REPUTATION GREW AS HE REPORTEDLY DEVELOPED SOCIAL CONTACTS WITH GANGLAND FIGURES AND EVEN SHOWED UP AT A
B
ROOKLYN COURT TO WATCH THE 1992 MURDER AND RACKETEERING TRIAL OF
M
AFIOSO
J
OHN
G
OTTI, SAYING HE WAS SUPPORTING HIS FRIEND.
M
ICKEY HAD PREVIOUSLY MET
G
OTTI WHILE RESEARCHING A PROJECT AND SAID
G
OTTI HAD BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME AND INSIGHT.
H
E AND
G
OTTI ONCE HAD A BET ON THE OUTCOME OF A
W
ORLD
C
UP SOCCER MATCH BETWEEN OUTSIDERS
I
RELAND, WHO
M
ICKEY TIPPED TO WIN, AND FAVORITES
I
TALY.
T
HEY DECIDED THAT WHOEVER LOST WOULD BUY THE WINNER A WATCH.
I
RELAND WON THE GAME AND THREE WEEKS LATER
G
OTTI’S ASSOCIATES DELIVERED TO
M
ICKEY A BEAUTIFUL AND EXPENSIVE WRISTWATCH INSCRIBED: “
T
O
M
ICK.
A
LL THE BEST.
JG
.”
S
UDDENLY,
M
ICKEY HAD GONE FROM BEING THE NEXT
J
AMES
D
EAN TO THE NEW
G
EORGE
R
AFT, A PREVIOUS ERA’S HOT ACTOR WHO HAD TURNED DOWN STAR-MAKING PARTS, TOOK MANY TOUGH GUY ROLES, AND ASSOCIATED WITH MOBSTERS.

M
ICKEY CERTAINLY HAD MORE TIME FOR
M
OB BOSSES THAN MOVIE bosses. In the 1980s, he mounted a brass plaque on the front door of his trailer which read, “All studio executives and producers to stay the fuck away.”

M
EANWHILE,
M
ICKEY WAS JUST TOO FLASH FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE’S TASTES, DRIVING AROUND IN A GOLD-PLATED
R
OLLS-
R
OYCE, THE PURCHASE OF WHICH WAS INSPIRED BY HIS
E
LVIS OBSESSION.

T
IMEKEEPING WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR
M
ICKEY AND HE MISSED EARLY MORNING CALLS TO FILM SETS BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN OUT PARTYING ALL NIGHT.
T
O STOP THAT REPEATEDLY HAPPENING ON
9½ WEEKS
, DIRECTOR
A
DRIAN
L
YNE POSTED A MINDER OUTSIDE HIS DOOR TO STOP HIM GOING OUT LATE AND TO MAKE SURE HE GOT TO WORK ON TIME.

A
T THE HEIGHT OF HIS STARDOM,
M
ICKEY WAS SO IRRESPONSIBLE THAT HE COULDN’T EVEN REMEMBER HIS AGENT’S NAME.
H
E WOULD CALL UP HIS AGENCY OF THE TIME,
CAA
, AND ASK THE RECEPTIONIST, “
W
HO’S THE LITTLE BALD GUY WITH THE WHITE
P
ORSCHE?”

M
ICKEY HAS OFFENDED PLENTY OF
H
OLLYWOOD COLLEAGUES WITH OUTSPOKEN COMMENTS, INCLUDING
M
EL
G
IBSON WHO PUBLICLY DISAGREED WHEN
M
ICKEY CLAIMED THAT ACTING WASN’T A MAN’S JOB.
M
EL SAID, “
M
ICKEY JUST THINKS HE IS A TOUGH GUY IN A BLACK
T
-SHIRT.”
M
ICKEY REPLIED, “
M
EL’S PROBLEM IS THAT
I
AM.”

A
FTER THE
LA
RIOTS OF 1992,
M
ICKEY TOLD AN INTERVIEWER THAT THE FILMS OF DIRECTOR
S
PIKE
L
EE WERE PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VIOLENT UPRISING.
H
E WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, “
T
HE BLOOD OF
L
OS
A
NGELES FALLS ON THOSE WHO INSTIGATED THIS REVOLT – THE MALICIOUS PROPHETS OF BLACK CINEMA AND RAP MUSIC, THE MOVIES SUCH AS THOSE OF
S
PIKE
L
EE AND
J
OHN
S
INGLETON.”

DO THE RIGHT THING
DIRECTOR
S
PIKE
L
EE RESPONDED, “
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE IS A FUCKING ASSHOLE.
H
E’S A FUCKING REDNECK, MOTHERFUCKING CRACKER.
I
MEAN, HE’S AN IDIOT.
H
E’S BEEN RIDING A MOTORCYCLE WITHOUT A HELMET AND HE’S PUNCH DRUNK FROM BEING IN THE RING.
H
OW CAN
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE SAY THAT ME AND
J
OHN
S
INGLETON ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RIOTS IN
LA
?
L
IKE HIS FILMS ARE RESPONSIBLE?
H
E SHOULD GET A FUCKING SHAVE AND TAKE A SHOWER.”
A
CTRESS
W
HOOPI
G
OLDBERG ALSO WEIGHED IN ON THE WAR OF WORDS, SAYING, “
I
THINK
M
ICKEY HAS TAKEN A FEW TOO MANY LEFTS TO THE HEAD.”

I
N 2006,
M
ICKEY WAS REPORTED TO HAVE RAGED AGAINST
T
OM
C
RUISE, CALLING HIM A “CUNT” FOLLOWING THE
A
-LISTER’S PRONOUNCEMENTS AGAINST THERAPY.
I
N
TV
INTERVIEWS, THE SUPERSTAR HAD OPPOSED PSYCHIATRY, AS DOES HIS RELIGION, THE
C
HURCH OF
S
CIENTOLOGY, WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN AT ODDS WITH THE ESTABLISHED MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY.
M
ICKEY HAD BEEN IN THERAPY FOR YEARS, CREDITS IT WITH HELPING HIM MAKE A COMEBACK, AND HIS ONE WORD RESPONSE MADE IT CLEAR WHAT HE THOUGHT OF
C
RUISE’S ARGUMENT.

BARFLY
DIRECTOR
B
ARBET
S
CHROEDER WAS SO DISGUSTED WHEN
M
ICKEY SUDDENLY DROPPED OUT, WITHOUT EXPLANATION, OF ANOTHER FILM THEY HAD BEEN DEVELOPING THAT HE PUT A NOTE ON THE ACTOR’S FRONT DOOR SAYING HE WOULD NEVER SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN – AND HE HASN’T.

O
UTSPOKEN
M
ICKEY HAS TENDED TO SAY WHAT HE FEELS, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
I
T MEANT HE HAD NO PROBLEM BREAKING THE UNWRITTEN ACTOR’S RULE THAT YOU NEVER BAD MOUTH YOUR OWN FILMS.
F
OR EXAMPLE, HE CALLED
HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN
, “A COMPLETE PIECE OF SHIT.”
A
ND HE’S HAPPY TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT HE THINKS TO PEOPLE’S FACES, RATHER THAN BEHIND THEIR BACKS.
H
E TOLD THE WRITER OF
HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN
,
D
ON
M
ICHAEL
P
AUL, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS JUST HOW BAD HE THOUGHT HIS script was and then told him to fuck off.

R
OCK STARS ARE MORE KNOWN FOR SMASHING UP HOTEL ROOMS THAN ARE MOVIE ACTORS, BUT
M
ICKEY APPEARS TO HAVE DONE HIS BIT TO CHANGE THAT.
T
YCOON
D
ONALD
T
RUMP, OWNER OF
N
EW
Y
ORK’S POSH
P
LAZA
H
OTEL, CLAIMED THE STAR CAUSED $20,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO HIS SUITE DURING A 1994 STAY AND THE ROOM HAD TO BE CLOSED TO GUESTS WHILE EXTENSIVE REPAIRS WERE CARRIED OUT.

T
HE
T
INSELTOWN TERROR’S BEHAVIOR GREW TO BE SO LAUGHABLY BAD THAT
M
ICKEY EVENTUALLY BECAME A PUNCH LINE FOR COMEDIANS AND WRITERS.
H
UMORIST
J
OE
Q
UEENAN WROTE A MEMORABLE ARTICLE, WHICH QUICKLY INSPIRED A SPIN-OFF
TV
SPECIAL, IN WHICH HE BECAME
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE FOR A DAY – DRESSING, SPEAKING, AND SMOKING IN TRUE
R
OURKE STYLE, AND FUCKING WITH PEOPLE LIKE, WELL, YOU GET THE PICTURE.
H
E GRUNGED UP FOR THE ASSIGNMENT BY ABSTAINING FROM BATHING, SHAVING, OR WASHING HIS HAIR FOR SEVEN DAYS BEFOREHAND.
B
Y THE TIME HIS
R
OURKE WILDNESS WAS OVER, HE HAD SMOKED EIGHTY-TWO
M
ARLBORO CIGARETTES, THREATENED JOURNALISTS WITH PHYSICAL HARM, SNEERED AND SNARLED AT PASSERS-BY, AND BLINDFOLDED A FEMALE FRIEND,
9½ WEEKS–
STYLE, BEFORE FORCE-FEEDING HER THE CONTENTS OF HIS FRIDGE.

H
IS HISTORY OF EXPLOSIVE INCIDENTS HAS MADE
M
ICKEY A GIFT TO JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE CHRONICLED HIS CAREER.
B
UT HE HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN SO NICE TO THEM EITHER.
M
ICKEY HAS UNDOUBTEDLY BECOME MUCH BETTER IN HIS RELATIONS WITH THE MEDIA RECENTLY – ACTUALLY GIVING CONSIDERED, HONEST, AND EMOTIONAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS – BUT IT WASN’T LIKE THAT IN THE BAD OLD DAYS.
T
HERE WERE MANY INCIDENTS AROUND THE WORLD WHERE HE WAS DISMISSIVE OF HIS PROMOTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
O
NE TYPICAL EXAMPLE OCCURRED TWENTY YEARS BEFORE THE TRIUMPHANT VISIT TO
I
TALY PROMOTING
THE WRESTLER
AT THE
V
ENICE
F
ILM
F
ESTIVAL.
T
WO DECADES EARLIER, HE HAD LEFT THE SAME EVENT WITH INSULTS RINGING IN HIS EARS.
I
T ALL FOLLOWED A MOODY PRESS CONFERENCE PERFORMANCE.
F
IRST, HE WOULDN’T SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, THEN HE GOT HIS TRANSLATOR TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FOR HIM BECAUSE HE COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO REPLY.
O
UTRAGED BY THIS INSULT, ONE OF THE
I
TALIAN JOURNALISTS STOOD UP TO COMPLAIN, THEN WALKED OUT, URGING ALL THE OTHER REPORTERS IN THE ROOM TO DO THE SAME.
H
E WAS APPLAUDED WILDLY BUT ONLY SIX JOURNALISTS FOLLOWED HIM OUT OF THE ROOM.

M
ICKEY WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO DO TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS DURING HIS FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN
V
ENICE BUT WRECKED THAT PLAN BY TAKING THE PHONE IN HIS ROOM OFF THE HOOK.
H
E DEPARTED
V
ENICE QUICKLY BY BOAT, LEAVING PHOTOGRAPHERS FUMING AT THE WATERFRONT BECAUSE HE HADN’T GIVEN THEM ENOUGH TIME POSING FOR PICTURES.
A
S
M
ICKEY SPED AWAY, SEVERAL OF THE
I
TALIAN SNAPPERS SHOUTED AFTER HIM, “
STRONZO
!” MEANING, “
Y
OU PIECE OF CRAP!”

M
ICKEY ALSO DISGUSTED REPORTERS AT THE 1989
D
EAUVILLE
F
ILM
F
ESTIVAL BY STARTING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE TWENTY MINUTES LATE, ENDING IT FORTY MINUTES EARLY, AND SAYING VERY LITTLE IN BETWEEN.

B
UT IT WASN’T JUST MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND THE
H
OLLYWOOD ESTABLISHMENT OF WHOM HE HAD FALLEN FOUL OVER THE YEARS.
M
ICKEY ALSO GOT INTO TROUBLE WITH THE LAW.

T
HE ARREST THAT GRABBED THE MOST HEADLINES WAS THE ALLEGED BATTERY OF WIFE
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS, FOR WHICH THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED AFTER SHE CHOSE NOT TO TESTIFY.
M
ICKEY ALSO SPENT A FEW HOURS BEHIND BARS IN
J
ANUARY 1994 FOLLOWING AN ARGUMENT THAT ERUPTED AFTER HE HELPED BOUNCERS THROW SOME UNRULY CUSTOMERS OUT OF Mickey’s, a Miami nightspot to which he had lent his name, status, and regular presence. He ended up in a shouting match with one of the ejected customers, with a large, riled-up crowd outside, and also with the police, who arrested him for resisting arrest – a charge later dropped. The irate film star later said in a press conference that someone had bad-mouthed him that night. He explained, “If somebody says ‘Suck my dick’ to me, yeah, I’m gonna get really mad and I’m gonna be offended by it. But I did not hit the individual and I did not touch him.” The club’s name was soon afterwards changed to XTC, apparently because Mickey’s name didn’t draw sufficient customers.