Mickey Rourke (25 page)

M
ICKEY WAS IN A DARK, DARK HOLE.
O
N THE RARE OCCASIONS HE GOT SOME CASH TOGETHER AND FORCED HIMSELF TO GO OUT TO VISIT A BUSY AND RITZY RESTAURANT ON A
S
ATURDAY NIGHT, HE FOUND HE COULD NO LONGER GET A RESERVATION JUST BY CALLING UP AND GIVING HIS NAME.
M
ICKEY WAS SICK OF GOING FROM MILLIONAIRE MOVIE STAR TO HARD-UP HAS-BEEN AND WANTED TO BE ANONYMOUS.
D
ESPERATE, HE CALLED UP AN OLD FRIEND WHO USED TO WORK ON HIS CARS AND ASKED IF HE COULD FIX HIM UP WITH A JOB ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE.
T
HE PAL LAUGHED AS IF
M
ICKEY WERE JOKING AND PUT THE PHONE DOWN.

M
ICKEY WOULD ALSO PHONE
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS, CRYING DOWN THE LINE AND ASKING HER TO COME BACK TO HIM, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
H
E DIDN’T HAVE ANY BIG
H
OLLYWOOD DREAMS AT THIS POINT.
H
IS ONLY DREAM WAS THAT
J
OEY WOULD COME BACK TO LIFE AND WALK IN THE DOOR.

H
IS RESPECTABILITY AND HOPE GONE, GLOOMY
M
ICKEY WAS WIDELY reported often to fall to his knees and pray, asking God, ”Please can you send me a little bit of daylight?” Things in his life would brighten up for a while and then quickly turn pitch black again.

A
FTER SUCH A FALL FROM GRACE, DARK THOUGHTS INEVITABLY CLOUDED HIS MIND.
H
E DID CONSIDER SUICIDE AT THIS TIME BUT WAS STOPPED BY A COMBINATION OF HIS RESTORED
C
ATHOLIC FAITH, THE MEMORY OF HOW BRAVELY
J
OEY HAD FOUGHT FOR LIFE, AND A DESIRE NOT TO LEAVE HIS DOGS WITHOUT SOMEONE TO CARE FOR THEM.

W
ITH THE CLOSEST RELATIONSHIPS IN HIS LIFE,
C
ARRÉ AND
J
OEY, LOST TO HIM,
M
ICKEY FELT ALONE.
H
E HAD WAITED AND HOPED FOR
C
ARRÉ TO COME BACK TO HIM FOR A LONG TIME, BUT SOMETHING CHANGED IN HIM WHEN
J
OEY DIED, AND HE GAVE UP WAITING FROM THAT MOMENT.
H
E ALSO STOPPED TALKING TO HIS MOTHER COMPLETELY AFTER
J
OEY DIED, BECAUSE HIS BROTHER HAD BEEN UPSET TO THE END ABOUT HER TURNING HER BACK ON THE SADNESS THEY BOTH FELT LIVING WITH THEIR STEPFATHER.
T
HINKING ABOUT HIS ANGER TOWARDS HER,
M
ICKEY REALIZED THAT, WHILE HE LOVED HIS MOTHER, HE DIDN’T LIKE HER, AND THAT HE NOW GAVE HIS DOGS MORE CONSIDERATION.

W
HEN HE FELT UPSET AS A CHILD, HE WOULD GO RUNNING TO HIS BELOVED GRANDMOTHER.
T
HAT WASN’T AN OPTION NOW THAT SHE WAS IN HER DECLINING YEARS, ALTHOUGH SHE WOULD LIVE TO THE AGE OF NINETY-NINE, ONLY PASSING AWAY IN 2008.
T
HERE WAS NO WAY HE WAS SPEAKING TO
G
ENE
A
DDIS, HE WASN’T CLOSE TO HIS STEPBROTHERS, AND HIS SISTER HAD HER OWN LIFE.
B
UT
M
ICKEY HAD HIS DOGS, AND THEY WERE A HUGE COMFORT.
T
HE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE HE RECEIVED FROM THEM KEPT HIM GOING DURING SUCH DARK TIMES.
H
E HAS ADOPTED A BUNCH OF FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS FROM SHELTERS, MOSTLY TINY
C
HIHUAHUAS, CHOOSING TO RESCUE DOGS THAT HAD BEEN ABUSED BECAUSE THEIR SUFFERING REMINDED HIM OF HOW HE HAD STRUGGLED AT THE HANDS OF HIS STEPFATHER.

T
HE DOGS WERE GREAT COMPANIONS FOR
M
ICKEY, AND BECAME HIS NEW ENTOURAGE.
T
HEY FILLED AN EMOTIONAL GAP IN HIS LIFE, TOO, TURNING HIS HOME INTO A MUCH HAPPIER PLACE.
M
ICKEY WAS UNABLE TO SLEEP IN HIS BED FOR YEARS AFTER
C
ARRÉ LEFT, FEELING IT WAS JUST TOO BIG AND EMPTY WITHOUT HER, AND SWITCHED TO SLEEPING ON THE COUCH INSTEAD.
B
UT AS HE TOOK IN MORE AND MORE DOGS, THEY CROWDED ON TO THE SOFA WITH HIM AND EVENTUALLY FILLED UP HIS BED AGAIN, TOO.

R
ECENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE COMPANIONSHIP OF DOGS BRINGS ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS INCLUDING LOWER AMOUNTS OF STRESS-RELATED HORMONES AND THE LIFTING OF DEPRESSED FEELINGS.
H
IS FOUR-LEGGED THERAPISTS REALLY DID THE TRICK FOR
M
ICKEY.

H
IS FAVORITE OF THE BUNCH HAD BEEN
B
EAU
J
ACK THE
G
REAT, WHO BECAME HIS CONSTANT COMPANION.
M
ICKEY WAS DISTRAUGHT WHEN
B
EAU
J
ACK DIED IN 2002 AND TRIED TO BRING HIM BACK TO LIFE, ATTEMPTING TO GIVE THE DOG MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION FOR FORTY-FIVE MINUTES UNTIL FRIENDS PULLED HIM AWAY.
W
HEN HE KNEW THE DOG WAS GONE,
M
ICKEY TOOK
B
EAU
J
ACK’S BODY TO A CHURCH TO BE BLESSED.
H
E FELL INTO A DEEP DEPRESSION AFTERWARDS AND WAS ONLY LIFTED FROM IT BY
B
EAU
J
ACK’S DAUGHTER, A SMALL BROWN
C
HIHUAHUA-TERRIER MIX CALLED
L
OKI, WHO TOOK OVER AS HIS BEST FRIEND ON THE PLANET.
S
HE HAD BEEN THE RUNT OF THE LITTER AND
M
ICKEY HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HER THE SECOND SHE WAS BORN.
O
FTEN SEEN DRESSED IN A NATTY SWEATER,
L
OKI, NAMED AFTER THE
N
ORDIC GOD OF MISCHIEF, WAS HIS FREQUENT TRAVEL PARTNER AND WAS ALWAYS AT HIS SIDE IN THE
SIN CITY
TO
THE WRESTLER–
COMEBACK YEARS.

M
ICKEY WAS SO RELIANT ON THE COMPANIONSHIP OF THE DOG HE CALLED “THE LOVE OF MY LIFE” THAT HE ONCE SPENT £3,000 TO HAVE
L
OKI FLOWN TO
E
NGLAND TO JOIN HIM ON THE SET OF THE MOVIE
STORMBREAKER
.
H
E HAD TO HAVE HER FLOWN FROM
N
EW
Y
ORK TO
P
ARIS, THEN
P
ARIS TO
L
ONDON, AND ALSO TO PAY FOR SOMEONE TO COME WITH HER, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT.

H
E FLEW WITH
L
OKI FROM
LA
TO
A
USTIN,
T
EXAS, TO WORK ON
SIN CITY
, KEEPING THE DOG IN A CASE PUSHED UNDER HIS FIRST-CLASS SEAT, BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH UNDER FOR THE LIKING OF A FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO KICKED THE CASE WHILE SAYING, “
C
AN’T YOU PUT THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE?”
W
ELL,
M
ICKEY WASN’T HAVING THAT AND ROARED BACK, “
F
UCK YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH, THERE’S A DOG IN THERE.
D
ON’T FUCKING KICK IT AGAIN.”
S
TARTLED, SHE DID AS SHE WAS TOLD.

L
OKI RACKED UP A FEW FILM CREDITS HERSELF, APPEARING ON SCREEN WITH
M
ICKEY IN
ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO,
AND SHE CAN BE HEARD SNORING IN THE BACKGROUND OF HIS NARRATION ON
SIN CITY
AS SHE WAS SNOOZING ON HIS LAP WHEN HE RECORDED THE VOICEOVER.
L
OKI ALSO CAN BE SEEN IN HER MASTER’S MOVIE
MASKED AND ANONYMOUS
, WALKING AROUND DURING
M
ICKEY’S FIRST SCENE.

M
ICKEY ONCE TOLD HIS AGENT
D
AVID
U
NGER THAT IF THEY WERE ON A CRUISE SHIP AND
D
AVID AND
L
OKI BOTH FELL IN, IT WOULD BE THE DOG HE WOULD DIVE IN AND RESCUE, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
T
HE THOUGHT OF LOSING
L
OKI WAS UNIMAGINABLE.

B
UT IN
F
EBRUARY 2009, JUST SIX DAYS BEFORE THE
O
SCARS, AT THE GRAND OLD AGE OF ALMOST EIGHTEEN,
L
OKI FELL ASLEEP AND DIED IN
M
ICKEY’S ARMS.
A
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, A DOWNCAST
M
ICKEY WENT FOR LUNCH AT
N
EW
Y
ORK RESTAURANT
N
ELLO, WHERE
L
OKI HAD OFTEN ENJOYED THE
C
ARPACCIO, AND FELLOW ACTOR AND DOG LOVER
J
AMES
W
OODS COMMISERATED WITH HIM.
T
HE LOSS OF
L
OKI LOOKS TO BE SOMETHING
M
ICKEY WILL NEVER GET OVER AND THERE ARE LITTLE REMINDERS OF HER PASSING EVERY DAY –MORNING AT BREAKFAST, FOR EXAMPLE, HE NO LONGER HAS TO PUT DOWN HER SIDE PLATE OF BACON, WHICH SHE USED TO LOVE.

W
HEN ANOTHER OF
M
ICKEY’S
C
HIHUAHUAS,
L
OKI’S BROTHER
C
HOCOLATE, DIED IN 2006,
M
ICKEY’S CASTING-AGENT FRIEND
B
ONNIE
T
IMMERMANN PAID A SPECIAL TRIBUTE BY WRITING A CHILDREN’S BOOK ABOUT THE DOG CALLED
CHOCOLATE AT THE FOUR SEASONS
.
I
T WAS BASED ON THE NINE AND A HALF WEEKS SHE SPENT LOOKING AFTER THE DOG FOR
M
ICKEY WHILE SHE WAS STAYING AT
LA
’S
F
OUR
S
EASONS
H
OTEL AND CASTING THE MOVIE
BLACKHAWK DOWN
.
C
HOCOLATE WOULD RIDE TO MEETINGS WITH HER IN A CHAUFFEUR-DRIVEN LIMOUSINE AND CHARMED THE STAFF AND GUESTS AT THE HOTEL, INCLUDING THE CHEF, WHO PREPARED DELICIOUS MEALS FOR THE
C
HIHUAHUA.
C
HOCOLATE LIKED HIS FOOD AND ENJOYED A GIGANTIC
T
-BONE STEAK THE NIGHT BEFORE HE DIED.

M
ICKEY HAS BEEN LEFT WITH DEEP EMOTIONAL WOUNDS BY THE DEATH OF HIS DOGS.
W
HILE FILMING SCENES IN
IRON MAN 2
, HE HAD SOMEONE HOLD UP PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOME OF HIS DECEASED CANINES BEHIND THE CAMERA SO HE COULD TAP INTO THE SADNESS THE ROLE REQUIRED.
I
NCIDENTALLY, HE SO LIKED THE BIRD HE SHARED SCENES WITH IN THAT MOVIE THAT HE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT ONE JUST LIKE IT AFTER FILMING,
S
ONNY, WHO HAS JOINED HIS FAMILY OF ADORED PETS.

T
HESE DAYS,
M
ICKEY’S MOST FREQUENT COMPANION IS
J
AWS, A SCRAPPY WHITE TERRIER-
C
HIHUAHUA MIX, SO NAMED BECAUSE WHEN
M
ICKEY FIRST PICKED HIM UP AT AN
E
AST
LA
POUND AND WENT TO KISS THE DOG, IT BIT HIS LIP, DRAWING BLOOD AND CAUSING THE STAR TO NEED TWO STITCHES. “
I
’LL TAKE HIM!” SAID
M
ICKEY.

T
HE OTHER DOGS LIVING WITH HIM NOW ARE
R
UBY
B
ABY, A WHITE
S
AMOYED WHO DESTROYED MANY PAIRS OF
M
ICKEY’S DESIGNER SUNGLASSES AND SHOES IN HER FIRST FEW MONTHS LIVING WITH HIM;
L
A
N
EGRA, A BLACK PUG WHO RARELY SLEEPS BUT ENJOYS WATCHING
TV
;
B
ELLA
L
OCA, ANOTHER
C
HIHUAHUA-TERRIER MIX WITH BAD LEGS AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS WHO, WHEN
M
ICKEY RESCUED HER FROM A
T
EXAS SHELTER, HAD A NAIL IN HER HEAD FROM SOME DEBRIS THAT FLEW AROUND IN A TORNADO;
T
ACO
B
ELL, A BIG-EARED, BROWN
C
HIHUAHUA; AND
T
ANGO, THE
P
OMERANIAN HE GOT WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND
A
NASTASSIJA.
M
ICKEY HASN’T ALWAYS TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY IN HIS LIFE, BUT HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DOGS NOW, AND HAPPY TO DO IT.

T
HEY ALL EAT WELL, ENJOYING MEALS LIKE GRILLED PORK CHOPS, GROUND SIRLOIN, BOILED CHICKEN BREAST, AND SPARE RIBS.
T
HE NAMES OF ALL HIS DOGS, PAST AND PRESENT, ARE ENGRAVED ON A RING
M
ICKEY ALWAYS WEARS.
A
ND WHEN HE DIES,
M
ICKEY PLANS TO HAVE HIS ASHES MIXED WITH THOSE OF HIS DEAD DOGS.

W
ITH THE HELP OF HIS DOGS, HIS THERAPIST, AND HIS PRIEST,
M
ICKEY WAS GRADUALLY ABLE TO PULL HIMSELF OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS.
Y
ES, HE HAD LOST HIS LOVED ONES AND HIS CAREER WAS A TRAIN WRECK, BUT
M
ICKEY WOULDN’T LET THIS CHANGE OF FORTUNE BEAT HIM.
H
E HAD NEVER BEEN KNOCKED OUT IN THE BOXING RING AND HE WASN’T READY TO BE KNOCKED OUT BY LIFE.
M
ICKEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FIGHTER AND NOW THAT HE WAS AGAINST THE ROPES IT WAS TIME TO FIGHT BACK.
H
E WANTED TO EARN BACK PEOPLE’S RESPECT SO THAT WHEN HE WALKED INTO A ROOM, EVERYONE WOULD LOOK OVER IN ADMIRATION RATHER THAN PITY.

T
HE WAY TO DO IT WAS TO REMIND EVERYONE WHAT A GREAT ACTOR HE WAS.
A
LL THE HARD EXPERIENCES HE HAD HAD IN RECENT YEARS COULD SURELY BE DRAWN ON TO MAKE HIM AN EVEN BETTER, MORE INTERESTING ACTOR THAN HE HAD BEEN BEFORE.
H
E DECIDED THAT EVEN IF HE WAS IN A WEAK MOVIE, HE WOULD GIVE A WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE AND GET NOTICED.
M
ICKEY HAD REACHED THE ACTING SUMMIT IN THE FIRST PLACE BY WORKING HIS WAY UP VIA SMALL PARTS AND, HUMBLED BY HIS TIME IN THE WILDERNESS, HE WAS PREPARED TO DO IT AGAIN IN A BID TO CLIMB BACK TO STARDOM.

T
HE FORMER BOXER WOULD NOW LEARN TO FIGHT IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN ORDER TO SECURE HIS FUTURE.
H
E RESOLVED NOT TO DERAIL THAT AMBITION WITH SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, DECIDING HE WOULD STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, NOT SHOOT HIS MOUTH OFF, AND BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY AT ALL TIMES.
W
ITH HIS SPIRITS RENEWED AND HIS FACE REBUILT – DE-PUFFED COURTESY OF FOUR LOTS OF RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY –
M
ICKEY SET OFF ON THE LONG CLIMB BACK TO THE TOP.

H
ELPING HIM GET THERE WOULD BE A YOUNGER GENERATION OF MOVIEMAKERS – PEOPLE LIKE
R
OBERT
R
ODRIGUEZ AND
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY – WHO HAD GROWN UP AS FANS OF
M
ICKEY AND NOW FOUND THEMSELVES IN A POSITION TO HIRE HIM FOR THEIR MOVIES.