Mickey Rourke (31 page)

A
FEW DAYS LATER, AT THE
S
CREEN
A
CTORS
G
UILD
A
WARDS,
M
ICKEY’S MOMENTUM WAS HALTED WHEN HE WAS BEATEN TO THE
B
EST
A
CTOR PRIZE BY
S
EAN
P
ENN, BUT HE STILL WON THE MAJORITY OF HEADLINES THE NEXT DAY DUE TO REMARKS MADE TO REPORTERS THAT NIGHT ON THE RED CARPET.
T
HE STAR OF
THE WRESTLER
REVEALED HE HAD BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT APPEARING AT THE
WWE
’S (
W
ORLD
W
RESTLING
E
NTERTAINMENT) UPCOMING SHOWPIECE EVENT
W
RESTLE
M
ANIA
XXV
IN
H
OUSTON ON 5
A
PRIL, AND HINTED HE COULD EVEN FIGHT SIX-TIME
WWE
CHAMPION
C
HRIS
J
ERICHO THERE.
S
HOWING PURE WRESTLING THEATRICS,
M
ICKEY LOOKED INTO ONE OF THE
TV
CAMERAS, POINTED A FINGER, AND SAID, “
C
HRIS
J
ERICHO, YOU’D BETTER GET IN SHAPE…
I
’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
H
E TOLD ANOTHER INTERVIEWER HE WAS GOING TO TOSS
J
ERICHO “AROUND THE RING LIKE A TOSSED SALAD.”
S
OON AFTERWARDS,
J
ERICHO WOULD SAY THAT
M
ICKEY HAD MADE A BIG MISTAKE AND SHOWN HIM A LACK OF RESPECT, SETTING UP THE KIND OF WAR OF WORDS THAT IS COMMON IN WRESTLING.
M
ICKEY IS SURE TO HAVE BEEN OFFERED MORE MONEY TO APPEAR AT THE GIANT
W
RESTLE
M
ANIA PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT THAN HE GOT FOR STARRING IN
THE WRESTLER
.

M
EANWHILE, HAVING THE STAR OF
THE WRESTLER
ENDORSE HIS ORGANIZATION SEEMED LIKE A CANNY MOVE ON BEHALF OF
WWE
BOSS
V
INCE
M
C
M
AHON TO COUNTER SOME OF THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY WRESTLING HAD RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF
M
ICKEY’S FILM – WHICH SHOWS BOUTS WITH PRE-ARRANGED OUTCOMES, WRESTLERS USING STEROIDS AND BEING CRIPPLED IN LATER LIFE.
M
ICKEY PUBLICLY PRAISED
M
C
M
AHON FOR transforming wrestling from a sport for fat guys in Speedos to one for superfit athletes and said he wanted to do anything he could to support the wrestling community because its embracing of the movie had meant so much to him.

T
HE PROSPECT OF
M
ICKEY GRAPPLING IN THE WRESTLING RING FOR REAL BUILT INTO A HUGE MEDIA STORY AND ALSO SAW HIM APPEAR ON
CNN
’S
LARRY KING LIVE
SHOW.
C
HRIS
J
ERICHO WAS ALSO ON THE PROGRAM AND VOWED TO TEACH
M
ICKEY A FEW THINGS IN THE RING THAT HE NEVER LEARNED WHILE PLAYING A WRESTLER IN THE MOVIE.
M
ICKEY TOOK THE HIGH GROUND AND AVOIDED A WAR OF WORDS BY PRAISING
J
ERICHO, BUT LEFT THE DOOR OPEN FOR A POSSIBLE SHOWDOWN AT
W
RESTLE
M
ANIA.

C
OMMON SENSE TOOK OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER WHEN
M
ICKEY’S PUBLICIST SAID HE WOULDN’T BE GOING INTO THE WRESTLING RING FOR REAL.
P
AULA
W
OODS TOLD THE
A
SSOCIATED
P
RESS, “
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN
W
RESTLE
M
ANIA.
H
E IS FOCUSING ENTIRELY ON HIS ACTING CAREER.”

M
ICKEY SAID AT A LATER
Q
&
A
EVENT, “
I
HAVE PEOPLE
I
SHOULD LISTEN TO NOW.
S
O
I
’M LISTENING TO THEM AND TRYING TO KEEP IT ALL ABOUT THE ACTING FOR NOW.”
N
EVERTHELESS, HE COULDN’T RESIST, AND WHEN
W
RESTLE
M
ANIA ROLLED AROUND,
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WAS THERE IN THE CROWD.
H
E WAS EXPECTED TO STAY IN HIS SEAT BECAUSE AS A CONDITION OF HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE UPCOMING
IRON MAN 2
, THAT FILM’S INSURERS HAD INSISTED HE NOT GET IN THE RING AND START WRESTLING.
S
O HE GOT IN THE RING AND STARTED BOXING INSTEAD.

A
S
C
HRIS
J
ERICHO WAS FINISHING A MATCH, HE SAW
M
ICKEY IN THE CROWD AND BEGAN TAUNTING THE ACTOR.
M
ICKEY GOT UP FROM HIS SEAT, GAVE THE JEWELRY HE WAS WEARING TO THE PEOPLE NEXT TO HIM TO HOLD, SLOWLY WALKED TO THE RING, CLIMBED IN, TOOK OFF THE HAT HE WAS WEARING AND PUT IT OVER A RING POST, AND THEN ADVANCED TOWARDS
J
ERICHO IN A BOXING POSE.
T
HE WRESTLER PUT UP HIS DUKES, TOO, BUT HIS FISTS WEREN’T FAST ENOUGH FOR
M
ICKEY WHO CAUGHT HIM WITH A PUNCH.
T
HEN THE FORMER BOXER THREW A LEFT HOOK WHICH SENT
J
ERICHO CRASHING TO THE CANVAS, MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE CROWD AND THE INTERNATIONAL PAY-PER-VIEW
TV
AUDIENCE.
W
RESTLING ICON
R
IC
F
LAIR JUMPED INTO THE RING, RAISED
M
ICKEY’S ARM IN VICTORY, AND
M
ICKEY TOOK THE APPLAUSE OF THE CROWD BEFORE CLEARING OFF WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE.

B
UT BACK IN
F
EBRUARY, IT WAS A SHOWDOWN IN THE AWARDS RING HE WAS FOCUSED ON AS HE BATTLED IT OUT WITH
S
EAN
P
ENN FOR THE TWO BIG REMAINING PRIZES OF AWARDS SEASON, THE
B
RITISH
A
CADEMY
A
WARD AND THE
O
SCAR.
F
OLLOWING
P
ENN’S WIN AT THE
SAG
A
WARDS, IT WAS NOW A TWO-MAN RACE BETWEEN HIM AND
M
ICKEY.
P
ENN PRAISED HIS OLD FRIEND’S PERFORMANCE IN
THE WRESTLER,
CALLING IT “A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK” AND SAYING THAT HE WEPT WHILE WATCHING IT.
P
ENN HAD WON THE
O
SCAR ONCE BEFORE, FOR HIS ROLE AS A VENGEFUL FATHER IN 2003’S
MYSTIC RIVER
, WHILE
M
ICKEY WAS SEEKING HIS FIRST WIN WITH HIS FIRST NOMINATION.

M
ICKEY HAD PUT IN A STRING OF PUBLIC APPEARANCES DURING AWARDS SEASON, WHILE
P
ENN KEPT A MUCH LOWER PROFILE.
T
HE TWO MEN MET UP FOR A DRINK AT
LA
’S
F
OUR
S
EASONS
H
OTEL A MONTH BEFORE THE
O
SCARS AND
P
ENN WANTED TO LOOK OUT FOR HIS OLD PAL.
H
E ADVISED HIM TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DO ANYTHING THAT COULD BE MISINTERPRETED.
T
HE SPOTLIGHT WAS ON
M
ICKEY AGAIN AND IT WAS CRUCIAL HE DIDN’T GIVE THE MEDIA ANY NEGATIVE HEADLINES.
P
ERHAPS HE SHOULD LAY LOW FOR A WHILE.

S
OME FELT
M
ICKEY’S RECENT VISIBILITY MIGHT HURT HIS CHANCES, THAT HE WAS STARTING TO LOOK DESPERATE.
A
NOTHER TURN-OFF MIGHT BE THAT HE SEEMED TOO MUCH OF A RENEGADE TO ATTRACT VOTES FROM OLDER, MORE CONSERVATIVE, VOTERS.
T
HERE WAS ALSO THE CLAIM THAT HE WAS ONLY PLAYING HIMSELF IN
THE WRESTLER
– BEFORE YOU CAN BE DECLARED THE BEST ACTOR, PEOPLE HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU ARE ACTUALLY ACTING.

B
Y THE TIME
M
ICKEY ATTENDED THE ANNUAL
O
SCAR NOMINEES LUNCHEON AT THE
B
EVERLY
H
ILTON
H
OTEL ON 2
F
EBRUARY, HE WAS DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM FRONTRUNNER STATUS AND CLAIMED HE DIDN’T EXPECT TO WIN THE
A
CADEMY
A
WARD THIS YEAR. “
I
’LL PROBABLY BE SITTING OUT THERE CLAPPING FOR
S
EAN
P
ENN,” HE TOLD THE PRESS.

B
UT AFTER STRUGGLING TO GET A GOOD TABLE IN DECENT RESTAURANTS NOT SO LONG AGO, HE WAS GRATEFUL TO BE INVITED TO
H
OLLYWOOD’S MOST EXCLUSIVE LUNCHEON OF THE YEAR.
E
ATING HUMBLE PIE, THE CHANGED STAR SAID AT THE EVENT, “
T
HE BIGGEST CHANGE SINCE THE NOMINATION IS THE PEOPLE
I
BURNED BRIDGES WITH ARE FORGIVING ME FOR THE HORRIBLE WAY
I
CARRIED MYSELF FOR MANY YEARS.”

R
OURKE, ALONG WITH ALL HIS FELLOW NOMINEES, RECEIVED A FREE
O
SCAR SWEATSHIRT, A BOOK ON THE HISTORY OF THE
A
CADEMY
A
WARDS, AND A CERTIFICATE ACKNOWLEDGING HIS NOMINATION.

H
E FLEW TO
E
NGLAND A FEW DAYS LATER WHERE ANOTHER BIG HONOR WAS ABOUT TO COME HIS WAY.
O
N
S
UNDAY 8
F
EBRUARY,
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WAS IN
L
ONDON FOR THE
BAFTA
S (
B
RITISH
A
CADEMY
A
WARDS), LOOKING RESPLENDENT IN A SHINY BLACK SUIT AND WEARING SUNGLASSES DESPITE THE HEAVY RAIN.
A
S HE JOINED FELLOW NOMINEES
B
RAD
P
ITT,
A
NGELINA
J
OLIE,
P
ENELOPE
C
RUZ, AND
K
ATE
W
INSLET ON THE RAIN-LASHED RED CARPET OUTSIDE THE
R
OYAL
O
PERA
H
OUSE, IT WAS LIKE WATCHING LUXURY CARS GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH.
A
SKED BY THE SOAKED REPORTERS WHETHER HE MINDED THE ICY WEATHER THAT GREETED HIM,
M
ICKEY REPLIED, “
I
T’S REALLY COLD, BUT
I
’VE BEEN OUT IN THE COLD FOR A LONG TIME.”

B
UT HE WAS SOON FEELING THE WARMTH AND LOVE OF
B
RITISH VOTERS AS HE WON THE
B
EST
A
CTOR AWARD, WHICH HE DEDICATED TO ONE OF HIS HEROES AND FRIENDS, THE LATE, GREAT ACTOR
R
ICHARD
H
ARRIS.
H
IS CHEEKY AND HILARIOUS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH INCLUDED A SPECIAL THANKS TO
M
ARISA
T
OMEI, OF WHOM HE SAID, “
S
HE’S A HELL OF A TALENT AND IT WAS VERY BRAVE OF HER TO TAKE HER CLOTHES OFF ALL THE TIME –
I
ENJOYED LOOKING AT HER.”

T
HE SPEECH CONTAINED TWO F-WORDS – THE FIRST OF WHICH CAME WHEN HE THANKED
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY FOR “GIVING ME A SECOND CHANCE AFTER FUCKING UP MY CAREER FOR 15 YEARS” AND THE NEXT WHEN PRAISING HIS PUBLICIST
P
AULA
W
OODS FOR HAVING THE HARDEST JOB IN SHOW BUSINESS BY “TELLING ME WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHEN TO DO IT, WHAT TO EAT, WHAT TO WEAR, AND WHAT TO FUCK.”
B
OTH F-WORDS WERE BLEEPED OUT BY THE
BBC
.
H
OST
J
ONATHAN
R
OSS, HIMSELF JUST BACK ON THE CHANNEL AFTER A SUSPENSION FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, JOKED, “
I
’M AFRAID THAT AFTER THAT SPEECH,
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE IS NOW SUSPENDED FOR THREE MONTHS.”
M
ICKEY FURTHER LIVED UP TO HIS WILD REPUTATION BACKSTAGE BY SWIGGING CHAMPAGNE FROM A BOTTLE WHILE CARRYING HIS
BAFTA
IN THE OTHER HAND.

T
HE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC LAPPED IT UP, BUT
O
SCAR VOTERS WATCHING ON THEIR
TV
SETS FIVE THOUSAND MILES AWAY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED BY THE RETURN OF THE BAD-BOY IMAGE.
A
LEADING
H
OLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE WHO IS NO STRANGER TO WINNING
O
SCARS TOLD
M
ICKEY THAT NIGHT THAT THE EXPLETIVE-STREWN SPEECH HAD JUST COST HIM THE
A
CADEMY
A
WARD BY ALIENATING ALL THE CONSERVATIVE VOTERS.
I
N A BACKSTAGE HEART-TO-HEART, HE TOLD HIM HE HAD DONE BRILLIANTLY by appearing so humble and modest throughout awards season but was now falling at the final hurdle by giving people a glimpse of the uncouth actor of the past.

T
HERE HAD BEEN EXAMPLES IN THE RECENT PAST OF AN
O
SCAR FRONTRUNNER LOSING OUT ON AN
A
CADEMY
A
WARD FOLLOWING BAD BEHAVIOR AT THE
BAFTA
S.
I
N 2001,
R
USSELL
C
ROWE BERATED THE SHOW’S PRODUCER,
M
ALCOLM
G
ERRIE, FOR CUTTING HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR
B
EST
A
CTOR.
W
HEN IT CAME TO THE
O
SCARS JUST WEEKS LATER,
C
ROWE’S PERFORMANCE IN
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
LOST OUT TO
D
ENZEL
W
ASHINGTON’S IN
TRAINING DAY
.
I
N 2003,
C
ROWE’S FILM
MASTER AND COMMANDER
WAS NOMINATED FOR TEN
O
SCARS BUT THERE WAS NO
B
EST
A
CTOR NOMINATION FOR ITS STAR.
I
T ALL GOES TO SHOW THAT
O
SCAR VOTERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY INTOLERANT OF BAD BOYS.

B
UT MANY
H
OLLYWOOD INSIDERS WERE WARMING TO
M
ICKEY MORE AND MORE WITH EACH MENTION OF HOW MUCH HE LOVED HIS DOGS.
A
S THE AWARDS AND ATTENTION PILED UP FOR
M
ICKEY, SO DID THE PRESENTS FOR HIS POOCHES.
F
RIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WHO KNEW THE DOGS WERE THE WAY TO HIS HEART BOMBARDED THE ACTOR WITH CONGRATULATORY GIFTS OF DOG FOOD, TREATS, AND ACCESSORIES.
I
EVEN SENT HIM A MINI BLACK MOTORCYCLE JACKET FOR
L
OKI FROM
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS PET BOUTIQUE
D
OGGIE
S
TYLES.