Mickey Rourke (4 page)

M
ICKEY REPEATED THE ROLE AT ANOTHER LOCAL THEATER, ENJOYED HIMSELF EVEN MORE, THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOST WORTHWHILE THING HE HAD DONE IN QUITE SOME TIME, AND BEGAN TO THINK ACTING COULD BE THE CAREER FOR HIM.
H
E REASONED, “
I
PRETTY MUCH LIVED IN MY MIND ANYWAY.
I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REAL NICE TO BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE, AND
I
NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.”
T
HAT WAS BECAUSE HIS CAREER OPTIONS HAD COME DOWN TO EITHER ACTING OR CRIME.
H
IS FRIENDS TOLD HIM CRIME OFFERED MUCH GREATER GUARANTEES OF MAKING MONEY.

M
ICKEY GAVE THE GANGSTER LIFE A TRY, BECOMING A DRIVER FOR SOME TOUGH TYPES AND MIXING WITH ACQUAINTANCES WHO HAD GRADUATED FROM PETTY CRIME TO MORE SERIOUS ACTIVITIES.
W
HEN
M
ICKEY ACCOMPANIED THEM ON A DRUG DEAL ONE DAY, HE FOUND HIMSELF CAUGHT UP IN A GUNFIGHT AS BULLETS SUDDENLY WHIZZED BY HIS HEAD.
H
E WAS SMART ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT STICKING WITH THIS LINE OF WORK COULD GET HIM KILLED.

A
CTING SEEMED A MUCH SAFER OPTION AND AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF WHEN A THEATER COMPANY IN
C
HICAGO OFFERED
M
ICKEY AN APPRENTICESHIP, SAYING HE COULD LEARN TO ACT WHILE MAKING SCENERY.
B
UT HE TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE HE WASN’T INTERESTED IN BUILDING SETS.
H
E ALSO EVENTUALLY ADMITTED TO NOT BEING ABLE TO HAMMER A NAIL, SO HE WENT BACK TO HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH WITH HIS FRIENDS AND WONDERING IF THERE WAS AN EASIER WAY TO BREAK INTO ACTING.
G
ARY
C
OX, WHO CAST HIM IN
DEATHWATCH
, AND WENT ON TO WORK AS A WAITER, HAD SUGGESTED HE MOVE TO
N
EW
Y
ORK, WHICH IS WHERE PEOPLE WENT TO BECOME ACTORS.
I
T WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

I
T WAS DURING A LONG TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE WITH ONE OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS,
S
TONEY
C
URTIS – SO NAMED BECAUSE HE LOOKED LIKE
T
ONY
C
URTIS AND LOVED GETTING STONED – THAT HE CAME UP WITH A FIRM PLAN.
M
ICKEY ANNOUNCED TO HIS PAL, “
I
’M GONNA MOVE TO
N
EW
Y
ORK AND BECOME AN ACTOR THERE.”

S
O THAT’S WHAT HE DID.
H
E SAID GOODBYE TO HIS COLORFUL
M
IAMI FRIENDS – WHO PRESENTED HIM WITH A GOING AWAY PRESENT OF A BASEBALL BAT TO USE TO WARD OFF TROUBLEMAKERS IN
N
EW
Y
ORK – GOT ON A PLANE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, AND WITH $400 IN HIS POCKET, WHICH WAS BORROWED FROM HIS SISTER
P
ATTI WHO WAS WORKING AT THE LOCAL
M
C
D
ONALD’S, HEADED OFF TO A HOPEFULLY BRIGHT FUTURE.

L
OOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO STAY IN THE
B
IG
A
PPLE, HE VISITED A NUMBER OF ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE HIS GRANDMOTHER USED TO KNOW, ONLY TO FIND THEY HAD MOVED AWAY OR THE BUILDINGS WEREN’T EVEN THERE ANYMORE.
O
NE PLACE HE DID KNOW EXISTED WAS THE WORLD-FAMOUS
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO WHERE HE HAD HEARD THAT ONE OF HIS FAVORITE MOVIE STARS,
S
TEVE
M
C
Q
UEEN, HAD STUDIED.
S
O HE PICKED UP HIS SUITCASES, GOT IN A CAB AND HEADED THERE.
M
ICKEY WALKED IN, TOLD THE PEOPLE INSIDE THAT HE HAD COME TO
N
EW
Y
ORK TO BE AN ACTOR BUT HAD LITTLE CASH AND NO PLACE TO STAY.
T
HEY WERE NICE ENOUGH TO RECOMMEND SOME CHEAP HOTELS FAVORED BY A LOT OF STARVING ACTORS.
H
E TRIED THE
A
LBERT FIRST AND THEN THE
E
ARL BEFORE SETTLING ON A $38-A-WEEK ATTIC ROOM AT THE
M
ARLTON ON
W
EST 8TH
S
TREET IN
G
REENWICH
V
ILLAGE.
T
HAT’S WHERE HE WOULD STAY FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

N
ERVOUS ABOUT SOME OF THE BIZARRE CHARACTERS HE HAD SEEN IN THE HOTEL,
M
ICKEY TOOK HIS BASEBALL BAT TO BED WITH HIM EVERY NIGHT.
F
OR THE FIRST MONTH, HE FELT SHY AND ALONE.
H
E KNEW NOBODY IN THE BIG CITY.
M
EANWHILE, HE HAD NO MONEY OTHER THAN HIS ACCOMMODATION EXPENSES AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY STEAL CANDY BARS JUST TO SURVIVE.

T
HINGS IMPROVED WHEN A FRIEND FROM
M
IAMI,
L
ITTLE
E
DDIE, JOINED HIM AT THE
M
ARLTON.
W
HILE
M
ICKEY HAD COME TO THE
B
IG
A
PPLE TO BE AN ACTOR, HIS FRIEND’S DREAM WAS TO BECOME A GANGSTER.
B
UT WITH NEITHER OF THOSE POSITIONS IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, THEY WENT OUT TO LOOK FOR OTHER WORK TOGETHER AND BOTH GOT JOBS FOR A WHILE WORKING AS ATTENDANTS AT A NEARBY PARKING LOT.

L
ITTLE
E
DDIE WAS A 4FT-8IN-TALL
C
UBAN WHOSE TOUGHNESS HAD BEEN ALMOST LEGENDARY IN
M
IAMI.
H
E WAS SUCH A FEARLESS CHARACTER THAT HE ONCE STOOD UP IN A MOVIE THEATER, WHERE SEVERAL OTHER FILMGOERS WERE LOUDLY TALKING DURING THE PICTURE, AND DEMANDED THAT EVERYONE SHOULD SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP.
T
HEY DID.

L
ITTLE
E
DDIE HAD USED THE
M
C
D
ONALD’S WHERE
P
ATTI
R
OURKE WORKED AS HIS UNOFFICIAL OFFICE.
M
ICKEY WENT STORMING IN THERE ONE DAY TO CONFRONT HIM AFTER ONE OF HIS OTHER FRIENDS HAD BEEN BEATEN UP BY THE TINY TOUGH GUY.
W
HEN HE DEMANDED TO KNOW WHY HE’D DONE IT, THE
C
UBAN COOLLY REPLIED, “
B
ECAUSE HE’S A PUNK.”
M
ICKEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, REALIZED HIS PAL
WAS
A PUNK, AND DECIDED HE LIKED THIS WEIRD LITTLE CHARACTER.
T
HEY BECAME FIRM FRIENDS FROM THAT MOMENT AND
E
DDIE ALWAYS BACKED HIM UP – ONCE EVEN COMING TO HIS RESCUE WHEN FOUR MUCH BIGGER GUYS WERE BEATING UP
M
ICKEY IN THE STREET.

T
HE
C
UBAN SHARED
M
ICKEY’S BIZARRE FASHION SENSE, TOO, AND WHEN THEY FOUND THEMSELVES TOGETHER IN
N
EW
Y
ORK, THE COMPADRES FROM
M
IAMI BROKE OUT THE OLD EXTRAVAGANT OUTFITS.
T
HEY MADE QUITE A SIGHT WALKING ALONG TOGETHER THROUGH
G
REENWICH
V
ILLAGE IN THEIR GLAM ROCK GEAR,
L
ITTLE
E
DDIE ON THE SIDEWALK AND
M
ICKEY IN THE STREET TO MINIMIZE THE HEIGHT DIFFERENCE WHENEVER A GIRL WENT PAST.
T
HEY HAD A FUN TIME UNTIL
L
ITTLE
E
DDIE MOVED AWAY TO
C
ONNECTICUT, MUCH TO
M
ICKEY’S DISAPPOINTMENT.

W
ITH HIS FRIEND GONE,
M
ICKEY WOULD HIT THE TOWN ALONE IN HIS BRIGHTLY COLORED CLOTHES, LOOKING LIKE A
D
AVID
B
OWIE WANNABE, AND WAS SOON FIGHTING OFF ADVANCES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOMOSEXUALS WHO PRESUMED HE WAS TRAWLING FOR SEX.
H
E RECALLED IN A LATER MAGAZINE INTERVIEW, “
I
WAS SO FUCKING NAÏVE WALKING AROUND IN MY
C
UBAN HIGH-HEELED SHOES AND MY FUCKING STARDUST OUTFIT THAT
I
DIDN’T REALIZE THE COOL BOYS ON THE CORNER WERE EYEBALLING ME BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GET DOWN.”

M
ICKEY THOUGHT HE LOOKED SO COOL AND WELL DRESSED THAT ONE DAY HE WALKED INTO THE
F
ORD
M
ODELING
A
GENCY AND ASKED FOR A JOB.
H
E DIDN’T GET PAST THE RECEPTIONIST WHO LOOKED AT HIM AS IF HE WERE NUTS.
B
UT HE REALLY DID NEED SOME KIND OF PAYING WORK IF HE WAS TO SURVIVE IN THE BIG CITY.
T
HOUGHTS OF ACTING SEEMED TO BE FORGOTTEN AS HE BOUNCED FROM ONE BIZARRE JOB TO ANOTHER.
O
NE OF THE ODDEST JOBS HE TOOK WAS AS AN ATTACK-DOG AGITATOR, WEARING A SKIMPY LEATHER PATCH ON HIS ARM AND ENCOURAGING
D
OBERMAN
P
INSCHERS TO SINK THEIR TEETH INTO IT AS PART OF THEIR GUARD DOG TRAINING. “
T
HAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ONES,” HE LAUGHED, “PROVOKING A KILLER DOG.”

H
E ALSO WORKED FOR THE BROTHELS ON 42ND
S
TREET, SUPERVISING THE TEAM OF YOUNG MEN FROM
P
UERTO
R
ICO WHO HANDED OUT FLYERS on the street by making sure they did their job and didn’t get beaten up or chased off by pimps. He then lost his job parking cars at a valet service because he kept crashing them as he struggled to back the vehicles into tiny spaces.

A
LL THESE LOW-PAID JOBS PROVIDED VALUABLE LIFE EXPERIENCE WHICH WOULD LATER BE POURED INTO HIS ACTING WHEN HE CAME TO PLAY CHARACTERS WITH THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST THEM.
O
THER ACTORS WHO FIND WORK STRAIGHT OUT OF SCHOOL FOR A TEEN SERIES OR SOAP OPERA NEVER GET THAT KIND OF INSIGHT.

B
UT
M
ICKEY WASN’T THINKING BACK THEN ABOUT HOW LUCKY HE WAS.
I
NSTEAD, HE WAS BATTLING JUST TO SCRAPE TOGETHER ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THE FAST FOOD, POTATO CHIPS, AND CHOCOLATE BARS WHICH MADE UP HIS DIET.
H
E KNEW NOTHING ABOUT NUTRITION BACK THEN AND HIS TEETH WERE ROTTING.
H
E WAS ALSO STRUGGLING TO PAY HIS BILL AT THE RUNDOWN HOTEL WHERE HE WAS LIVING.
H
IS GRANDMOTHER WOULD SEND HIM A FEW DOLLARS EACH MONTH, AND THE CASH WAS VITAL TO
M
ICKEY, WHO WOULD SHOW UP HOURS EARLY AT THE
W
ESTERN
U
NION OFFICE WAITING TO GET HIS CHECK.

I
T WAS A LONELY TIME FOR
M
ICKEY WITH NO CLOSE BUDDIES AROUND AND NO GIRLFRIEND.
H
E WAS SHY AROUND THE BIG CITY GIRLS AND DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO THEM.
T
HEY CERTAINLY DIDN’T COME RUNNING AS THEY WOULD WHEN HE BECAME FAMOUS.
W
HEN HE DID HOOK UP WITH WOMEN, THEY LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THE GLAMOROUS MODELS AND ACTRESSES WHO WOULD LATER CHOOSE TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM.

H
IS LIFE BACK THEN WAS AS MUCH A MESS AS WAS HIS ROOM AT THE
M
ARLTON, WHICH LOOKED AS ROUGH AS SOME OF THE GIRLS HE TOOK BACK TO IT.
T
HE CHAMBERMAIDS WOULD SOMETIMES REFUSE TO CLEAN THE ROOM BECAUSE IT WAS LEFT IN SUCH SQUALOR.
W
ITH LITTLE CASH, DIRECTION, OR PROSPECTS, IT SEEMED A HOPELESS SITUATION.
B
UT HOPE WAS ABOUT TO WALK INTO
M
ICKEY’S LIFE IN THE FORM OF A KINDLY MAN WHO PUT HIM ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

T
HE GREAT PHILOSOPHER
A
LBERT
S
CHWEITZER ONCE SAID, “
S
OMETIMES OUR LIGHT GOES OUT BUT IS BLOWN AGAIN INTO FLAME BY AN ENCOUNTER WITH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
E
ACH OF US OWES THE DEEPEST THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE REKINDLED THIS INNER LIGHT.”
M
ICKEY OWED HIS THANKS TO THE NIGHT MANAGER AT THE
M
ARLTON,
C
ARL
M
ONTGOMERY, WHO BEFRIENDED HIM AND MADE HIM THINK SERIOUSLY AGAIN ABOUT BECOMING AN ACTOR.
C
ARL WAS A HUGE THEATER BUFF WHO WOULD TALK WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM TO THE YOUNG HOTEL GUEST ABOUT THE PLAYS AND PERFORMERS HE HAD SEEN.
H
E GAVE
M
ICKEY BOOKS AND ARTICLES ABOUT ACTING AND ACTORS, PLAYS BY
S
HAKESPEARE AND
T
ENNESSEE
W
ILLIAMS, RECOMMENDED OLD FILMS FOR HIM TO WATCH AND REALLY REIGNITED HIS INTEREST IN ACTING.
M
ICKEY IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THIS FASCINATING NEW WORLD.

C
OUNTLESS ACTORS HAD PASSED THROUGH THE HOTEL’S DOORS OVER THE YEARS BUT
M
ONTGOMERY SAW SOMETHING IN
M
ICKEY THE OTHERS NEVER HAD – STAR QUALITY.
H
E JUST DIDN’T KNOW IF
M
ICKEY HAD THE DEDICATION TO MAKE IT.

I
NSPIRED BY HIS CHATS WITH
C
ARL,
M
ICKEY WENT BACK TO THE
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO, DETERMINED TO WIN A PLACE AT THE SCHOOL WHERE PAST STUDENTS HAD INCLUDED
J
AMES
D
EAN,
M
ARLON
B
RANDO, AND
M
ONTGOMERY
C
LIFT – ALL ACTORS
M
ICKEY HAD LEARNED MORE ABOUT AND BECOME A BIGGER FAN OF AFTER THE
M
ARLTON’S NIGHT MANAGER HAD WIDENED HIS HORIZONS.
H
E LEARNED THAT THOSE LEGENDS, ALONG WITH MORE RECENT STUDENTS LIKE
R
OBERT
D
E
N
IRO AND
A
L
P
ACINO, HAD STUDIED THE
S
TANISLAVSKI “METHOD” THERE, AN INTROSPECTIVE STYLE of performance originated by a Russian theater revolutionary in which the actor puts his own life experience into the role to bring more depth, detail, and reality to the character. That sounded good to Mickey. But he wasn’t going to be able to just walk into a place at this ultimate acting school. It received thousands of applications each year and only took in a handful of students at a time.

M
ICKEY REALIZED HE WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH YET TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE BUT, SHOWING A DEDICATION WHICH HAD BEEN MISSING FROM THE REST OF HIS LIFE, HE RESOLVED TO GET THE SKILLS TO MAKE IT IN THERE SOMEDAY SOON, AND SET ABOUT THAT AMBITION BY SIGNING UP FOR PRIVATE LESSONS WITH ONE OF THE
S
TUDIO’S TOP TEACHERS,
S
ANDRA
S
EACAT.