Mickey Rourke (9 page)

M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WAS ONE OF FOUR ACTORS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE LEAD ROLE IN SUPERNATURAL THRILLER
ANGEL HEART
(1987).
B
UT WHEN HE MET WITH DIRECTOR
A
LAN
P
ARKER IN
LA
TO DISCUSS THE FILM, HE MANAGED TO CONVINCE HIM THAT ONLY HE COULD PLAY THE PART AND SO THERE WAS NO POINT TALKING TO THE OTHER CONTENDERS.
P
ARKER KNEW ABOUT
M
ICKEY’S GROWING REPUTATION FOR NOT SHOWING UP FOR WORK ON TIME AND BEING DIFFICULT WITH DIRECTORS, SO HE HIRED HIM ON THE CONDITION THAT HIS LEADING MAN ACT WITH TOTAL PROFESSIONALISM.

W
HILE
M
ICKEY KNEW THAT THE ROLE OF PRIVATE DETECTIVE
H
ARRY
A
NGEL WAS A GOOD ONE, THE GREATER MOTIVATION FOR WANTING THE JOB WAS A DESIRE TO KEEP HIS EXPENSIVE
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS HOUSE.
M
ICKEY HAD BEEN SPENDING MONEY LIKE CRAZY AND REALIZED THAT THE LARGE
ANGEL HEART
PAY CHECK WOULD ENABLE HIM TO KEEP UP HIS $25,000A-MONTH MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AND PAY OFF VARIOUS OTHER BILLS.

R
ICH IN DARK ATMOSPHERE, GORGEOUSLY SHOT, AND BRILLIANTLY ACTED BY
M
ICKEY,
ANGEL HEART
IS ARGUABLY
M
ICKEY’S BEST FILM – AT LEAST UNTIL
THE WRESTLER
CAME ALONG TWO DECADES LATER.

S
ET IN 1955, IT SEES HIS PRIVATE-EYE CHARACTER HIRED BY A SINISTER MAN CALLED
L
OUIS
C
YPHRE (THE CLUE IS IN THE NAME) TO TRACK DOWN A FORMER CLIENT NAMED
J
OHNNY
F
AVORITE WHO OWES HIM SOMETHING BUT HAS MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED.
H
ARRY’S MANHUNT LEADS FROM
N
EW
Y
ORK TO
N
EW
O
RLEANS, PAST A TRAIL OF DEAD BODIES, into a romance with a young voodoo princess called Epiphany Proudfoot, and ends with a creepy and shocking twist.

M
ICKEY HAD A SERIES OF IDEAS FOR HIS CHARACTER, INCLUDING GIVING HIM A GIANT FAKE NOSE, JET-BLACK HAIR AND A LIMP, EACH OF WHICH
P
ARKER REJECTED.

T
HE BEST SCENES IN THE FILM ARE THE ONES BETWEEN
M
ICKEY AND
R
OBERT
D
E
N
IRO, WHO PLAYED
L
OUIS
C
YPHRE – A CHILLING ROLE THAT ALMOST WENT INSTEAD TO
M
ARLON
B
RANDO.
M
ICKEY RELISHED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE SCREEN WITH ONE OF THE TRUE ACTING GREATS AND SOMEONE HE HUGELY RESPECTED.
H
E LEARNED A LOT FROM SEEING JUST HOW FOCUSED AND DISCIPLINED
D
E
N
IRO WAS – TWO QUALITIES
M
ICKEY HAD STRUGGLED WITH EVER SINCE HIS AMATEUR BOXING DAYS.
H
E WAS DETERMINED TO SHOW HE HAD GREAT SKILLS, TOO, AND SEEING THEM SQUARE OFF IS ALMOST LIKE WATCHING TWO HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING LEGENDS BATTLING FOR SUPREMACY.
O
NE ACTING TRICK
M
ICKEY USED TO CREATE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF FEAR TO FILM AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIS COSTAR’S CREEPY CHARACTER WAS TO IMAGINE HIMSELF BEING EIGHT YEARS OLD AGAIN AND HAVING TO FACE HIS TERRIFYING STEPFATHER.
A
ND TO HELP HIM FEEL THE TENSION WHILE FILMING THEIR CLIMACTIC SCENE,
M
ICKEY CLUTCHED AN ICE CUBE IN HIS FIST.
B
Y THE TIME IT WAS COMPLETED, THERE WAS A PUDDLE NEXT TO HIS FEET.
M
ICKEY STILL KEEPS ON HIS WALL AT HOME A PHOTO HE HAD TAKEN ON THE SET WITH
D
E
N
IRO.

P
ARKER LOVED
M
ICKEY’S WORK WITH
D
E
N
IRO, BUT THE DIRECTOR HAD TO REIN HIM IN DURING HIS SCENE WITH
C
HARLOTTE
R
AMPLING, IN THE ROLE OF
M
ARGARET
K
RUSEMARK.
S
HE WAS WORD PERFECT ON EVERY TAKE BUT
M
ICKEY WOULD GO OFF SCRIPT AND IMPROVISE NEW LINES EACH TIME IN A BID TO FIND A FRESH WAY TO PLAY THE SCENE.
P
ARKER FELT THE BEST WAY TO DO THE SCENE WAS BY DELIVERING THE WORDS THAT WERE WRITTEN AND FIRMLY TOLD HIS STAR TO STICK TO THE SCRIPT.
T
HE DIRECTOR WOULD EVENTUALLY CALL
M
ICKEY “A NIGHTMARE” TO WORK WITH BECAUSE OF HIS UNPREDICTABILITY, BUT HE ADMIRED HIS ACTING GENIUS AT THE SAME TIME.

I
N THE SCENE NEAR THE END OF THE FILM WHEN
H
ARRY
A
NGEL CONFRONTS
E
THAN
K
RUSEMARK AND REACTS VIOLENTLY WHEN MUCH OF THE TERRIBLE TRUTH IS EXPLAINED TO HIM,
M
ICKEY WAS, ACCIDENTALLY, A LITTLE TOO VIOLENT.
I
T CALLED FOR HIM TO CLAMP ICE TONGS TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD OF ACTOR
S
TOCKER
F
ONTELIEU, WHO WAS PLAYING
K
RUSEMARK, BUT IT TURNED OUT THE RUSTY TONGS WERE STILL QUITE SHARP AND BLOOD STARTED TRICKLING FROM
S
TOCKER’S TEMPLES.
A
LAN
P
ARKER SUDDENLY REMEMBERED HE HADN’T ASKED FOR ANY THEATRICAL BLOOD AND QUICKLY CALLED CUT SO THE ACTOR COULD GET ATTENTION.
T
HEY ABANDONED THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY AND PICKED IT UP AGAIN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, BY WHICH TIME THE ICE TONGS HAD BEEN BLUNTED BEFORE THEY WERE HANDED OVER TO
M
ICKEY.

O
N ITS RELEASE, THE FILM BECAME BEST KNOWN FOR ITS CONTROVERSIAL SEX SCENE BETWEEN
M
ICKEY’S CHARACTER AND
E
PIPHANY
P
ROUDFOOT, PLAYED BY
L
ISA
B
ONET, WHO AT THE TIME WAS STARRING IN
TV
’S MOST SUCCESSFUL AND MOST WHOLESOME SITCOM,
THE COSBY SHOW
.
S
EEING HER ROMP NAKED AMID A SHOWER OF BLOOD WITH
M
ICKEY’S CHARACTER, WHO IT IS LATER REVEALED IS HER FATHER, WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH FOR THE
US
RATINGS BOARD AND
M
ICKEY HAD TO MAKE A PERSONAL PLEA, ALONG WITH
A
LAN
P
ARKER, IN FRONT OF THE CENSORS BEFORE THE FILM – WITH A CRUCIAL FEW SECONDS CUT FROM THE BLOODY BONK SCENE – WAS EVENTUALLY CLEARED FOR RELEASE IN THE
S
TATES.

ANGEL HEART
MADE
M
ICKEY APPEAR EVEN MORE ICONIC AND COOL.
9½ WEEKS
DIRECTOR
A
DRIAN
L
YNE SAID THAT IF
M
ICKEY HAD DIED AFTER 
ANGEL HEART
, HE WOULD HAVE INSTANTLY BECOME AS FAMOUS AS
J
AMES
D
EAN.

A
LL OF
H
OLLYWOOD’S TOP SCRIPTS WERE NOW COMING HIS WAY, BUT
M
ICKEY, WHO HAD BY NOW DEVELOPED AN ATTITUDE, REFUSED TO LISTEN TO ADVICE FROM HIS AGENTS OR ANYONE ELSE.
H
E TURNED DOWN THE MAJOR MOVIES AND, INSTEAD, MADE HIS OWN VANITY PROJECTS.
H
IS NEXT ROLES WOULD BE AN
IRA
GUNMAN IN
A PRAYER FOR THE DYING
, A SHAMBLING ALCOHOLIC IN
BARFLY
, A WASHED-UP BOXER IN A FILM HE WROTE HIMSELF,
HOMEBOY
, A DISFIGURED CRIMINAL IN
JOHNNY HANDSOME
AND EVEN
S
T
F
RANCIS OF
A
SSISI IN
FRANCESCO
.
A
LL THE FILMS FLOPPED AND SERVED TO DERAIL
M
ICKEY’S PROMISING CAREER.

M
ICKEY TOOK HALF HIS USUAL SALARY TO STAR AS A DISILLUSIONED
IRA
TERRORIST IN THE LOW-BUDGET THRILLER
A PRAYER FOR THE DYING
(1987) BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN THE PROJECT AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A SERIOUS EXAMINATION OF THE
I
RISH
T
ROUBLES.
B
UT HE SOON LEARNED THAT PRODUCER
S
AMUEL
G
OLDWYN
J
R. HAD A DIFFERENT VISION FOR THE FILM AND SAW IT AS A CONVENTIONAL ACTION MOVIE WITH PLENTY OF GUNFIRE AND KILLINGS.

T
HE PAIR CLASHED REPEATEDLY, WITH
G
OLDWYN TELLING
M
ICKEY THAT HIS
N
ORTHERN
I
RISH ACCENT WAS TOO THICK AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
T
HAT HURT
M
ICKEY, WHO HAD WORKED FOR FOUR MONTHS WITH DIALOGUE COACH
B
RENDAN
G
UNN TO COME UP WITH A SPEAKING VOICE SO CONVINCING THAT YOU WOULD BELIEVE HE HAD BEEN BORN IN A FIELD OF SHAMROCKS.
O
N DAY ONE OF FILMING, HE HAD THE LINE, “
I
F YOU’RE DEAD, DOES IT MATTER?”
W
ITH HIS ACCENT, IT SOUNDED LIKE, “
I
F YER DA’ED, DOES IT MOTTER?”
O
NE OF
G
OLDWYN’S REPRESENTATIVES CAME OVER TO ASK WHY HE HAD TO SAY IT LIKE THAT, AND THE PROBLEMS ONLY GOT WORSE FROM THAT POINT.
T
HE PRODUCER ALSO FELT THAT
M
ICKEY’S PERFORMANCE COULD BE MORE UPBEAT AND LESS LETHARGIC, AND THAT HE WOULD LIKE HIS CHARACTER TO SHOOT MORE PEOPLE.

M
ICKEY’S FRUSTRATION AND ANGER WITH THE WAY THE FILM WAS GOING WAS PLAIN TO SEE WHEN
J
ACK
H
IGGINS – AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL ON WHICH THE MOVIE WAS BASED – ASKED HIM FOR AN AUTOGRAPH FOR HIS THEN SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,
H
ANNAH, AND
M
ICKEY WROTE: “
T
O
H
ANNAH – WE ALL KNOW IT’S A PILE OF CRAP,
M
ICKEY.”

T
HE WHOLE SHOOT WAS A STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THE ACTOR WHO GOT THROUGH IT ONLY BY LISTENING TO RELAXATION TAPES HE HAD FLOWN OVER FROM
C
ALIFORNIA.
N
EVERTHELESS, HE MANAGED TO TURN IN A FINE PERFORMANCE AS GUNMAN
M
ARTIN
F
ALLON WHO WANTS OUT OF THE KILLING BUSINESS BUT IS PURSUED FOR HIS SERVICES BY A RUTHLESS GANGSTER, PLAYED BY
A
LAN
B
ATES, AND AN
IRA
ASSOCIATE, PLAYED BY
L
IAM
N
EESON.
B
OB
H
OSKINS WAS TERRIFIC, TOO, AS A PRIEST TRYING TO MAKE THE TERRORIST DO THE RIGHT THING.
M
ICKEY ALSO PRAISED THE PERFORMANCE OF
S
AMMI
D
AVIS, WHO PLAYED HIS LOVE INTEREST, BUT STILL FELT SHE WAS TOO YOUNG TO DO LOVE SCENES WITH HIM BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH SHE WAS TWENTY-TWO AT THE TIME, SHE LOOKED CREEPILY YOUNGER.

W
HEN HE SAW THE FINAL CUT OF THE MOVIE,
M
ICKEY’S WORLD IMPLODED.
H
E HAD SET OUT TO MAKE A SENSITIVE PORTRAYAL OF THE SITUATION IN
N
ORTHERN
I
RELAND BUT FELT THE FILM HAD BEEN TURNED INTO A STANDARD SEX AND SHOOT-’EM-UP THRILLER.

A PRAYER FOR THE DYING
, DIRECTED BY CRIME FILM VETERAN
M
IKE
H
ODGES, QUICKLY DIED AT THE BOX OFFICE, BUT THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE SUBJECT MATTER AND THE STAR WOULD RAGE ON FOR A LONG TIME.
M
ICKEY FELL INTO A DEPRESSION FOR MONTHS AFTERWARDS AT THE WAY HE FELT HIS VISION FOR THE MOVIE HAD BEEN BETRAYED AND HE lost trust in people.

M
ICKEY NEEDED A LOT OF PERSUADING TO TAKE ON HIS NEXT ROLE AS AN ALCOHOLIC IN
BARFLY
(1987), ESPECIALLY AS SO MANY OF HIS RELATIVES HAD DIED FROM THE DEMON DRINK.
H
IS FATHER, GRANDFATHER, GREAT-GRANDFATHER AND UNCLES ALL PERISHED AFTER BOOZE PROBLEMS.
S
O THE LAST THING HE WANTED TO DO WAS GLORIFY A DRUNK ON SCREEN.
B
UT HE WAS IN A DARK PLACE MENTALLY AT THE TIME AND THE DARKNESS OF THE SCRIPT APPEALED TO HIM.

BARFLY
WAS BASED ON THE LIFE OF HARD-DRINKING WRITER AND POET
C
HARLES
B
UKOWSKI, WHO WROTE THE SCREENPLAY.
M
ICKEY PLAYED THE VERY SIMILAR
H
ENRY
C
HINASKI, A DRUNK WHO CRUISES SEEDY
L
OS
A
NGELES BARS IN AN ALCOHOLIC HAZE AND SEEMS TO ENJOY GETTING BEATEN UP FREQUENTLY IN BAR BRAWLS.
B
UT WHEN A LITERARY EDITOR RECOGNIZES HIS WRITING TALENT,
H
ENRY’S FREEWHEELING LIFESTYLE IS SUDDENLY THREATENED.

M
ICKEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF
B
UKOWSKI BEFORE FILMING, BUT READ A COUPLE OF HIS BOOKS, MET THE WRITER AS PREPARATION, AND GOT TO LIKE HIM – AS DID HIS BROTHER
J
OEY WHO BECAME A DRINKING PARTNER OF THE WRITER.
B
UKOWSKI WAS A REAL CHARACTER ON SET, DRINKING BEER FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING AND TRYING TO PERSUADE
M
ICKEY TO HAVE ONE.
B
UT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS PLAYING AN ALCOHOLIC,
M
ICKEY STUCK TO GINSENG, VITAMINS, AND PROTEIN SHAKES DURING FILMING OF THE MOVIE.

H
E ALSO ENJOYED WORKING WITH COLORFUL CO-STAR
F
AYE
D
UNAWAY – WHO WOULD OFTEN BE ON THE PHONE WITH HER SHRINK FOR AN HOUR BEFORE FILMING HER FIRST SCENE OF THE DAY – BUT
M
ICKEY DIDN’T THINK MUCH OF THE MOVIE’S DIRECTOR,
B
ARBET
S
CHROEDER, WHOM HE HAS SINCE CALLED “A PRICK”, “A BABY” AND AN “ASSHOLE.”

S
CHROEDER CERTAINLY WENT TO EXTREMES IN ORDER TO GET THE MOVIE MADE.
T
HE COMPANY WHICH HAD BEEN DEVELOPING THE FILM,
C
ANNON, WAS ALL SET TO CANCEL IT FOR FINANCIAL REASONS UNTIL THE ECCENTRIC DIRECTOR SHOWED UP AT THE OFFICE OF THEIR PRESIDENT
M
ENAHEM
G
OLAN WITH AN ELECTRIC SAW.
H
E THREATENED TO CUT HIS OWN FINGER OFF THERE AND THEN IF THE MOVIE WASN’T GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE GO AHEAD.
T
O SHOW HE WAS SERIOUS, HE PULLED OUT A SYRINGE OF THE PAINKILLER
N
OVOCAIN AND INJECTED IT INTO HIS LITTLE FINGER.
H
E THEN SAID HE WOULD CONTINUE CUTTING OFF PARTS OF HIS BODY UNTIL
BARFLY
GOT THE GREEN LIGHT.
G
OLAN TOLD HIM TO GO TO HELL.
T
HEN
S
CHROEDER TURNED ON THE SAW.
W
HETHER IT WAS A BLUFF OR NOT, IT WORKED, AND
BARFLY
WENT INTO PRODUCTION SOON AFTERWARDS.