In the movie, he embodies the character of Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a fighter who is forced into retirement by a heart attack. The actor acknowledges the similes between himself and his character in "The Wrestler." He thinks the role of a man past his prime time had resonance for him.

 

Rourke was huge star in the 1980s thanks to his parts in “Rumble Fish,” “9 1/2 Weeks” and “Angel Heart,” that led to a comparison between him and Marlon Brando. But soon enough he earned a reputation for being an actor difficult to work with.

 

Since he was not given any more credit, Rourke started to make a series of bad choices. He turned down the lead roles in Top Gun, Rain Man and Beverly Hills. These disastrous career moves most definitely put Mickey on the bench for the next 15 years.

 

Meanwhile, his personal life went down the drain too. He divorced model Carre Otis after being married for six years. Unfortunately for him, saying that she is the love of his life does not help at all. Otis is through with him!

 

It wasn’t until 2005 that the actor finally found critical acclaim in Sin City, based on Frank Miller's graphic novel.

 

In his speech at the Golden Globes the actor paid tribute to his agent, David Unger, for rescuing him from oblivion. He also thanked Darren Aronofsky, director of The Wrestler, for casting him despite the fact that his name didn’t mean much anymore. The film has put his career back on track and he already has several films in the pipeline, including a sequel to the superhero movie Iron Man.