Mickey Rourke: podcast appearances and interviews

Philip Andre Mickey Rourke Jr. is an American actor and former professional boxer born on September 16, 1952. Over a career spanning more than forty years, he has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. His performances have earned him numerous awards including a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, and he has been nominated for an Academy Award and an Actor Award. Rourke's film debut was a small role in the 1979 film 1941, but it was his performance in the 1981 film Body Heat that attracted critical attention. The same year, he gained wider acclaim with his role in Diner, which also earned him the National Society of Film Critics Award. He established himself as a prominent actor through notable performances in films such as Rumble Fish, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Year of the Dragon, 9½ Weeks, Angel Heart, Barfly, and Johnny Handsome. In 1991, after some critical and commercial setbacks, Rourke left acting to pursue a career in professional boxing. Following his retirement from boxing in 1994, he returned to acting with supporting roles in films like The Rainmaker, Buffalo '66, Animal Factory, The Pledge, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Man on Fire, and Domino. His career renaissance was marked by his leading role in Sin City in 2005 and garnered widespread recognition in 2008 for his portrayal of wrestler Randy The Ram Robinson in The Wrestler, a role for which he won a Golden Globe and BAFTA and was nominated for an Academy Award. Rourke has also appeared in commercially successful films including Iron Man 2, The Expendables, and Immortals.