Mickey Rourke (30 page)

T
HE ONLY PREVIOUS AWARDS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE THAT HE HAD WON WERE 1983’S
N
ATIONAL
S
OCIETY OF
F
ILM
C
RITICS
B
EST
S
UPPORTING
A
CTOR AWARD FOR
DINER
AND THE 2006
B
EST
S
UPPORTING
A
CTOR PRIZE FROM THE
C
HICAGO
F
ILM
C
RITICS
A
SSOCIATION FOR
SIN CITY
.
B
UT NOW HE WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A POSSIBLE 
O
SCAR CONTENDER – ESPECIALLY AFTER HE RECEIVED A
G
OLDEN
G
LOBE NOMINATION IN
D
ECEMBER 2008 FOR
B
EST
A
CTOR FOR
THE WRESTLER
.

T
HAT MONTH, THE PRESTIGIOUS
A
MERICAN
C
INEMATHEQUE PAID TRIBUTE TO
M
ICKEY’S CAREER BY SCREENING A SERIES OF HIS BEST FILMS IN
L
OS
A
NGELES.
T
HE SEASON STARTED WITH
THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE,
AND THERE WAS A DELIGHTFUL MOMENT IN THE
A
ERO
C
INEMA LOBBY AFTER THAT SCREENING WHERE LONGTIME
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE FANS, DELIGHTED TO SEE THEIR HERO CELEBRATED AT LAST, KEPT SHOUTING OUT THE MEMORABLE
E
RIC
R
OBERTS LINE FROM THAT MOVIE: “
T
HEY TOOK MY THUMB,
C
HARLIE!”

M
ICKEY APPEARED IN PERSON AT THE FINAL NIGHT OF THE TRIBUTE EVENT, FOLLOWING A SCREENING OF
THE WRESTLER
, AND SEEMED OVERWHELMED BY THE ADULATION FROM A SELL-OUT CROWD.
H
E HAD RECEIVED A SIMILAR WARM OVATION WEEKS EARLIER AT A
L
ONDON
F
ILM
F
ESTIVAL SCREENING OF
THE WRESTLER
.
B
UT THERE WAS A REASON THE WORLD WAS WARMING TO
M
ICKEY.
E
VERYWHERE
M
ICKEY WENT DURING AWARDS SEASON, HE CHARMED AUDIENCES AND INTERVIEWERS WITH REAL HUMILITY AS HE TOLD HIS COMEBACK STORY, OWNING UP TO HIS MISTAKES OF THE PAST, SAYING HIS CAREER WAS DAMAGED BY HIS OWN SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, AND EXPRESSING HIS GRATITUDE AT BEING BACK IN THE GAME.
H
E WOULD ALWAYS MAKE A POINT OF THANKING HIS THERAPIST, HIS AGENT, AND HIS PRIEST FOR PUTTING HIM BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH.

W
ITH PRAISE POURED ON HIM FROM CRITICS AND MOVIEGOERS FOLLOWING THE LATE 2008/EARLY 2009 RELEASE OF
THE WRESTLER
IN CINEMAS WORLDWIDE, HE WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS IN EARLY
J
ANUARY 2009 WHEN ARRIVING AT THE
B
EVERLY
H
ILTON
H
OTEL FOR THE
G
OLDEN
G
LOBE
A
WARDS,
H
OLLYWOOD’S SECOND MOST GLAMOROUS CEREMONY AFTER THE
O
SCARS.
H
E WAS ONE OF 300 STARS ON THE RED CARPET BUT, AS THE COMEBACK STORY OF THE YEAR, HE GARNERED MOST OF THE MEDIA ATTENTION.

M
ICKEY SAT NEXT TO
B
RUCE
S
PRINGSTEEN AT
THE WRESTLER
TABLE WHERE
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY,
E
VAN
R
ACHEL
W
OOD, AND
M
ARISA
T
OMEI WERE ALSO GATHERED, HOPING IT WOULD BE A GREAT NIGHT FOR THEIR FILM.
T
HEY WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED.

S
PRINGSTEEN TOOK ONE OF THE FIRST AWARDS OF THE NIGHT WHEN HIS TITLE TRACK FROM
THE WRESTLER
WON THE
G
LOBE AS
B
EST
S
ONG FROM A
M
OTION
P
ICTURE.
I
N HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH,
T
HE
B
OSS SAID, “
F
IRST AND FOREMOST,
I
’D LIKE TO THANK
M
ICKEY.
W
ITHOUT HIM,
I
WOULDN’T HAVE WRITTEN THE SONG.
T
HANK YOU FOR THINKING OF ME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSPIRATION, AND THANK YOU, BROTHER, FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE.”

M
ICKEY WAS CLEARLY TOUCHED AND BLEW A KISS AT
S
PRINGSTEEN ON THE STAGE.
H
E WOULD SAY LATER THAT, AT THAT POINT, IT WOULDN’T HAVE MATTERED IF HE HADN’T GONE ON TO WIN THE
B
EST
A
CTOR AWARD BECAUSE SEEING HIS FRIEND
B
RUCE REWARDED WITH A TROPHY WAS ENOUGH FOR HIM.

B
UT THE NIGHT WAS ONLY TO GET BETTER FOR
M
ICKEY A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER WHEN
S
USAN
S
ARANDON READ OUT THE NOMINEES FOR
B
EST
A
CTOR IN A DRAMA –
L
EONARDO
D
I
C
APRIO,
F
RANK
L
ANGELLA,
S
EAN
P
ENN,
B
RAD
P
ITT, AND
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE – AND THEN CALLED
M
ICKEY’S NAME AS THE WINNER.

H
E SEEMED NERVOUS ON STAGE AT FIRST BUT WENT ON TO GIVE THE SWEETEST AND MOST MEMORABLE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AT THE CEREMONY.
T
HE WINNER SAID, “
I
’M NOT A REALLY GOOD PUBLIC SPEAKER.
I
WAS KIND OF HOPING
R
OBERT
D
OWNEY WOULD COME UP HERE AND TALK FOR ME A LITTLE BIT.
B
UT ANYWAY…
S
EVERAL YEARS AGO
I
WAS ALMOST OUT OF THIS business and a young man got in touch with me and kind of put his whole career on the line by representing me – and he did one hell of a job. So I want to thank David Unger for having the balls. I want to thank his boss at ICM, Jeff Burke, for not putting him back in the mailroom.

“
I
WORKED WITH A REALLY SPECIAL DIRECTOR WHO HAD TO REALLY FIGHT HARD FOR ME TO BE IN THIS MOVIE BECAUSE HE COULDN’T GET NO MONEY ON MY NAME.
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY.
I
’VE SAID THIS BEFORE, LIKE IN SPORTS, ESPECIALLY, WHICH
I
CAN RELATE TO, REALLY GREAT PLAYERS OR DIRECTORS COME AROUND EVERY THIRTY YEARS AND
I
REALLY TRULY BELIEVE THAT
D
ARREN IS ONE OF THOSE CATS.
H
E BROUGHT THE BEST OUT OF ME.
H
E’S TOUGH…AND HE’S SMARTER THAN THE REST OF US, MAYBE NOT
S
TEVEN [
S
PIELBERG], BUT, YOU KNOW.

“
W
E DIDN’T HAVE A DISTRIBUTOR WHEN WE WENT TO
V
ENICE, THEN
F
OX
S
EARCHLIGHT CAME TO OUR RESCUE, SO
I
WANT TO THANK
P
ETER
R
ICE.
A
LSO, WE HAD A WONDERFUL CAST, THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED
E
VAN
R
ACHEL
W
OOD AND
M
ARISA
T
OMEI.

“
A
XL
R
OSE…WE HAD NO MONEY,
A
XL STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND GAVE US ‘
S
WEET
C
HILD O’
M
INE.’
I
’D LIKE TO THANK SOMEONE WHO BROKE HIS BALLS A LOT, THE PRODUCER
S
COTT
F
RANKLIN.
I
’D LIKE TO THANK
B
RUCE
S
PRINGSTEEN FOR EVERYTHING…
I
LOVE YOU.”

T
HERE WERE A COUPLE OF MILD PROFANITIES IN HIS SPEECH, WHICH PROMPTED
US
BROADCASTER
NBC
TO ACTIVATE THE SEVEN-SECOND DELAY SWITCH AND FADE THE SCREEN TO BLACK.
B
UT IT WAS
M
ICKEY’S CLOSING REMARKS WHICH WOULD GET THE MOST ATTENTION AND STICK LONGEST IN THE MEMORY.
H
E FINISHED BY SAYING, “
I
’D LIKE TO THANK ALL MY DOGS, THE ONES WHO ARE HERE AND THE ONES THAT AREN’T HERE ANYMORE.
B
ECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN A MAN’S ALONE, THAT’S ALL YOU GOT IS YOUR DOG – AND THEY’VE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME.
T
HANKS SO MUCH.”

T
HE DOG TRIBUTE WENT DOWN WELL WITH
PETA
(
P
EOPLE FOR THE
E
THICAL
T
REATMENT OF
A
NIMALS), WHICH IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY SIGNED UP THE
B
EST
A
CTOR WINNER AS THE FACE OF ITS LATEST DOG NEUTERING CAMPAIGN.
M
ICKEY WAS SHOWN IN POSTERS POSING WITH ONE OF HIS
C
HIHUAHUAS,
J
AWS, UNDER HIS QUOTE: “
H
AVE THE COJONES TO FIX YOUR DOG.”

W
ORKING WITH THE ANIMAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS MADE HIM MORE AWARE THAN EVER BEFORE OF THE VAST NUMBER OF PUPPIES WHO GET ABANDONED OR PUT DOWN BECAUSE THERE AREN’T ENOUGH HOMES FOR THEM, AND HE EAGERLY SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF RESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNERSHIP IN SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS.

M
ICKEY GOT A REAL THRILL LATER IN THE MONTH WHEN HE WAS PRESENTED WITH A CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT THE
S
ANTA
B
ARBARA
F
ILM
F
ESTIVAL BY LEGENDARY DIRECTOR
F
RANCIS
F
ORD
C
OPPOLA.
I
N A GRACEFUL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH,
M
ICKEY CALLED
THE GODFATHER
THE GREATEST FILM EVER MADE AND MARVELED AT THE FACT THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH ITS DIRECTOR TWICE.

S
OON THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER AWARDS PILING UP ON
M
ICKEY’S MANTELPIECE.
H
IS WORK ON
THE WRESTLER
WON HIM A STRING OF HONORS, INCLUDING THE
B
EST
A
CTOR OF THE
Y
EAR PRIZES FROM THE
B
OSTON
S
OCIETY OF
F
ILM
C
RITICS,
C
HICAGO
F
ILM
C
RITICS
A
SSOCIATION,
D
ETROIT
F
ILM
C
RITICS
S
OCIETY,
F
LORIDA
F
ILM
C
RITICS
C
IRCLE,
K
ANSAS
C
ITY
F
ILM
C
RITICS
C
IRCLE,
O
KLAHOMA
F
ILM
C
RITICS
C
IRCLE,
S
AN
D
IEGO
F
ILM
C
RITICS
S
OCIETY,
S
AN
F
RANCISCO
F
ILM
C
RITICS
C
IRCLE,
T
ORONTO
F
ILM
C
RITICS
A
SSOCIATION,
U
TAH
F
ILM
C
RITICS
A
SSOCIATION, AND THE
W
ASHINGTON
DC
A
REA
F
ILM
C
RITICS
A
SSOCIATION.

H
E RECEIVED NOMINATIONS FOR THE
S
CREEN
A
CTORS
G
UILD
A
WARDS AND THE
BAFTA
S AND NOW THE MUCH COVETED
O
SCAR NOMINATION SEEMED A MERE FORMALITY.
O
R WAS IT?
W
INNING THE
G
OLDEN
G
LOBE, VOTED FOR BY EIGHTY-FIVE INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS, WAS ONE THING, BUT WOULD THE THOUSANDS OF
O
SCAR VOTERS REALLY WRITE DOWN HIS NAME?
T
HE MEMBERS OF THE
A
CADEMY ARE A TRADITIONALLY CONSERVATIVE, LARGELY ELDERLY GROUP, AND NO FANS OF BAD OFF-SCREEN BEHAVIOR.
W
ERE THEY REALLY WILLING TO FORGIVE THE SINS OF THE PAST AND REWARD HIS COMEBACK PERFORMANCE?
M
ICKEY WAS UNSURE.

T
HE
O
SCAR NOMINATIONS WERE DUE TO BE ANNOUNCED AT 5.41
A.M.
ON 22
J
ANUARY 2009.
T
HE NIGHT BEFORE,
M
ICKEY’S MANAGER,
J
.
P
.
P
ARLAVECCHIO, ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO WAKE HIM WITH GOOD NEWS.
M
ICKEY REPLIED, “
I
DON’T KNOW.”

H
E WOKE UP AT 8.30
AM
, REALIZED HE HADN’T BEEN WOKEN WITH GOOD NEWS, AND SAID, “
O
H FUCK.”
H
E HAD RECORDED THE NOMINATIONS, IMMEDIATELY WATCHED THE PLAYBACK TO SEE WHO HAD BEEN HONORED, AND FOUND THAT HE WAS AMONG THE NOMINEES AFTER ALL.
W
HEN HE WATCHED
F
OREST
W
HITAKER READ OUT HIS NAME AS THE LAST OF THE FIVE CONTENDERS FOR
B
EST
A
CTOR,
M
ICKEY DIDN’T LET OUT A CRY OF DELIGHT BUT JUST CONSIDERED HIMSELF “LUCKY.”

I
T WAS HIS FIRST NOMINATION – AND A SWEET MOMENT.
I
N A STATEMENT,
M
ICKEY SAID, “
I
’M SO GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE OF THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR.
I
’M TICKLED PINK.”
H
IS RIVALS IN THE CATEGORY WERE VETERAN CHARACTER ACTOR
R
ICHARD
J
ENKINS FOR IMMIGRATION DRAMA
THE VISITOR
,
F
RANK
L
ANGELLA FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF DISGRACED PRESIDENT
R
ICHARD
N
IXON IN
FROST/NIXON
, OLD FRIEND
S
EAN
P
ENN FOR PLAYING
A
MERICA’S FIRST ELECTED GAY POLITICIAN IN
MILK,
AND SUPERSTAR
B
RAD
P
ITT WHO AGED BACKWARDS IN
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
, THE YEAR’S MOST NOMINATED MOVIE WITH THIRTEEN
O
SCAR NODS.
THE WRESTLER
’S ONLY OTHER NOMINATION WAS
M
ARISA
T
OMEI FOR
B
EST
S
UPPORTING
A
CTRESS.
H
OTLY TIPPED
D
ARREN
A
RONOFSKY AND
B
RUCE
S
PRINGSTEEN WERE BOTH OVERLOOKED.