Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke to leave prints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Daily News Wire Services
Posted: 10/31/2011 09:42:30 AM PDT
Updated: 10/31/2011 10:09:46 AM PDT


Actor Mickey Rourke today will become the 254th celebrity to be immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, honored for a career that saw him rise to fame in the 1980s and make a successful comeback in recent years.

Rourke will be joined at the 11 a.m. hand and footprint ceremony by Freida Pinto and Luke Evans, two of his co-stars from his latest film, "Immortals," a 3-D epic adventure in which Rourke plays King Hyperion, who leads his bloodthirsty army on a murderous rampage across Greece to find a deadly weapon that will destroy humanity. The film is set to be released Nov. 11.

Born Sept. 16, 1952, in Schenectady, N.Y., but raised in the Miami area, Rourke made his movie debut in the 1979 Steven Spielberg-directed comedy "1941." A year later, he appeared in the memorable box office disaster "Heaven's Gate."

Rourke's first major role was in the 1981 neo-noir film "Body Heat." His other memorable films in the 1980s included "Diner," "Rumble Fish," "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "Year of the Dragon."' "9 1/2 Weeks," "Angel Heart," "Barfly" and "A Prayer for the Dying."

Rourke, who had been a amateur boxer in his teens, began a professional boxing career in 1991 at the age of 48. He won six fights, four by knockout, had two draws and no losses. His final fight came in 1994.

When Rourke returned to acting full-time, he appeared in supporting roles in"The Rainmaker," and "Buffalo '66."

In the late-1990s his appeal was dimming

As he stared in the sequel to "9 1/2 Weeks," "Another 9 1/2 Weeks," which only received limited distribution, the direct-to-video films "Out in Fifty" and "Shades," and the made-for-TV movie "Shergar."

Rourke continued to appear in supporting roles in the early 2000s in such films as "Animal Factory," "Get Carter," "The Pledge," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" and "Man on Fire."

He returned to starring roles in the 2005 crime thriller "Sin City." He received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award in 2009 for his portrayal of washed-up wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler."

Rourke's recent films include "Iron Man 2" and "The Expendables."