- Born
- Birth namePhilip Andre Rourke Jr.
- Height5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
- Mickey Rourke was born Phillip Andre Rourke, Jr. on September 16, 1952, in Schenectady, New York, the son of Annette Elizabeth (Cameron) and Philip Andre Rourke. His father was of Irish and German descent, and his mother was of mostly English and French-Canadian ancestry. When he was six years old, his parents divorced. A year later, his mother married Eugene Addis, a Miami Beach police officer, and moved to Miami Shores, Florida. After graduating from Horace Mann Junior High School, Rourke's family moved to a house located on 47th Street and Prairie Avenue in Miami Beach. In 1969 Rourke attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where he played second-string first baseman under coach Skip Bertman. He also acted in a school play, "The Serpent," directed by legendary "Teacher To The Stars" Jay W. Jensen.
In 1971 he graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School, and after working for a short time as a bus boy at the famed Forge Restaurant on Miami Beach, Rourke moved back to New York to seek out a career in acting.
Rourke's teenage years were more aimed toward sports more than acting. He took up self-defense training at the Boys Club of Miami. It was there he learned boxing skills and decided on an amateur career. At the age of 12, Rourke won his first boxing match as an 118-pound bantamweight, defeating Javier Villanueva. Some of his early matches were fought as Andre Rourke. He continued his boxing training at the famed 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, soon joining the Police Athletic League boxing program. In 1969 Rourke, now weighing 140 pounds, sparred with former World Welterweight champion Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the number one-rated middleweight boxer in the world and was training for his match with world champion Nino Benvenuti. Rourke claims to have received a concussion in this sparring match.
In 1971, at the Florida Golden Gloves, Rourke received another concussion from a boxing match. Doctors told him to take a year off and rest. In 1972 Rourke knocked out Ron Robinson in 18 seconds and John Carver in 39 seconds. On Aug. 20, 1973, Rourke knocked out 'Sherman "Big Train"' Bergman' in 31 seconds. Shortly after, Rourke decided to retire from amateur boxing.
From 1964 to 1973, Rourke compiled an amateur boxing record of 27 wins (17 by knockout) and 3 defeats. At one point, he reportedly scored 12 consecutive first-round knockouts. As an amateur, Rourke had been friendly with pro-boxer Tommy Torino. When Rourke decided to return to boxing as a professional in 1991, Torino promoted some of Rourke's fights. Rourke was trained by former pro-boxer Freddie Roach at Miami Beach's 5th Street Gym and the Outlaw Boxing Club Gym in Los Angeles. He made $250 for his pro debut, but by the end of his second year of boxing, he had earned a million dollars. In June 1994, Rourke appeared on the cover of World Boxing Magazine. He sparred with world champions James Toney, John David Jackson, and Tommy Morrison.
Rourke wished to have 16 professional fights and then fight for a world title. However, he retired in 1994 after eight bouts and never got his desired title fight. His boxing career resulted in severe facial injuries that required a number of operations to repair his damaged face. Rourke went back to acting but worked in relative obscurity until he won a Golden Globe Award for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler (2008). He was nominated for Best Actor, as well, but lost.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Chase Rosenberg
- SpousesCarré Otis(June 26, 1992 - December 1998) (divorced)Debra Feuer(January 31, 1981 - 1989) (divorced)
- ParentsAnnette Rourke (Cameron)Phillip Andre Rourke
- RelativesPatty(Sibling)Joey Rourke(Half Sibling)
- His soft voice
- Muscular physique
- Became a professional boxer in 1991 but retired in 1994.
- On the Waterfront (1954) director Elia Kazan said that Rourke's student audition was the best audition piece he'd seen in 30 years.
- Injuries he received as a boxer include a split tongue and a compressed cheekbone. Surgeons rebuilt his nose with cartilage from his ear. His balance also suffers to this day if he is tired or drinks alcohol.
- Studied the martial art of Hwa Rang Do for six years under Tae-joon Lee, the son of the art's founder. He credits Grandmaster Lee for turning his life around (after dealing with personal and professional problems) through the study of the art.
- On 10/16/04 his younger brother, Joey Rourke (b. 6/25/54) died of lung cancer. He was 50 years old. He credited Joey with preventing him from committing suicide in 1998.
- [on what he wants in a woman] It's like when I buy a horse. I don't want a thick neck and short legs.
- [1994] I thought my talent would transcend my outspokenness. I was wrong. I'm willing to give them 100 per cent this time. I just want a second chance at Hollywood.
- I lost the house, the wife, the credibility, the entourage. I lost my soul. I was alone ... I'm sort of OK with it now, but the first time I'm in there, pushing a f***ing cart, getting my supper. I used to go to the 24-hour place in gay town, so no one would recognize me. The only thing I could afford was a shrink, so that's where my money went. Three times a week for the first two years. The year after that, twice a week and now I'm down to once a week. I've only missed two appointments in six years.
- You get desensitized to pain and for three and a half years I developed these symptoms of brain damage-you forget what you did the night before. You have to get out when the doctors tell you to; otherwise, you're on queer street for the rest of your life. One doctor said to me before a big fight, "our neurological report doesn't look too good." I was like four fights away from a big, big fight and he said, "Mickey, how much are they paying you? Look at your tests-you won't be able to count the money".
- I've talked to my priest a lot. I used to have to call him or the shrink when there was an explosion, because I was really good at not talking to anybody until there was an explosion. My priest is this cool Italian from New York. We go down to his basement and he opens the wine. We smoke a cigarette and I have my confession. He sends me upstairs to do my Hail Marys. I mean, I'm no Holy Joe, but I have a strong belief. If I wasn't Catholic I would have blown my brains out. I would pray to God. I would say, "Please, can you send me just a little bit of daylight?" He talked me out of it and we started meeting. His name is Father Pete and he lives in New York. Father Pete put me back on the right track.
- Iron Man 2 (2010) - $400,000
- Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991) - $2,750,000
- Angel Heart (1987) - $1,250,000
- 9½ Weeks (1986) - $500,000
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