Film AHC: Change Mickey Rourke's Early Career

Before his recent career resurgence with The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke was actually an up-and-coming leading man in films like Body Heat and Barfly until about 1991. After that, he returned to boxing but only appeared in a few films and turned down big roles in movies like Rain Man, Platoon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Pulp Fiction. I'm not sure whether his career technically needed saving since he's had a comeback, but how could it have turned out if he'd accepted some of these higher-profile roles? Hopefully, it could butterfly some of Rourke's personal issues from the late 1990s. Maybe he could costar with Robert Downey, Jr. earlier too :cool:?

There's still the question of what potential hits he'd want to star in since he seems to have preferred independent pictures. My thought would be actually be Total Recall before Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger get involved; at one point, David Croenenberg was in talks to direct. Would Rourke go for it?
 
Before his recent career resurgence with The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke was actually an up-and-coming leading man in films like Body Heat and Barfly until about 1991. After that, he returned to boxing but only appeared in a few films and turned down big roles in movies like Rain Man, Platoon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Pulp Fiction. I'm not sure whether his career technically needed saving since he's had a comeback, but how could it have turned out if he'd accepted some of these higher-profile roles? Hopefully, it could butterfly some of Rourke's personal issues from the late 1990s. Maybe he could costar with Robert Downey, Jr. earlier too :cool:?

There's still the question of what potential hits he'd want to star in since he seems to have preferred independent pictures. My thought would be actually be Total Recall before Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger get involved; at one point, David Croenenberg was in talks to direct. Would Rourke go for it?

After becoming a pro boxer his nose and face was all messed up and he stopped being even considered as a leading man. Get rid of his boxing career and he might have done better as an actor in the early to mid 90s.
 
After becoming a pro boxer his nose and face was all messed up and he stopped being even considered as a leading man. Get rid of his boxing career and he might have done better as an actor in the early to mid 90s.

My thoughts exactly! Hence my thought of casting him as Douglas Quail/Quaid in Total Recall--not only would the story be right up Rourke's alley in terms of drama/film noir with low-key action (like Terminator or even Alien more than T2), but it would come out in 1990 before Rourke loses confidence in his acting and restarts his boxing career. Assuming the film makes three to four times its budget at the box office as in OTL, that could give Rourke a huge enough publicity boost to keep him in Hollywood.
 
My thoughts exactly! Hence my thought of casting him as Douglas Quail/Quaid in Total Recall--not only would the story be right up Rourke's alley in terms of drama/film noir with low-key action (like Terminator or even Alien more than T2), but it would come out in 1990 before Rourke loses confidence in his acting and restarts his boxing career. Assuming the film makes three to four times its budget at the box office as in OTL, that could give Rourke a huge enough publicity boost to keep him in Hollywood.

You don't even need to get rid of his boxing career per se to radically change his career. His professional debut was a complete disaster, as he won a lackluster decision over a clubfighter named Steve Powell (who was 0-4). He only won by 1 point on the judges scorecard and Rourke looked so bad that 56-year old actor Robert Conrad (who was watching the fight in the audience) announced he wanted to fight Rourke next. Rourke was quoted as saying during his boxing career that his goal was to fight someone "way out of his leauge" in his last fight (perhaps a regional title like the NABF or something), a fight he admitted he would get "destroyed" in. But he said he wanted to prove to himself that he could step into the ring and that he could hold his own against a world ranked guy (even if he were destroyed in the fight). It was this quest to fight for a minor title agaisnt a world ranks opponent that led him to keep fighting long after it became clear that he was damaging himself.

So to change things up, have the two judges who scored the Rourke-Powell fight 38-37 for Rourke give it to Powell by one point. Rourke loses his professional debut to a clubfighter with an 0-4 record and he realizes that he will never get a fight for even a minor regional title and he walks away from the sport. He takes some heat from folks over his performance, but he realizes that after losing to an 0-4 clubfighter, the critics have a point.
 
Last edited:
Pellegrino Shots said:
56-year old actor Robert Conrad (who was watching the fight in the audience) announced he wanted to fight Rourke next.
Knowing Conrad, he'd win, too.:p
Pellegrino Shots said:
relaizes that after losing to an 0-4 clubfighter, the critics have a point.
Works for me.

That said, I'm not seeing him in "Total Recall", unless it goes more noirish. "Bladerunner" (as Deckard) maybe. Replacing Bruce in "Pulp Fiction" (with a bit of ironic casting;))? I can see him in "Platoon", too. Replacing Dafoe in "Body of Evidence" (not a career boost, to be sure:rolleyes:), "White Sands", or "Clear & Present Danger"?
 
Knowing Conrad, he'd win, too.:p

Works for me.

That said, I'm not seeing him in "Total Recall", unless it goes more noirish. "Bladerunner" (as Deckard) maybe. Replacing Bruce in "Pulp Fiction" (with a bit of ironic casting;))? I can see him in "Platoon", too. Replacing Dafoe in "Body of Evidence" (not a career boost, to be sure:rolleyes:), "White Sands", or "Clear & Present Danger"?

Ooh, I hadn't thought of "Blade Runner". Deckard would be an excellent role, though he might not be considered if it's too early in his career. Roy Batty would be another good, dramatically meaty part for him. Any other thriller/crime films that you think would be good fits?

Also, I did mean that "Total Recall" would have to be noir-ish to catch Rourke's interest. He (and I too) would probably prefer Walter Hill as director--he could do noir and sci-fi easily in OTL, so he could make the film into something like "A Scanner Darkly" and not a pure action piece.
 
TheImagineer said:
Ooh, I hadn't thought of "Blade Runner". Deckard would be an excellent role, though he might not be considered if it's too early in his career. Roy Batty would be another good, dramatically meaty part for him.
Might be too early, yeah. Batty, I don't think so. I think Hauer was perfect for that: cold, & a bit stiff, as if he's a machine. Same way Arnold made an ideal Terminator.
TheImagineer said:
Any other thriller/crime films that you think would be good fits?
Huh. Max Cady in "Cape Fear" (De Niro OTL) might be right. Hicks or Leary from "Payback"? (Yeah, kinda small role, but the rest are so well-cast, I wouldn't touch them.) Maybe Mike Ironside's role as the possessed psycho in "Night Trap". (Too close to "Angel Heart"?) Might sub him in for Byrne in "Point of No Return". (It was so improbable anyhow.:rolleyes:) For Anderson or Lithgow in "The Wrong Man"? For Hopper in "Sunset Heat"? (This could cause Dennis alimony problems, tho...:p) For Bruce in "Striking Distance"? For Sly in "The Specialist"?

Is he desperate enough to take Mr Freeze from "Batman & Robin"? (Or can you delay him getting a really good, strong role until after? Do you want to?;) "B&R" couldn't be hurt by it.;))
TheImagineer said:
Also, I did mean that "Total Recall" would have to be noir-ish to catch Rourke's interest. He (and I too) would probably prefer Walter Hill as director--he could do noir and sci-fi easily in OTL, so he could make the film into something like "A Scanner Darkly" and not a pure action piece.
Works for me. IMO, that makes a better film. Add Anton Furst or Lawrence Paull production design, you've got me.:cool: (Furst's work on "Batman" & Paull's on "Bladerunner" make the films IMO.)
 
Might be too early, yeah. Batty, I don't think so. I think Hauer was perfect for that: cold, & a bit stiff, as if he's a machine. Same way Arnold made an ideal Terminator.

Huh. Max Cady in "Cape Fear" (De Niro OTL) might be right. Hicks or Leary from "Payback"? (Yeah, kinda small role, but the rest are so well-cast, I wouldn't touch them.) Maybe Mike Ironside's role as the possessed psycho in "Night Trap". (Too close to "Angel Heart"?) Might sub him in for Byrne in "Point of No Return". (It was so improbable anyhow.:rolleyes:) For Anderson or Lithgow in "The Wrong Man"? For Hopper in "Sunset Heat"? (This could cause Dennis alimony problems, tho...:p) For Bruce in "Striking Distance"? For Sly in "The Specialist"?

Is he desperate enough to take Mr Freeze from "Batman & Robin"? (Or can you delay him getting a really good, strong role until after? Do you want to?;) "B&R" couldn't be hurt by it.;))

Works for me. IMO, that makes a better film. Add Anton Furst or Lawrence Paull production design, you've got me.:cool: (Furst's work on "Batman" & Paull's on "Bladerunner" make the films IMO.)

Good point about BR. As for "B and R", Rourke would be the second-best choice for Freeze compared to the other actors they had in mind. I mean, as great as Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley are, do you see either of them as Freeze in a campy film? Well, maybe Kingsley. ;)

And as for "Total Recall", sounds good. OTL's movie honestly needs only a few tweaks to work as an homage to film noir--fewer Arnie one-liners, for one. I do like the OTL film a lot, but the more I think about what could have been... Plus, if Hill directs, we could get Willem Dafoe as Richter! Yes!

Your other suggestions are really great too! Thanks again! Makes me think I should incorporate this into a mini-timeline when I have the free time.
 
Last edited:
TheImagineer said:
Good point about BR. As for "B and R", Rourke would be the second-best choice for Freeze compared to the other actors they had in mind. I mean, as great as Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley are, do you see either of them as Freeze in a campy film? Well, maybe Kingsley. ;)

And as for "Total Recall", sounds good. OTL's movie honestly needs only a few tweaks to work as an homage to film noir--fewer Arnie one-liners, for one. I do like the OTL film a lot, but the more I think about what could have been... Plus, if Hill directs, we could get Willem Dafoe as Richter! Yes!

Your other suggestions are really great too! Thanks again! Makes me think I should incorporate this into a mini-timeline when I have the free time.
Thx.:) My objection to Mickey in "B&R" isn't casting, it's that it's supposed to help his career.:p

Feel free to use any of the others you really like. My top choice is probably "The Specialist": OTL, it was pretty awful... If you can put "TR" nearer "Electric Sheep", so much the better.:cool:
 
You don't even need to get rid of his boxing career per se to radically change his career. His professional debut was a complete disaster, as he won a lackluster decision over a clubfighter named Steve Powell (who was 0-4). He only won by 1 point on the judges scorecard and Rourke looked so bad that 56-year old actor Robert Conrad (who was watching the fight in the audience) announced he wanted to fight Rourke next. Rourke was quoted as saying during his boxing career that his goal was to fight someone "way out of his leauge" in his last fight (perhaps a regional title like the NABF or something), a fight he admitted he would get "destroyed" in. But he said he wanted to prove to himself that he could step into the ring and that he could hold his own against a world ranked guy (even if he were destroyed in the fight). It was this quest to fight for a minor title agaisnt a world ranks opponent that led him to keep fighting long after it became clear that he was damaging himself.

So to change things up, have the two judges who scored the Rourke-Powell fight 38-37 for Rourke give it to Powell by one point. Rourke loses his professional debut to a clubfighter with an 0-4 record and he realizes that he will never get a fight for even a minor regional title and he walks away from the sport. He takes some heat from folks over his performance, but he realizes that after losing to an 0-4 clubfighter, the critics have a point.

That would work--it would hurt his psyche in the short run but could help him avoid a lot of problems in the long run. I'll admit that I don't have much more to add, so what films do you see him going for afterward?
 
That would work--it would hurt his psyche in the short run but could help him avoid a lot of problems in the long run. I'll admit that I don't have much more to add, so what films do you see him going for afterward?

It could also add to his tough guy image. I could see him capitalizing on the brief foray in pro boxing to take a small role in a film that he would shine in. The film started shooting just months after his boxing match and it would fit with his image circa 1992 of a sullen, dark, outsider:

Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.
 
It could also add to his tough guy image. I could see him capitalizing on the brief foray in pro boxing to take a small role in a film that he would shine in. The film started shooting just months after his boxing match and it would fit with his image circa 1992 of a sullen, dark, outsider:

Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.

Great idea! I think he was actually considered for the part in OTL too.
 
Top