Mickey Rourke
Real Name: Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr., (born:
September 16, 1952
)
is an American actor, who has appeared primarily in action, drama and thriller films. Trained as a boxer in his early years, Rourke had a short stint as a pro fighter in the 1990s. Although his acting career has been uneven, he has carved out a niche over the last decades in gritty, marginalized anti-hero roles.
Where are they now?
In February 2007 he was in South Beach, Florida, protesting against a puppy store he claims sells dogs with parvo. He wanted the store to shut down, claiming a puppy he bought for his friend at the store died. He was supported with other activists.
In November 2007, Rourke was arrested, this time on DUI charges in Miami Beach on his Portofino-green Vespa GTV (which is a scooter) in Miami and held on $1,000 bond.
Mickey Rourke is a motorcycle enthusiast and uses motorcycles in some of his films. He used to own a gym in West Hollywood called Shapiro and he was trained by Sandra Seacat. He was close friend of Bullet co-star Tupac Shakur. Mickey Rourke has used the name 'Sir' Eddie Cook in his writing credits. He has written or co-written 6 scripts: Homeboy, The Last Ride, Bullet, Killer Moon, Penance and the latest, Pain. Of these only the first three have made it to the silver screen
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Birth name: Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr.
Born: September 16, 1952
Height: 5ft 11in
Stage Name(s):
Mickey Rourke
Origin: Schenectady, New York
Career years: 1979 - present
Biography
Rourke was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Ann and Philip Andre Rourke, Sr., who was an amateur body builder. His family was Catholic and of Irish and French descent. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother to South Florida, where he attended Miami Beach Senior High School. (There are some reports that Rourke took drama classes with the legendary "Teacher to the Stars", Jay W. Jensen, even appearing in at least one stage-play. However, the "P. Rourke" listed in that play's credits could have been his sister, Patricia Rourke, who also attended Miami Beach Senior High School.)
Rourke's teenage years were more aimed toward sports than acting. Rourke claims he was raised in the tough inner city neighbourhood of Liberty City. However, a 1971 Natilus Junior High School telephone directory lists Rourke's sister's address as Miami Beach. Regardless, Rourke 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 a 118 pound bantamweight. Some of his early matches were fought as Andre Rourke.
He continued his boxing training at the famed 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, Florida; joining the Police Athletic League boxing program. In 1969, Rourke, then weighing 140lbs., sparred with former World Welterweight Champion Luis RodrÃguez. 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, he received another concussion in a boxing match. After being told by doctors to take a year off and rest, Rourke temporarily retired from the ring. From 1968 to 1973, he compiled an amateur record of 20-7 (17 knockouts) which included wins over Ron Carter, Charles Gathers, and Joe Riles. At one point, he reportedly scored 12 consecutive first-round knockouts.
Reference/Source(s):
Mickey Rourke. (2008, September 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:48, September 22, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mickey_Rourke&oldid=239648741
