Things you should know about Mickey Rourke! Mickey Rourke is a former boxer and a well-known actor. His fans love him while others condemn. He undoubtedly has his share of highs and lows especially in the Hollywood industry. His early life Many fans would like to know the reasons for his frequent disappearing act. Born on 16th September, 1952, he is 70 years old. Philip, his father was an amateur bodybuilder, had left his family to relocate to Miami. Rise to fame! In Miami, as a young boy, Mickey managed to learn coping mechanisms to survive. He had an abusive stepfather and was keen in sports. He trained himself in self-defense and amateur boxing. At the age of 12, he fought his very first match as a boxer and won. At Miami Beach’s 5th Street Gym, he trained hard. He did play against Luis Rodriguez and Nino Benvenuto. An actor When in high school, he took part in his school’s play named ‘The Serpent’, in a cameo role. Later, prompted by a Miami University friend, he auditioned for the play ‘Deathwatch’ for the lead role and got it. He joined acting classes conducted by Water Lott and Sandra Seacat and got featured in several Off-Broadway plays. His love for acting saw the end of his career as a boxer. He managed to get cameo roles during the mid-1970s in television movies. It was in 1981 that he got that much-awaited breakthrough in the movie ‘Body Heat’. Since then, there was no turning back for Mickey. He rose to fame by getting several high-profile roles. He managed to establish himself as an accomplished actor and increased significantly his fan base. Achievements and failures He earned critical praise from his portrayal of the character of an alcoholic writer. In ‘Barfly’ his acting helped him earn praise from the critics. He also featured on several popular shows like ‘Rain Man’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘Top Gun’. He also featured in moves ‘Marlboro Man’ and ‘Harley Davidson’. But it is during this time that his career took a nosedive. Fame and money had got into his head that changed his character. Although a talented actor, the decisions he took on his career and personal endeavors made directors and producers to ignore him. His accident With his acting career finished, he resorted to boxing. But his poor health and being away from long from the ring caused things to become worse. He even suffered memory loss temporarily from the serious injurious received in the ring. This prompted him to take up small roles in
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