Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke (born Philip Andre “Mickey” Rourke Jr.) is an Oscar-nominated actor and professional boxer. Rourke was raised in Miami, where he began boxing at age 12. He began competing as an amateur, but after suffering several injuries he made the decision to pivot to acting, training at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York.

Rourke began landing small roles in the late 1970s before gaining attention with his performance in Body Heat (1981). He rose to fame in the 1980s with critically acclaimed roles in Diner (1982), Rumble Fish (1983) and 9½ Weeks (1986). In the 1990s, he took a break from acting to return to boxing, briefly competing before stepping away due to injuries that required facial reconstructive surgery.

He made a major comeback in the acting world with Sin City in 2005 and received widespread acclaim for his performance in The Wrestler (2008), which won him a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Some of his other notable roles include Iron Man 2 (2010), The Expendables (2010) and Jade (2025).

In 2025, he joined the cast of Celebrity Big Brother UK, but later exited the show after making homophobic remarks.

Rourke was married to actress Debra Feuer from 1981 to 1989 and was later wed to model Carré Otis from 1992 to 1998.