Charlie Rose

richie8811  09/02/2009 09:24 AM Report

Charlie: Are you pulling off a great performance.

That's a pretty good question...

richie8811  09/02/2009 09:24 AM Report

Charlie: Are you pulling off a great performance.

That's a pretty good question...

richie8811  09/02/2009 09:24 AM Report

Charlie: Are you pulling off a great performance.

That's a pretty good question...

Qamila  05/12/2009 04:24 AM Report

What a beautiful interview. But, Charlie Rose was disrespectful. I'd like someone to ask him if he thinks that his interviewing abilities have slowed down at his age. Charlie doesn't really listen to Mickey sometimes during this interview...so Mickey has to repeat himself often. But he did ask good questions. Nice to see how he loves dogs as much as I do:)

floram  04/15/2009 11:54 PM Report

Second time watching this interview.

Mickey mentioned the people, like Sean Penn, who were rooting for him. I'd like him to know that he has lot's of fans, including myself, who have been rooting for him all along as well, for all these years... we've wanted him back, and now he is. Bravo!

shells15  03/29/2009 03:38 AM Report

Good interview. Rourke is a fantastic actor and I'm so glad that he's back. I hope to see him win the Oscar someday, he truly deserves it.

chumlee007  02/24/2009 01:50 PM Report

very good interview, very good ...

tartufe  02/18/2009 10:15 PM Report

brynnwood - boy you mined a lot more out this conversation than most.

brynnwood  02/17/2009 08:56 AM Report

Mickey Rourke is a rare example of what I consider a successful interview for Mr. Rose, who typically <span style="font-style:italic;">gets in the way of</span> his guests, pre-empting their responses and answering the questions he poses himself. All too often Rose is merely excited by his guests, particularly actors. When he's excited, Rose is especially giddy, shallow and interruptive.

However, he appears genuinely fascinated by Rourke, where fascination implies stillness, and great attention. Rourke, for his part, is less self-conscious than one might expect and less guarded. Perhaps he does not reveal himself completely, but he has certainly invited Rose in and offered him a drink.

The moment when they relate as two guys at a bar passes when Rose refers to the Oscars and neglects the intimacy that's developing by referring to other published interviews, and to <span style="font-style:italic;">his</span> unfortunate preoccuption: celebrity ("You're back with a vengeance!")

Rourke admits to having felt crushed some years ago when patrons at the 7-Eleven recognized him as someone who <span style="font-style:italic;">used to be</span> famous. Rose strangely misreads the emphasis, pressing Rourke as to whether or not the incident really took place <span style="font-style:italic;">at the</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">7-Eleven</span>.

Naturally, as Rourke confides, this was the first or most vivid intance of somcthing that happened over and over again during the years he was not acting (and <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> just at the 7-Eleven). The question begged is how Rourke dealt with it. Did he avoid going out in public? Did he disguise himself? Did these encounters enhance the shame that thematized his life until recently? Did these "has-been" moments cause him to wallow in the feeling that he'd never return to acting or did they spur him to try to do just that?

Rourke says that working on <span style="font-style:italic;">The Wrestler</span> was hard, but focuses mainly on the issue of not being paid for the role. What else was hard about it? What was the experience like emotionally? Rose tries to get at this by asking whether or not Rourke's acting skills were like disused muscles waiting to be flexed, and then... says no to Rourke's cigarette.

It's unaccountable why Rose denies Rourke the cigarette he wants. They talk about Penn's having smoked in the studio. Rose is, therefore, guilty of bad manners as well as a strategic mistake. By not allowing Rourke to partake of what he feels he needs to address the question, Rose closes off the possibility of a deeper camaraderie and a more searching response.

It would also have been really interesting to understand how Rourke got by financially during the last decade...after he sells his Harleys and, presumably, the Mini-Cooper The few films he mentions having appeared in don't seem to account for it, unless he, like his character, lived in a trailor.

And, when Rourke mentions that some part of him is still liable (anxious?) to screw up the success he has now, I wish Rose had followed up. What form would the catastrophe take? And how does Rourke experience the temptation to provoke it (does he hear a voice, picture himself doing it)?

Other loose ends that might have been gathered include Rourke's comment about not being ready to pursue a relationship. Has he been single since the failed marriage? Surely not. What was the working relationship with Marissa Tomei? Rourke never mentions her.

The most obvious omission (and there may have been a really good reason <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> to have asked this) concerns Rourke's altered visage. Rose could have introduced this when Rourke confided that making his body into a suit of armor was a way to stave off shame and banish fear. Were the plastic surgeries an extension of this? His surgery is regarded as a failure because it has changed his appearance radicaly. But based on what Rourke says, he may not have been striving to look younger; he may have <span style="font-style:italic;">wanted</span> to look like someone else.

This could have led to what might be an even more delicate question: Does Rourke imagine and can he accept the idea that, as in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Circus</span> and now the <span style="font-style:italic;">Wrestler</span>, the roles he plays in the future may tend to capitalize on his appearance as unnatural or damaged?

SimplyMonica  02/17/2009 01:25 AM Report

I liked this interview. I have to admit that I have never seen any of Mickey's movies. I was *way* too young to be watching those types of films when they came out and I'm not a big movie watcher now.

I found him to be relatable and surprisingly insightful despite his being so deliberately inspecific about his past.

renderio  02/16/2009 10:27 PM Report

I often watch Charlie Rose, and have been introduced to many interesting people. The interview with Mickey Rourke this evening was one of the most fascinating, powerful, and moving ones I have ever seen. Had the same effect on me that a CBC documentary on the Suzanne of Leonard Cohen's song Suzanne did.

winchinchala  02/16/2009 05:21 PM Report

I do hope you go see “The Wrestler” then watch the interview again. I don’t want to spoil it, so I will write very carefully here, but “The Wrestler” is an amazing piece. I have now seen it three times and here is what I think:

“The Wrestler” was written by Robert D. Siegel and directed by Darren Aronofsky

“The Wrestler,” is a tale of life, the sacrifices one makes, the mistakes one makes, the choices one makes and why. It is told through the eyes of the wrestler, Robin Ramzinski, Randy “The Ram,” (Mickey Rourke);his love interest, Cassidy/Pam, the stripper, (Marisa Tomei) and, very briefly, but importantly, Stephanie, his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). Through the eyes of an aging wrestler the audience is treated to a glimpse of the barbarism, brutality, brotherhood and humanity of the world of professional wrestling.

Aronofsky brings us this film that might be the complete opposite of his first big film, “Pi, Faith in Chaos” (1998) because “The Wrestler” is more about faith lost and very much about control. Additionally, it was shot in glorious, meaningful color, and I don't want to give anything away, but it seems there is symbolism to them, the white, the turquoise/green and the red. The camera is often handheld and shaky, and this works. However it inexplicably spends a curious and lengthy amount of time on Rourke’s back. And there are some jarring and abrupt music edits. Noteworthy are the staging and lighting. The latter is flawless as he goes from nightclub to boardwalk to deli. It all works.

Marisa Tomei turns in an Oscar worthy performance. Of course the viewer is going to have to get past the fact that she is wearing little more than a thread and a pair of nipple clips through most of the film. The part gives her a full range of emotions with which to work. Unfortunately this is not the case with Evan Rachel Wood whose performance is a little over the top.

As for Mickey Rourke? This former sex symbol, who is still quite handsome, obviously had to lose more than a little of his ego to allow himself to be portrayed as such a broken battered man. And he had to work hard to achieve the physical transformation and execute the stunts! However there is no way that he is being considered for an Oscar just for gaining 40 pounds and jumping into a ring. No way. He had to dig deep into his experience as an actor to bring Randy the Ram, “The Wrestler,” to life. The range of emotions that kaleidoscope across his face through the beautifully shot montage: home, the bed, the shower, the car, the gym--or the scene with his daughter on the boardwalk and dancing—they all have Oscar written all over them.

laf  02/15/2009 01:56 PM Report

Very moving interview. It's a reminder that we never know what another person has lived so when we see someone down and out, perhaps there can be more empathy based on knowing this rather than a lot of judgement.

SirD  02/15/2009 01:52 PM Report

This is a illuminating interview. Thanks Charlie, exceptionally revealing.

winchinchala  02/15/2009 06:02 AM Report

Thank you for the compliment Maberly_Ontario. I will look for "Man on Fire."

Par2Rom  02/14/2009 09:56 AM Report

Wow! Great interview. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to sit through a Mickey Rourke interview. Now I can't wait to see the movie and will be cheering Rourke on at Oscar time. Authentic, charismatic, talented...these words sum up both Rourke and Mr. Rose. Thank you both for this riveting and touching interview.

Maberly_Ontario  02/14/2009 09:32 AM Report

In total agreement with Winchinchala...wish I could recap that well.

Having viewed most of Charlie's interviews, I found this one extraordinary in the sense that Mickey, I'm surehas never appeared so open. Another interviewer could have hurt him very badly. Again, Charlie, you brought the BEST from someone who has been wounded; self-inflicted yes, but struggling to be understood in his new path.

I've yet to hear a reference to "Man on Fire" wherein Mickey played a duplicitous lawyer, but his role was very brief even though his acting was superb. Hmm.

On a lighter note, he's still everything your mother warned you against, but she didn't see his heart. Thanks Charley, I was deeply moved by your gentleness.

doodahdaze  02/14/2009 07:15 AM Report

Hey! I remember this guy! He used to be somebody!... Yeah! He's uh, what's his name. Uh, that guy who used to be on those American Express card commercials.

Whatever happened to American Express?. I haven't heard too much about them lately (not that that's a bad thing). And what's the deal with credit card companies these days? Did they get bailout money? Are they still up to their old tricks? Why isn't the credit flowing? What are they trying to accomplish?

viewer  02/14/2009 01:11 AM Report

Aronofsky has a real knack for glorifying misery in his films. I'm looking forward to seeing this one, although it seems to somewhat of a divergence.

winchinchala  02/14/2009 12:17 AM Report

Usually, I love Charlie Rose's interviews. He is one of the highlights of my viewing life. He has such a wide variety of people; he is forced to bend and relax and think every which way to lure questions from them all. Come on. What other interviewer has on their CV: panel discussion on Monica Lewinsky; Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the usually silent Bobby Deniro? We all love to watch Charlie think and listen to him flaunt how well researched his questions are. Last night he did not disappoint at all. Charlie really brought it. My eyes were not on Charlie the interviewer. They were transfixed on one humble, forthcoming, articulate, very attractive and transformed Mickey Rourke.

Many of us had wondered what had happened to the "somewhat" (ahem) arrogant, very sexy star of: Diner; Nine 1/2 Weeks; Angel Heart; Barfly and Black Orchid. In the past years he seemed to have become an easy target for TMZ, all the press as a "has been." But last night Charlie gave him a chance to explain, and he did! He held back nothing. Mickey sat there looking every bit the bad boy in a big shiny new leather jacket and hip orange-tinted shades, but he was every bit the cool gentleman who told Charlie straight up "I wouldn't blow smoke up your ass." And he didn't. His words, his confession of where he had been emotionally due to losing someone he loved deeply, allowing a career to fade and ultimately himself lassoed all of me heart, soul and mind. The interview was a powerful, heartrending story of his own death in a way and how through sleeping on a couch, the love of Chihuahuas and the kindness of true friends such as Sly Stallone, Sean Penn, Bruce Springsteen, he was reborn. Mickey has a valuable message to everyone, though he did not describe it as such, he discussed facing the other monsters in the world, not drugs or alcohol, the other demons many of us have in us. They are the deep dark pasts which eat at us from the inside, personal demons. Charlie probes a little bit, but he also respects Mickey when he tells Charlie he is not going to answer the questions about those demons. With the knowledge that Charlie will respect his right to keep somethings to himself and not push him, Mickey opens up even more.

He goes on to describe the challenges he faced on the outside, being a "has been" recognized in a 7-11. AND in staring down the opportunity to work at the top of his game again with Darren Aronofsky, a no-nonsense director. Mickey's story of loss, struggle, rebirth, friendship, Chihuahuas and most of all hope was inspiring. I loved the laughter that came from the possibility of Mickey lighting up a cigarette. And I loved it that Charlie used the words "graced" about their mutual friend Sean Penn, that "Sean has graced" this table." All in all, what was said made me smile, parts made me want to pray and parts brought tears to my eyes. Hip Hip Hooray for Mickey! Awesome interview Charlie. You must have been moved by it yourself.

Bravo!

daugherty  02/13/2009 11:01 PM Report

I was never impressed with Mickey in his younger days. I always thought he was arrogant and too much of an ass. But after seeing his interview, I can appreciate where he is coming from. We all have our demons to contend with, some move on and others don't. Mickey seems to be one of the ones that has moved on. He is what you call a survivor, and that is saying alot! Congrats Mickey!! May you fulfill all that you want.

transitorytransparentriverbed  02/13/2009 10:59 PM Report

It is enriching to fall during one's ascent up the mountain. Mickey Rourke experienced tragedy and in turn unveiled/realized his own potential mortality, he's risen from the dead as they say, now possessing a more profound and seemingly so, positive relationship to human nature and understanding within himself and that which surrounds him.

DavLev  02/13/2009 10:41 PM Report

One of the better interviews, even though depressing at times. Who of us has not experienced disappointment, failure, and mistakes throughout our lives? He has had his share, and that's putting it mildly. I would question his self-imposed therapy using the ring as a psychologist. Maybe all that adrenalin and sweat calmed him down. I really do hope that the film is just the beginning of a long career. Frankly, he was and is a better actor than Tom Cruz.

TTigerX2  02/13/2009 10:12 PM Report

A moving and inspirational dialogue with a man fighting his way back from the brink and there's a lot of us who could learn from this. Thank you Charlie for the humanity, and a big applause for a deft interview.

lori  02/13/2009 09:36 PM Report

I really enjoyed this. Candid and genuine. Can't wait to see more of Mickey on the big screen.

GodAlmighty  02/13/2009 05:03 PM Report

The shame of it is Johnny Depp is only 11 years younger than Mickey Rourke.

Christopher  02/13/2009 04:03 PM Report

This is what Johnny Depp will look like in 20 years.

bonacker  02/13/2009 03:24 PM Report

"Mickey Rourke for The Hour?"

I need a drink. Well, I guess there's not much else going on these days.

fmteach2  02/13/2009 02:42 PM Report

Incredible words spoken from a man who is truly inspirational to those who may be dealing with similar life experiences and/or difficulties. Mr. Rourke captivates his audience during this interview with his deep sense of complexity and genuine personality.

tartufe  02/13/2009 02:17 PM Report

A walking Shakespearean tragedy? Perhaps he 'feels' too much? Articulate. Perhaps too.