Mickey Rourke Caps Off A Comeback Year With An Oscar Nomination

by Robert Sutherland | January 22, 2009 at 04:01 pm

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In a year that saw New Kids on the Block, Britney Spears (twice) and the Miami Dolphins all make unexpected comebacks, Mickey Rourke has to be the most surprising. With his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler he has resurrected the acting career that many believed was down for the count.

Though he emerged onto the film landscape loaded with talent and promise, actor and former amateur boxer Mickey Rourke squandered what could have been a long, prominent career, thanks to hubris and his combative nature.

In the weeks leading up to the Oscar nominations being released, strong speculation was circulating that Rourke was in line for a nomination for his role in The Wrestler.

since Rourke gives not only the kind of performance that Hollywood, the critics and some of the public think burrows into the very essence of acting. He made himself nearly unrecognizable — put on maybe 50 pounds, studded his face and body with the scars of war — to play a has-been fighter hoping for a last shot at the big time.

That level dedication to your role never goes unnoticed by the academy. In the past Robert De Niro won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role of beaten down boxer Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. If history holds on this topic, Mickey Rourke might be celebrating 2009 with his first Academy Award.

Check out NowPublic's featured coverage of the Oscars 2009

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