Recently, American actor Mickey Rourke discussed the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Newsmax. During the conversation, the Angel Heart actor praised the Ukrainian people’s fortitude in the face of adversity. He stated:
“Ukraine is fighting more courageously than anyone expected… Everyone, in my opinion, honestly felt it would be over in two to five days. But whatever happened happened. However, the Ukrainians are fighting so fiercely right now that they refuse to give up.”
The actor also praised Ukrainians’ spirit of resistance and offered advise on how to keep faith in difficult times. He said:
“It makes no difference if there are just two Ukrainians left; they will fight till the end. I want them to be strong fighters. Only something from above, not from below, will be able to put an end to this craziness when the time comes.”
Social media users widely circulated the interview tape, however instead of focusing on Mickey Rourke’s statements about Russia-Ukraine, some people noticed that he was not immediately recognizable in the clip.
Mickey Rourke was perhaps one of Hollywood’s most known faces. He appeared in Steven Spielberg’s 1941 as a supporting actor before making his breakthrough in a big motion film with 1981’s Body Heat.
The 69-year-old actor rose to popularity with appearances in films such as Diner, Rumble Fish, 912 Weeks, Barfly, Angel Heart, Year of the Dragon, Homeboy, and Wild Orchid, among others.
In the early 1990s, the actor chose to go from performing to professional boxing, leaving behind a fairly successful theatrical career. Rourke apparently began boxing at the age of 12 and had a brief amateur career before breaking into the entertainment industry.
Rourke won 27 games between 1964 and 1973, including 12 straight knockouts and three losses. When he returned to the ring as a professional boxer in the 1990s, he also enjoyed a lot of success. He went undefeated in eight fights and won six of them, including four knockouts and two draws.
Sadly, he suffered a series of horrific facial injuries during his boxing career. According to reports, Rourke had two broken noses, as well as toe and rib injuries. He also had a split tongue, a compressed cheekbone, and even temporary short-term memory loss.
Rourke also underwent reconstructive surgery to treat his boxing-related injuries. However, several of those operations did not produce the desired results, forcing the actor to have surgery on multiple occasions.
Rourke’s facial features were unrecognizable when compared to his initial debut in the industry. The Wrestler actor finally acknowledged his injuries in a 2009 interview.
“I fractured my nose twice. I had five nose surgeries and one for a shattered cheekbone.”
He also discussed how his reconstructive surgery affected him and how it transformed his appearance. He stated, “I went to the wrong person to put my face back together because the majority of it was to repair the damage that boxing had done to my face.”
Mickey Rourke’s appearance has gained in popularity following his most recent interview with Newsmax. Following the interview, a number of people tweeted about how intrigued they were by his new look.
Mickey Rourke returned to acting after retiring from boxing, appearing in films such as The Rainmaker, Buffalo ’66, Get Carter, Sin City, Iron Man 2, Immortals, and The Expendables.
He competed in the fourth season of The Masked Singer in 2020, however he exited the show soon after the “Gremlin” performance of Ben E. King’s Stand By Me.
