Oscars smackdown: 'Wrestler' Mickey Rourke slams Sean Penn

Gold Derby (LA Times) ^ | December 29, 2008 | Tom O'Neil

[Perdogg]

The Daily Beast reports that it's obtained a private text message in which "Mickey Rourke bashes Sean Penn — his chief rival in the Oscar race — as a 'homophobe' and an 'average' actor. "

Columnist Gerald Posner says a Los Angeles entertainment honcho showed him the text message, which read: "Look seans an old friend of mine and i didnt buy his performance at all—thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides hes one of the most homophobic people i kno' [sic] "

[ModelBreaker]

“He didn’t get any job offers for years, because he was a JERK.”

It’s too bad. Because he’s a really talented actor when he wants to be. Again, my opinion only—but had he had his stuff together, he would have been among the top actors of the past 20 or so years.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Yeah, he was really great in movies like The Pope of Greenwich Village, Diner, and Johnny Handsome. Then he went on to do a bunch of straight to Cinemax soft-core porn drek for much of the '90s. Hope he doesn't blow this chance to reestablish himself, but it sounds like he's already off on the wrong foot.

[shaft29]

I liked him in The Rainmaker.

[JRios1968]

Dear Sir or Madam:
Please be informed that your comment has caused me to spray my computer monitor with hot coffee.

Attached you will find the bill to replace said coffee.

Sincerely,

[Hatteras]

I still pop Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man in to the DVD player from time to time...

You shot me Harley!, You f'n shot me!, I can't believe you shot me!

[weegee]

"Mickey Rourke bashes Sean Penn — his chief rival in the Oscar race — as a 'homophobe' and an 'average' actor. "

I expected to see him calling Penn a pro-dictator Hollywood Red Communist but nope, he ISN'T politically correct "enough" (he's a "homophobe").

Can we agree to disagree and just call him a jerk?

[weegee]

In Hollywood (and growing elsewhere in the corporate world) you tow the politically correct talking points to get ahead and keep your job.

Gay for play. He wouldn’t be the first.

Meanwhile Hollywood thinks it controls public thought because it owns Big Media.

[weegee]

The bigger risk is that the lead will OD or crash his car and be unable to complete the project. Look at The Dark Knight Returns, the death of the co-star AFTER production was turned into a big marketing thing.

But if it'd happened in the first couple of months, it would have required reshooting so much.

[wtc911]

Wait, someone hired Mickey Roarke???

_________________________________________

Don't be surprised if he is nominated for an award or two for his work this year.

[ModelBreaker]

“The bigger risk is that the lead will OD or crash his car and be unable to complete the project. Look at The Dark Knight Returns, the death of the co-star AFTER production was turned into a big marketing thing.”

Natalie Wood. I used to represent completion guarantors many years ago. Arghhh. What a mess that was.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I honestly hadn’t seen him in anything in years - hadn’t even heard his name mentioned so I was stunned.

[wtc911]

Yep, he had self-destructed for a decade but America is the land of endless second chances.

[lainie]

Team Rourke for sure, but they’re both gonna get beaten by Clint Eastwood in the Oscar race.

[Moonman62]

Hey, it's Fire Marshall Bill.

[Borges]

He was in Sin City a couple of years ago. It was a big hit.

[redstates4ever]

I thought his best role was Barfly, with Faye Dunaway.