Hollywood Hits

With a Golden Globe win for his performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke is being touted as the comeback kid of the year. Along with the praise, Mickey says, has come a lot of work. "This was the hardest movie I've ever done. I honestly can say it was the best movie I ever made," he says.

After a decade-long absence from major films, it's hard not to notice that Mickey's real-life revival parallels the story of his character—a down-and-out wrestler who tries to turn his life around after suffering a heart attack. "I wanted to work with [director] Darren Aronofsky, and then when I read this piece it seemed a little too close to the belt," he says. Ultimately, Mickey's desire to work with the director sealed the deal for him. "I always say he's smarter than the rest of us, and he really just knows how to push those buttons and he doesn't settle for anything but the most of out an actor. I think deep down inside, that's the only thing I can respect out of a director."