#12. THE WRESTLER (DARREN ARONOFSKY, 2008)
#12. THE WRESTLER (DARREN ARONOFSKY, 2008)Redemption. The attempt, the drive, the passion – that’s what The Wrestler is all about. And that is what Mickey Rourke found in his role as Randy “The Ram” Robinson.
Many already know the story of Mickey Rourke. A notable actor in the 80’s who also had a passion for boxing. After going pro, he eventually faded into Hollywood obscurity, an untouchable actor that no one wanted in their films. Until The Wrestler. Much like his character, this was his last shot at redemption. Despite his many mistakes and unforgivable failures – if he could just redeem himself with this one match (or one role), he can achieve success and happiness.
And that’s exactly what he did. Using his boxing background as reference, Mickey Rourke absolutely kills it as a washed up wrestler. For one, he’s jacked, but he also maintained the endurance to perform many of his own stunts. He even cut his own forehead with razor blades (a technique many real wrestlers use to draw blood) in order to add realism to the physicality of the role. Rourke pushed his body and his soul to the limits, earning him redemption – as well as a place on our list. (And a future gig narrating for a certain bodybuilding documentary).
Do you love The Wrestler? Or do you find it as washed up as Randy’s career? Let us know in the comments section below and be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages. @GI_Athletics
Photo courtesy of: Celebrity Fitness Training
