The genius director The Wrestler takes on the challenge of making a semi-documentary film that captures the main character of “The Wrestler”, Randy-Mickey Rourke, as he is.

If Mickey Rourke didn't exist...

Who could play the role of the battered professional wrestler, Randy? Is this a role that a normal actor could play? What should be depicted is the poignant image of him outside the ring rather than inside the ring. An action actor probably doesn't have enough expressive power. Furthermore, the very existence of a professional wrestler is an admirable ``performer.'' An actor plays the role of ``an athlete who is also a performer.'' This too is complicated. It becomes very difficult to find a place for reality. It's easy to see why there haven't been any professional wrestling movies like this in the past. Even if the story is successful, the film will not be successful without the right actors.

That's when Mickey Rourke appeared. He was a huge hit as a sexy actor, and appeared in some masterpieces with the acting skills he had acquired at the Actors Studio, but for some reason he retired from acting and made his debut as a boxer. As he healed the facial scars he received in a match, he became addicted to plastic surgery, and before he knew it, he no longer had any resemblance to his former self. He was a fallen plastic surgery celebrity that everyone found strange. In A Very Private Affair, his relationships with the women he loved didn't last long, and he spent his days with his cat. It is exactly this spectacle of Mickey Rourke's life that strangely syncs with the way Randy lives his life.

“The Wrestler” (C)2008 OFF THE TOP ROPE, INC. AND WILD BUNCH.

Up until then, there had been very few actors in Hollywood who had this unique way of acting out of place. However, Hollywood is a strange place where even a failed actor can have a Being There to come back as long as he has the motivation and popularity to do so. The same goes for Robert Downey Jr.

In this way, Mickey Rourke, who earnestly responded to the director's passionate love call and worked hard to modify his body with determination, succeeded in standing in the world of this work with surprising reality and presence.

The film, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, marked a complete comeback for Mickey Rourke. Although Mickey Rourke has become quite rugged in appearance, he still retains the same naivete he had in Rumble Fish (1983), Year of the Year of the Dragon (1985), and Angel Heart (1987). I feel like that has not been lost. It seems that both the producers and the audience do not overlook this point and support it. Even after this work, he continues to appear in movies constantly and is attracting attention. Action movies are good, but I want him to be in good dramas even when he's old. I think he's one of the few actors who feel that way.

Incidentally, the movie company apparently recommended Nicolas Cage for the role of Randy. I feel like I would like to see that. I'm sure it would have become a terrible movie.

Text: Koji Eguchi

Video producer. We are active in a wide range of media, focusing on advertising. He has won many domestic and international advertising awards, including Cannes, and contributes from the perspective of a producer who has various production experiences such as director Koji Fukada's ``The Man from the Sea'' (2018) and exhibiting VR at SXSW.

Watch now

View work information

"The Wrestler"

DVD now on sale

Price: 1,200 yen (excluding tax)

Publisher: Nikkatsu Co., Ltd. Distributor: Happinet Co., Ltd.

(C)2008 OFF THE TOP ROPE, INC. AND WILD BUNCH.