1 Oscar, over 100 films: And yet this legendary actor gave up what could have been one of his best roles!

There are films in which we could not imagine any other actor than the one who appears in the lead role. That’s especially true of The Wrestler, a drama about a former wrestler preparing for his final match in the ring — a role fit for an actor of Mickey Rourke’s caliber.

His performance also allowed him to make an incredible comeback in Hollywood until his demons caught up with him and damaged his career again. But another actor besides Mickey Rourke almost gave his features to Randy Robinson, nicknamed “Aries”.

Mickey Rourke is perfect for the role… but not bankable enough!

After years of wandering (and failing to become a professional boxer) and slipping back into obscurity, by the early 2000s Mickey Rourke no longer had enough fame to support the ambitious film budget.

For this reason, Darren Aronofsky had to decide to choose another actor: Nicolas Cage. Actors from the same generation, Nicolas Cage and Mickey Rourke both appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s Rusty James, their only collaboration before that.

“I rushed to ring Mick, even though Darren – and I don’t know why – didn’t want to, and asked him what he thought, I wanted him to give me his blessing.” – Nicolas Cage said on the microphoneODE in 2009. “Mickey gave me the OK, I agreed and started preparing.”

A muscular problem forces Nicolas Cage to leave the film

This replacement really broke the heart of Darren Aronofsky, who wrote Randy Robinson’s character with Mickey Rourke in mind. Fortunately, Nicolas Cage eventually decided to leave the project during the film’s production, given that he was unable to naturally gain the muscles needed for the role.

This sudden withdrawal put the production’s back against the wall, a sense of urgency that Mickey Rourke took advantage of. During the interview, Darren Aronofsky also stated that this withdrawal was calculated by Nicolas Cage to help his old friend get the role he was due. The Wrestler won a Golden Lion in Venice, then earned Mickey Rourke a Golden Globe for Best Actor and an Oscar nomination.

The Wrestler movie starring Mickey Rourke is now available on Max streaming service.

Discover the list of movies currently available on the platform!