Rourke got Bruce Springsteen and Axl Rose to donate their songs
Among the underdog winners at last night’s Golden Globes, ranging from Kate Winslet to the makers of Slumdog Millionaire, Mickey Rourke’s Best Actor triumph was the sweetest Cinderella story of all. Director Darren Aronofsky had trouble getting The Wrestler financed with Rourke as the star, even though the casting was perfect: a washed up actor plays a washed up fighter. But Rourke brought his own star power to the table by getting Bruce Springsteen and Axl Rose to donate their songs. The unwritten irony of this story is that Sean Penn had introduced Rourke to Springsteen, and with The Wrestler butting heads with Milk for awards, Mickey is now Sean’s chief rival in the Oscar race for Best Actor. For Rourke’s side of the story, and a video interview, check out this blog on music/film site The Playlist