Mickey Rourke: Sean Penn A "Homophobe" And "Average" Actor

Daily Beast:

In a private text message obtained by The Daily Beast, Mickey Rourke bashes Sean Penn--his chief rival in the Oscar race--as a "homophobe" and an "average" actor.

Whistleblower has learned from several entertainment industry sources, that Mickey Rourke--whose extraordinary comeback performance in The Wrestler is garnering him early praise as a shoo-in for a best actor Oscar nomination--is trash talking his likely toughest competitor, Sean Penn, whose acting in Milk has earned rave reviews.

After his December 23 appearance on David Letterman, Rourke told someone backstage that he was surprised that so many people seemed to think that Penn was his Oscar competition since "I'm not even sure he'll get a nomination."

Read the whole story: Daily Beast

Comments

[Villain]

The reason that the post is bashing Mickey is because in his speech, he was sympathetic to President Bush.

[SILLYME]

who in there right mind would say anything negitive about "the king"Sean Penn. Mickey R. only wishes he could be one tenth the man Mr. Penn has and will be. Wrestle Mr R. right out of the ring baby!

[crossoverwriter]

Private means private, and should stay private. Shame on the weasels who obtained this rumored text. Mickey Rourke was AMAZING in The Wrestler, and should definitely get the Oscar. Yeah, sure Penn is also talented, but I'm telling you, Rourke was the epitomy of raw soul in this film. More powerful than ANY actor around--shifting smoothly from joy to depression to anger to abject sorrow. Without any puffed up ego or sense that he was looking at himself from the outside as he did the scenes.

Move over Penn, it's Mickey's moment for real.

[captainindustry]

Sean was in Bad Boys when he was just a kid. He was SO believeable in that movie. back in 1983. I guess it was the first movie I ever STUDIED, and not just watched. Then there was Colors.

Shoot. Sean's BROTHER is a good actor too. And his wife was such a pleasure to watch.

Mickey, I doubt seriously if sean penn is a homophobe.

[ProudLiberalDan]

Sean Penn is a lion of an actor, and while I don't believe in making actors compete for recognition, he certainly gives an Oscar-worthy performance in Milk.

However, it is outrageous for Rourke to label Penn homophobic. Penn is NOT homophobic. He even did an episode of Ellen back in the 1990s where he played himself coming out as gay on national television because of his inspiration from Emma Thompson (playing herself).

It's stuff like this that could cost Mickey Rourke not only his chance at an Oscar, but a second chance in his career as well.

It's what you say and do when you don't realize the camera and the microphone are running that shows people who you really are.

[MelRoy]

I have seen Rourke close up, in the flesh, and I think he is a victim of a series of bad corrective plastic surgeries to fix a broken nose, cheekbone and split lip he got boxing. Somebody here said he "fancies himself a boxer". He competed as a banterweight boxer from the age of 12, then took the sport up again in the 90s. He may have embellished some of his boxing credentials, but he was definitely competing as an amateur in the late 60s and early 70s, and as a professional in the 90s.

Now if there is some bad blood between Rourke and Penn and a hint of professional jeolosy, I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Terrence Malick completely cut Rourke's major part in The Thin Red Line (nothing personal, he cut out about half of the all-star cast. He shoots five or six hour long movies and then has to halve them to conform to commercial standards) and Sean Penn probably gave his best performance in that movie.

[MelRoy]

I think Mickey Rourke is a pretty good actor, but anyone who says Sean Penn is "average" needs their head examined. I have never seen a better performance by anyone than Sean Penn's turn in "The Thin Red Line". Except maybe Nick Nolte's performance in "The Thin Red Line". Obviously, having Terence Malick direct helps, but Penn and Nolte were simply out of this world and should have won joint Best Supporting Actor nods (they weren't even nominated because the various nominating committees hate choosing from ensemble casts).

For those of you who have not seen this movie - rent it, watch it and tell me if you think I'm wrong!

[Bitsko]

There go your chances for an Oscar, Mickey. But then again Mel Gibson got best director.

[crossoverwriter]

I don't believe The Daily Beast for one minute. Rourke deserves this Oscar. He soars over Penn.

[Melanie226]

This guy was so amazing looking in 9 1/2 Weeks and Angel Heart, what the hell happened!

[Bitsko]

Boxing and accidents. He's a human being. These things happen.

[crossoverwriter]

Go see The Wrestler beofre you talk like an idiot. Rourke is beyond even Penn in this.
I'm rooting for Rourke.

[benne]

An example of how gossip masquerades as news these days, first becoming acceptable in entertainment reporting and then making its way into mainstream political coverage.

[HARVIN]

It was 8:30 in the morning when he mouthed off. I suspect Mickey was half way into a fifth of Makers Mark.

[LeftLeanWing]

I'm thinking that Rourke's comment was probably tongue-in-cheek considering that Penn had to play a homosexual with some romantic scenes.

Mickey just doesn't seem like the type to sweat someone being homophobic.

[jtmoney]

I saw Milk. Rourke is wrong. Penn was great. I still want to see the wrestler, too though. It also looks great.

[deepfreezevideo]

Rourke didn't "share this criticism openly". He sent it in a PRIVATE text message.
The text message was then "shared openly".
Not sure Mickey intended it to be.

[bazokbros]

Rourke has a point about Sean Penn. If you notice, the roles where Penn gets critical acclaim tend to be similar in the fact that his big passionate scenes are him basically yelling and crying.

[crossoverwriter]

Penn is talented but I have the sense that he picks the roles that he knows will be tear-jerkers or Oscar-worthy. Mickey is the real deal. No ego, just raw, powrful talent. The Wrestler is an emotional knock-out. Go see it before you talk sh--.

[majorteddy]

Mkickey Rourke is a drug-crazed has been who was never much of anybody in the first place.