Mickey Rourke (1952) is an American actor known for his varied and often tumultuous film career. He emerged in the 1980s as a sex symbol and an interpreter of complex and tormented roles.

Iconic films from this period include *9½ Weeks* (1986), which made him famous for his sensual charisma, *Angel Heart* (1987), where he played a tormented detective, and *Barfly* (1987), which highlighted his ability to embody rough characters and cursed antiheroes. His style was characterized by an almost methodical intensity, a hidden vulnerability, and an enigmatic gaze.

After a period of decline and a foray into boxing, Rourke made a remarkable comeback with critics and audiences with *Sin City* (2005) and especially with *The Wrestler* (2008), for which he received an Oscar nomination, playing a deeply scarred character, a reflection of his own image. Today he continues to work as a character actor, often in roles that utilize his distinctive face and his "tough guy" aura.