Comeback Kid

Sin City (2005)

''If I knew it would take me 15 years to come back, I would have done things differently,” says Rourke.

“People say, 'Hey, this is your comeback.' But comeback from where? Fifteen years of holding on to hope. Because living in hopelessness, you'd rather be dead.''

After seeming years in the wilderness, with small roles offered as favours from friends (The Rainmaker and Stallone’s Get Carter remake), Rourke came roaring back in Robert Rodriguez’s ambitious adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel noir tales.

 Marv in the film is a cartoon take on the man himself – battered, bruised, but with a good heart beating away beneath the scars.

Though he’s always been seen as an actor who needs people to react against, he seemed to enjoy the experience. “It was different. You're on this treadmill walking through this city, except there's no city. I had most of my scenes in a room by myself. Which was fine with me.”

And even as Marv goes off on his mission, the role proved Rourke could buckle down and work for decent directors.

“I couldn't go off on my ''I'm gonna wear this, wear that. . .'' No, we were shooting the comic: If the coat was blowing a certain way, a wind machine was blowing that coat in that direction. But I respected Robert's vision.”

Next: Return To Glory