Wrestling with Demons
Yesterday our big "Great Performances" issue hit the stands, featuring a bunch of different actors who are in the running for awards season, and if I may say so myself, it's a good one. We talked to the likes of surefire nominees Frank Langella, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Scott Thomas, and Viola Davis to dark horses like Michelle Williams, Kate Beckinsale, and Benicio Del Toro. There's even a great rememberance of Heath Ledger by The Dark Knight producer (and Christopher Nolan's wife) Emma Thomas.
But my personal favorite is an interview I did with Mickey Rourke. I know he's been talking to a lot of people to promote his role in The Wrestler, but he manages to surprsie me with a new revelation in every interview. Some people, such as The New York Times, choose to be cynical about this and call some of his facts into question, but I found Rourke to be completely sincere. Or maybe I'm a sucker. Anyway, you can read it here and judge for yourself. He talks frankly and brutally about the bad behvior that earned him a reputation as a troublemaker, how he living on $200 a week during the lean years, and how years of therapy helped heal him. His story is as compelling as his film.
--Jenelle Riley
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