Maybe Sean Penn knew something when he decided not to turn up. Mickey Rourke, despite -- or because -- of his penchant for the provocative, picks up the best actor/drama award. Rourke takes the comeback angle on the stage. "It's been a very long road back for me...Several years ago I was almost out of this business and a young man got in touch with me and he put his own career on the line by representing me. I want to thank David Unger for having the balls, and I want thank his boss at ICM, Jeff Berg, for not putting him in the mailroom."
Rourke has managed to charm the HFPA, meaning that Searchlight's strategy of keeping hum out front has paid off. He did himself a few favors with Oscar voters tonight with the heartfelt routine; though he almos bobbles it with a "thank my dogs" routine ("When a man's alone, all you got is your dog") but keeps it sentimental enough that he probably only helps his chances.
Comments