In the world of Hollywood, celebrity feuds are pretty common. From Kanye West and Taylor Swift’s beef to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone’s rivalry, fans have seen it all unfold. However, some feuds are more unexpected than others. One such alleged dispute involves two legendary performers, Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro. In fact, the stars have been embroiled in a curious and seemingly one-sided feud that dates back over three decades.
De Niro has chosen to remain largely silent for years. However, Rourke has continued to fuel the narrative of their long-time rivalry through any means necessary.
Mickey Rourke’s alleged feud with Robert De Niro
Over the years, Robert De Niro has become one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. After all, the star’s portrayals in The Good Fellas, The Godfather Part II, and The Untouchables have earned him critical acclaim. However, Mickey Rourke has proved to be less than impressed by the 81-year-old’s on-set behavior during the filming of the 1987 film, Angel Heart.
In fact, in a 2019 interview with Italian TV’s Non è la D’Urso, the actor claimed to still have a bone to pick with the iconic star after missing out on a role in The Irishman.
He doesn’t forget what happened 20 years ago.
The Passion Play star claimed it had all begun back when De Niro and him had starred in Angel Heart. Rourke added that it had been difficult working with the icon from the start. In fact, they seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot. The Wrestler actor stated, “He said, ‘I think it’s better if we don’t talk — because of our characters,’” He even explained further, “They have a saying: ‘I took him to school.’ Before, no other actor had taken him to school.”
Although the actor did not break down exactly what had happened between him and De Niro, he did claim that the Ezra star was the reason for him losing out on Martin Scorsese’s 2019 movie. It might not have been his first time not bagging a role, but it stuck with the actor. However, Rourke has also contradicted himself before.
Mickey Rourke’s praises for Robert De Niro
Mickey Rourke might be keeping his years-long feud with Robert De Niro going. However, the 81-year-old has stayed rather mum on the subject. After all, that could be because The Wrestler star was once singing the praises of the Hollywood legend. In a behind-the-scenes promo shoot on the Angel Heart set in 1987, Rourke had nothing but praises for his co-star and his acting methods.
He’s the most concentrated actor I’ve ever seen.
Rourke stated, “It was the first time I think I ever had to really concentrate in the way I had to concentrate. If you lose your concentration with [De Niro] for, like, four seconds, you’re outta there.” Although it was a major learning curve for the actor, he claimed, “At the end of the day, I was drained.” It might have been a lot for the actor to handle on the set. He even said, “Working with him sort of rejuvenated me.”
Rourke may have only had praises for De Niro back in 1987. However, it looks like all of that has been forgotten after the confusion of the 2019 The Irishman casting.
Stream Mickey Rourke’s Angel Heart on Amazon Prime Video and Robert De Niro’s The Irishman on Netflix.
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