Joe Rogan’s latest podcast guest shared an incredible story about former boxer and “Iron Man 2” actor Mickey Rourke. The guest, who has deep ties to the entertainment industry, praised Rourke and highlighted the actor’s comeback after a rough patch.
Joe Rogan’s Podcast Guest Shares Amazing Anecdote About Actor and Ex-Boxer Mickey Rourke
On Episode 2310 of “The Joe Rogan Experience” (April 2025), UFC color commentator Joe Rogan hosted Robert Rodriguez, the Hollywood writer, director, and producer known for working with Quentin Tarantino. Rodriguez’s credits include popular films like “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996), “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” (2003), and “Sin City” (2005).
Rogan, who also has a background in acting and reality TV, dove into a wide-ranging conversation about Hollywood with Rodriguez. During the discussion, Rodriguez spoke about how some actors get labeled as “difficult” when they’re actually professional and easy to work with.
Rodriguez pointed to Mickey Rourke as an example, sharing a revealing story about how the actor struggled to find work in Hollywood. Around the 2:24:09 mark, Rodriguez said, “Mickey Rourke was considered [difficult to work with]. He couldn’t get a job. I gave him [‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico’]. But once I met him, I was like, ‘Oh my God. He’s just like Mickey in the old days.'”
Rodriguez continued, “Quentin [Tarantino] and I wanted him in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn.’ We both wanted Mickey Rourke in the lead role, but he’d retired from acting. He was just boxing. He wouldn’t even look at the script.”
He added, “‘Oh man, we can hire Mickey Rourke, and there’s no Mickey Rourke now.’ We’re so bummed. But then years later, when I went back to him and no one was hiring him — so I met with him … I’m like, ‘Holy sh**. He still has that charm and everything.’ So I put him in, gave him a small role in ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico.’ And I kept writing in more scenes.”
Rodriguez also recalled, “He was broke. I mean, I gave him money to buy his own suits because he always dressed to the nines in his movies.”
He explained that Rourke wanted to keep his suits after filming, so Rodriguez promised to digitally add bullet holes for scenes rather than actually damaging the clothes. Later, he cast Rourke in “Sin City” (2005), which Rodriguez credited with “relaunching” the actor’s career. “But he was always a dream to work with,” Rodriguez said.
According to BoxRec, the 72-year-old Rourke holds a professional boxing record of six wins and two draws, with five of those wins coming by KO/TKO. Many believe his successful Hollywood career as an award-winning actor limited the time he spent competing in boxing.