Mickey Rourke is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in
The Wrestler
. He plays Randy, a lonely, hard-luck wrestler and the film follows him as he resolves to change his life after a serious injury. Rourke won a BAFTA and Golden Globefor the role and was nominated for a Critics Choice, Satellite and Screen Actors Guild award.
As well as his acting career (he has appeared in a number of action, drama and thriller films) Rourke enjoyed a stint as a pro fighter. He took up boxing from an early age from 1968 to 1972, he compiled an amateur record of 20-6, with 17 knockouts. In 1991 he turned professional and retired undefeated in 1995, but without the world title he craved.