Even for enfant terrible and filmmaker behind Requiem for a Dream Darren Aronofsky, directing Mickey Rourke in Oscar-tipped The Wrestler took a lot of work. “He’s got a few bad habits,” he tells Leigh Singer.

It’s being touted as the acting comeback of this century: Mickey Rourke, former ‘80s heartthrob movie star turned punch-drunk Hollywood punchline, grappling his demons as a legendary has-been out for redemption in The Wrestler. The tragic parallels between Rourke and his character, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, are manifest and, yes, the actor is superb. But if it’s Rourke in the ring, the guy who put him back there, effectively his trainer, mentor and cheerleader is The Wrestler’s director Darren Aronofsky. Read more