http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-29/rourke-trashes-penn/

Quote

Whistleblower has learned from several entertainment industry sources that Mickey Rourke—whose extraordinary comeback performance in The Wrestler is garnering him early praise as a shoo-in for a best actor Oscar nomination—is trash talking his likely toughest competitor, Sean Penn, whose acting in Milk has earned rave reviews.

After his December 23 appearance on David Letterman, Rourke told someone backstage that he was surprised that so many people seemed to think that Penn was his Oscar competition since “I’m not even sure he’ll get a nomination.”

On December 28, a Los Angeles entertainment honcho shared a text message with me that Rourke had sent him: “Look seans an old friend of mine and i didnt buy his performance at all—thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides hes one of the most homophobic people i kno" [sic]

Miami friends of Rourke acknowledge Rourke is brutally honest, even to his own detriment. “Mickey will call a spade a spade,” says a long time acquaintance. “Even if he makes you cringe sometimes with what he says, at least you’ll know he’s not bull****ting you.” Rourke’s bad mouthing of Penn would not be the first instance in Oscar history in which someone trashed the competition. Back in 2002, for instant, there was a nasty feud between Miramax and DreamWorks. Miramax flacks secretly released a steady stream of harsh criticisms of Universal's A Beautiful Mind in order to nab Oscar votes for Miramax's In the Bedroom. Miramax execs counter-charged that executives at the David Geffen-Jeffrey Katzenberg-Steven Spielberg-owned studio had started rumors that Miramax was using only dirty tricks to derail A Beautiful Mind. Animosity between the two studios dates back to 1998, when Harvey Weinstein lobbied so aggressively for Shakespeare in Love, which was up against Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture, that he was reported to have told numerous Oscar voters that Ryan was a mediocre film at best.

But Rourke’s bashing of Penn takes it beyond the studio level and makes it much more personal, especially since the two are friends. It is the first time anyone can recall an actor dishing another actor so openly for the performance.

It's Oscar season. Publicists can play rough. People pushing Penn know that this sounds believeable.
It's all anonymous, and could be a phony plant.
(Who knows, Universal could be behind this to help Langella...)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

You know, I've heard snippets of this before. I'm not so sure we have the full context, and I really dont care for this kind of 'gossip'. But, how convenient it seems, to focus on something like this.

Hollywood bad boys Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke can trash talk each other all they want, Frank Langella is the professional who is giving the best performance anyway and should win.

quote:

Originally posted by glfan:
Hollywood bad boys Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke can trash talk each other all they want, Frank Langella is the professional who is giving the best performance anyway and should win.

I agree with the comment on Langella. He is terrific in the role. Honestly, I don't think Penn is THAT well loved to win a second Oscar so soon and Roarke will just be nominated along with Pitt. Not sure if the fifth spot will be Jenkins or DiCaprio, but I think Langella will win.

Typical.

I highly doubt that Penn is a homophobe, and whether this rumor is true or not, I don't know what is worse: this being true, or this being made up to screw over Sean.

X10

quote:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-29/rourke-trashes-penn/

If I were these actors, I'd be more upset over the unflattering pics used to accompany the report: Auntie Mame (Rourke); Eddie Munster (Penn)!

x 100

This is ridiculous I don't know why this is even news. If Penn was such a homophobe, he wouldn't have done Milk in the first place.

this is so silly we all know that Sean Penn is far from a homophobe. If he was that much of a homophobe he would not have agreed to do this movie in the first place.

And i find Mickey Rourke calling Sean Penn an average actor very hilarious---let's see Mickey was making direct to video movies while Sean was winning an Oscar---hmmm...

And this is what happens - posters here just assume he said it, as though it were fact.

This could be a very dangerous year - wait until the publicists for the best actress nominees start bringing out the gossip.

I don't believe Mickey Rourke thinks Sean Penn is a mediocre actor, and neither should anyone else here without proof.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

I just think that is pure rumor and gossip. I don't buy this feud at all. Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn are friends and at this point of the Oscar game, I don't think that Mickey Rourke would start something like this to besmearch Sean Penn without any merit.

I know that both actors have tremendous ego but I don't think that it would create this feud.

Penn has had some bad behavior promoting Milk so I wonder if this is some kind of cover for him?

Hasn't Mickey been on good behavior so far?

I personally think they are both out for Best Actor, they will be nominated but won't win so it's all a waste of time anyway for both of them.

Mickey Rourke himself called a paparazzi goon a '***got' back in october. The pap are rude at times, but it's just plain rude calling someone that. So if anyone has issues with gay people, it might be him.

the only thing against Penn is that he's moody - that's no crime.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GoBlue!,

I'm going to judge Rourke, Penn and others based on the qualities of their performances, and I hope the Academy and others do the same.

Henry Fonda once called his wife in public the same vulgar word John McCain was quoted as using towards his at an industry event. This is no different. It might make me feel less about him as a person, but it has no impact on my regard for him as an actor.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

From IMDB...

Mickey Rourke has denied launching a verbal attack on Sean Penn - after a website alleged the The Wrestler star had called his fellow actor "homophobic".

Celebrity site the Daily Beast claims that Rourke sent a text message to a top Hollywood executive in which he slams Penn's portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk, in new Hollywood biopic Milk.

According to the website Rourke wrote, "Look. Sean's an old friend of mine and I didn't buy his performance at all - thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides he's one of the most homophobic people I kno (sic)."

But Rourke, who along with Penn is hotly tipped to receive an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category, has angrily refuted the report.

The star's publicist says, "There is no fake Oscar feud between Mickey and Sean. They have known each other and been friends for a very a long time. Mickey attended the New York premiere of Milk to support Sean and has the greatest respect for him."

even if he did say that, the guy is entitled to his opinion.

Sometimes, some opinions need to be kept to oneself.


Not that I'm saying this oscar rumor crap is true, just my two cents.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GoBlue!,

I just don't buy it. Rourke clearly wants the Oscar and has been campaigning like hell. I don't think he'd say something so overtly slanderous to diminish his chances.

I think Oscar doesn't care if it's true or not.

They can attack each other or bring up rumors all they want. As long as they don't say bad things about Oscar, their chances are still fine.


This race is highly competitive this year. I won't be surprised if Penn wins GG and SAG but Rouke eventually wins Oscar.