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Acting came easy to Mickey Rourke. He was admitted to the prestigious Actors Studio after one audition, which is nuts when you consider that it took Jack Nicholson five auditions and six for Dustin Hoffman. But just because something came easy to Mickey Rourke didn’t mean he did things the easy way. His relationships with organizations like the Gambino crime family and the IRA became more talked about than the promising acting career he was busy tanking. He seriously considered carrying out a bloody revenge/suicide plot. And then he turned his back on the silver screen for a new life in the boxing ring. When he returned to Hollywood, his face was so pulverized and surgically altered that he was unrecognizable. So unrecognizable that he had to begin his journey all over again. And at the end of the line was either one of two things waiting for him: redemption or purgatory.

To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com/badlands.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence, suicide, and graphic descriptions of violence. If you're thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

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