Today is February 28 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “What is the biggest comeback of your life?”
After compiling an amateur boxing record of 27 wins and 3 losses, Mickey Rourke suffered two severe concussions that stopped his dream of turning pro.
At 20 years of age he fell into acting almost by accident.
Rourke landed a part in a play directed by his friend and was hooked almost instantly. He gave up boxing, borrowed $400 from his sister and went to New York. For years he worked in menial jobs.
In 1981 he got noticed to land a tiny part in Body Heat. From there he started to appear in films such as Diner, Rumble Fish and 9 ½ weeks.
By the late 1980s it all started falling apart.
His great love was acting, but it was all the rest of it he simply couldn’t deal with.
During the next 15 years he had two failed marriages, did a series of terrible films just for the money, lost all respect for himself and decided the only way out of all was to go back to boxing.
In 2008 Darren Aronofsky developed a movie script entitled The Wrestler, a story about an aging professional wrestler who, despite his failing health and waning fame, continues to wrestle in an attempt to cling to the success of his 1980s heyday.
It was tailored made for Rourke but no one would bankroll a film with Rourke as a leading man.
Aronofsky fought for him and turned it from a big-budget epic into a no-budget indie just to have him.
The film received universal critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion Award in the 2008 Venice Film Festival.
The success of the film revitalized Rourke’s career who went on to receive a Golden Globe award. Reflecting upon his dark period Rourke said “I’ve been to hell, I’m not going back there. For so many years I’d sit and talk to the dog, and say, ‘I’m not coming back, it’s over.’”
As Winston Churchill said “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Rourke found a way to keep going out of the darkness after 15 years.
As you go about your day consider asking yourself what is the biggest comeback of your life?