Mickey Rourke From Boxing Ring to The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke was a prominent leading man in the 1980s, starring in films such as *9 1/2 Weeks* and *Angel Heart*, before he left acting in the early 1990s to pursue a career in professional boxing. He has since spoken in interviews about the facial injuries he sustained in the ring, including a broken nose and cheekbone, which led to multiple reconstructive surgeries. By the time he resumed leading roles in film, his face looked noticeably different from his earlier work. His impactful comeback performance in Darren Aronofsky's *The Wrestler* in 2008 earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe. Rourke has continued to take on supporting parts and is considered one of modern Hollywood's most notable career reinventions.