“Now I don’t look up to him no more, I look through him.” For 38 years, Mickey Rourke has had nothing but harsh words for this great actor

Conflicts between actors on film sets are nothing new in the world of cinema. Many personalities clash on set, and it is natural that not everyone will find common ground. Mickey Rourke, however, learned never to get to know his heroes.

In 1987, Alan Parker's film Angel Heart was released. It starred Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke and told a story that took place in New Orleans in 1955. Private detective Harry Angel was hired by a man who introduced himself as Louis Cypher. He asked him to find singer Johnny Favorite. When Harry Angel took the job, he had no idea where his investigation would lead him.

Rourke was excited about the opportunity to work with De Niro, as he admitted in archival footage from the set of Angel Heart (via Allocine).

Unfortunately, although Rourke enjoyed the opportunity to work with De Niro, it didn’t turn out the way he would have liked. At the beginning of filming, De Niro approached him and said that they shouldn’t talk to each other on set because of their characters from movie (via Page Six).

Mickey Rourke confessed that after this experience, he lost all respect for Robert De Niro, whom he had previously admired. He took the Taxi Driver star's request personal and felt hurt.

Angel Heart, Alan Parker, Tri-Star Pictures, 1987

Years have passed, but Rourke clearly still holds a grudge against De Niro. He claims that De Niro refuses to work with him, adding that it was De Niro who blocked his participation in The Irishman, in which Martin Scorsese allegedly had offered him a role.

A rep for De Niro, Stan Rosenfield, told that, The Irishman producers Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, as well as casting director Ellen Lewis, denied that Mickey Rourke had been offered a role in the film or that his participation had even been considered. Both comments about The Irishman are from 2019.

A year later, Rourke brought up Robert De Niro again. This time, he addressed him in an Instagram post (since deleted) in which he called the actor a “crybaby” and threatened to “embarrass” him if they ever met (via People).

Robert De Niro didn’t respond to the provocation and remained silent about the situation.

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