Rourke happy to be back in movies

Mickey Rourke is thankful for his starring role in new film 'The Wrestler' - because he feared he would never get the chance to act again.

The 'Angel Heart' star has been tipped to win an Oscar for his performance in Darren Aronofsky's latest film.

But Rourke is just happy to be back on the big screen, having spent years out of the Hollywood limelight after a string of well documented run-ins with the law and a failed foray into professional boxing.

He says: "For so many years, I'd sit and talk to the dog, and say, I'm not coming back, it's over.

"I was never going to quit. That's not in me. But I thought, I've f**ked it up. I didn't think I'd come back to this level ever again. I hoped I would but I thought too much time had gone by."

And now Rourke is back in the spotlight he is determined to stay out of trouble - because he is sick of people looking down on him.

He adds: "I've been to hell, I'm not going back there. I've been to hell. And I had to stay there for so long, it was like, no, no way.

"I was talking to my priest because I was saying I'm scared, it's such a nice feeling to feel proud again, not to be living in shame and disgrace and failure. I remember walking into a restaurant one time and people looking at me, and it was like Jack the Ripper had walked in."