Dogs are not called "Man's Best Friend" without good reason and for Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke, the reason is a renewed will to live. On Nov. 1, during an interview at the Los Angeles screening of the documentary "Eating Happiness," Rourke revealed that he owed his life to his dog, Beau Jack who passed away in 2002, after the Chihuahua stopped him from taking his own life.
Rourke took a break from action in 1991 to become a professional boxer and retired from boxing in 1994 after suffering from multiple injuries as a result of the profession. He then went back to acting but only starred in supporting roles until his major comeback in mainstream Hollywood films in 2005 with his role as Marv in "Sin City." He reprised his role in the 2014 sequel "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For."
Prior to making a comeback, Rourke admitted that he experienced depression had it rough as he struggled with alcohol and drugs. He said that he was prepared to die during that time and it made him hold his gun until his dog came up to him.
"My dog, Beau Jack, he [cried] and I looked over and he looked up at me like this and ... he said [with his eyes], 'Who's going to look after me?' And it made me put the gun down," Rourke said.
The 63-year-old actor also admitted that he got along better with his dogs than with people and that is why they mean so much to him. He even declared that in his speech when he won the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in 2009 for his role in "The Wrestler." "Sometimes when a man's alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me," he said in his acceptance speech.
Perhaps that is what made him take part in "Eating Happiness," a documentary on dog meat production.
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