In Pictures: Mickey Rourke’s Ever-Changing Face

The latest part of Mickey Rourke’s look to be given an update appears to be his hair. The actor was photographed at a movie premiere sporting a greying pompadour style that looks suspiciously synthetic around the hairline. But he hasn’t always looked like this… (Image credit: Rex Features)

At one time, Mickey Rourke was arguably the most devastatingly handsome actor in Hollywood, with the bad boy good looks of a latter day James Dean or Marlon Brando. But years of - how might we put it politely - ‘alterations’ have gradually left him an increasingly strange-looking proposition. (Image Credit: Rex Features)

Rourke has blamed boxing for his later plastic surgery, but when he returned to the sport in 1991 - he was a pro for three years - he still looked every bit as ruggedly handsome as he did in the 80s. But he’s since said that he suffered injuries including broken noses and a compressed cheekbone during that time, as well as some neurological damage. (Image Credit: Rex Features)

But it was around 1998, once he’d left the ring, and following his turbulent relationship with Carre Otis (pictured), that his appearance began to change more significantly. This was also around the time his career had taken a significant dive following a series poor career decisions - he turned down ‘Pulp Fiction’, for example. (Image Credit: Rex Features)

During this low ebb, where he considered himself a ‘has-been’, he appeared out and about with swollen-looking lips, his skin looking taut. He’s always said it was the boxing damage that necessitated the surgery. “I had to have cartilage taken from my ear to rebuild my nose and a couple of operations to scrape out the cartilage because the scar tissue wasn’t healing properly…Most of it was to mend the mess of my face because of the boxing, but I went to the wrong guy to put my face back together.” (Image Credit: Rex Features)

When his career began its turnaround with films like ‘Buffalo 66’, ‘Animal Factory’ and Jonas Akerlund’s ‘Spun’, around 2002, his appearance had changed notably. But by around 2005, and the movie ‘Domino’ (pictured), he was starting to look like an older version of how he did in his heyday, the surgery seeming to have settled. (Image Credit: Rex Features)

But recent years – though his battered appearance suited his Oscar-nominated turn in ‘The Wrestler’ to a tee – have seen his visage looking stranger, often thanks to his flowing hairstyle (see above). (Image Credit: Rex Features)

Rourke has struggled with the effects of his surgery, as this photo from 2011 shows. (Image Credit: Rex Features)

However the actor has seemingly taken steps in recent times to undo the damage of that original surgery, and donned some intriguing new looks in process, for example this one… (Image Credit: Rex Features)

…and this one. Nice shades! (Image Credit: Rex Features)

Here he is in 2015 looking younger than he ever has thanks to a newly sculptured face, teeth whitening and stubble (and a cute dog). (Image Credit: Rex Features)

Things seemed to be on the move again though in late 2015. His chiseled face, designer stubble and new ‘do make him look completely different to the actor who became a pin-up in the 80s. (Image Credit: Wenn)