Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke
When I talked with Marisa Tomei on November 24, 2008 for Darren Aronofsky’s THE WRESTLER, it was about playing the stripper with a good heart and a no-nonsense attitude, the psychology of that character was the primary topic of conversation. Along the way, though, the Oscar(tm)-winning actress for MY COUSIN VINNY had much to say about being flexible, being willing to take a slap if the role calls for it, and the place of quirky bald men in her career. Funny and warm, with a great, bubbly laugh, she was gracious when I did the one thing I had hoped not to do on my drive over to the interview. That would be mispronouncing her name. She didn’t hold it against me.
Instead she was both thoughtful and thought-provoking when talking about how she got into her character’s head, balancing sensitivity and toughness in acting game, and what she learned about her body by working the pole.
Her previous work includes THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS, WELCOME TO SARAJEVO, GRACE IS GONE, and her superb, career-changing performance in Todd Fields’ IN THE BEDROOM.
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