Mickey Rourke has been many things to many people over the course of his 35-year career: a bright young star fresh from the Actors Studio, a Hollywood heart-throb, a professional boxer, a muse to young independent film-makers and a Comic-Con icon.

In this lively study, Keri Walsh analyses Rourke's performances in key films - from Diner (1982), Rumble Fish (1983) and 91/2 Weeks (1986) to Sin City (2005), The Wrestler (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010) - and traces the development and multiple transformations of his star image. Taking an...