Rourke calls Sean Penn a ‘homophobe’

According to the US gossip website the Daily Beast, Mickey Rourke (pictured) has accused fellow actor Sean Penn of being a "homophobe". A Beast reporter says: "On December 28, a Los Angeles entertainment honcho shared a text message with me that Rourke had sent him: ‘Look Sean’s an old friend of mine and I didn’t buy his performance at all—thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides he’s one of the most homophobic people I know’ [sic]"

The performance Rourke allegedly refers to is in the film Milk, in which Penn plays the gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office in the US. Although initially well received, Penn was then lambasted in the gay magazine the Advocate for publically stating his sympathies for two well-known anti-gay dictators, Cuban leader Raul Castro and Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela.

Because of this, many commentators believe Penn has jeopardised his chances of receiving an Oscar nomination for his acclaimed performance in Milk. As reported here, gay rights are again a big issue in Hollywood following the controversial passage of California's Proposition 8 in November, which banned gay marriage.

Rourke, of course, could have another reason for gainsaying Penn. While the two are good friends, he is also being talked up for an Oscar nomination for his comeback performance in The Wrestler, which, like Milk, has received rave reviews. The Daily Beast also reports Rourke saying: "I'm not even sure he'll [Penn] get a nomination" to someone backstage following an appearance on the David Letterman show on December 23.

"It's a shame," the Beast reports a veteran Hollywood lawyer saying. "Mickey should be looking at this as a once-in-a-career chance for a fresh start. But dumping on Penn is not going to win him any friends. It's not the way to get Oscar votes."