The Wrestler - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[lena]

Mickey Rourke was always the first choice for the role, but due to his erratic nature and reputation, the original financing for the film fell through.

[melinda]

Scott Siegel, the actor who portrayed a steroids dealer in the film, was arrested a few months after the films release for steroids possession and assaulting federal officers.

[ruby]

Mark Margolis and Mickey Rourke both appeared together in Immortals (2011) where Mickey Rourke sets him on fire.

[victoria]

Randy's real name is Robin Ramzinski (mentioned when he is at the pharmacy.) Later when Randy's given a badge with a name to work on the counter, 'Robin' is written there.

[jim]

When Randy the Ram gives his speech prior to the match that closes the movie, the audience is in love with their hero and gives him a huge standing ovation. The reality was that when they first attempted to film the scene, the Ring of Honor audience began catcalling the monologue. It wasn't until Darren Aronofsky addressed the audience and explained how important the scene was that they got on board, giving themselves a "We fucked up" chant before setting into the rabid Ram love-fest seen in the final film.

[veronica]

Randy "The Ram" Robinson shares characteristics of the two biggest wrestling icons of the 1980s: Hulk Hogan and Randy 'Macho Man' Savage (Randy Savage). The look of The Ram, with the long blonde hair and tremendous physique as well as the steroid use, is obviously Hoganesque, while the "Ram Jam" (a flying double forearm smash off the top rope) is inspired by Savage's "Flying Elbow" even down to the pose before executing it. The Ram's feud with "The Ayatollah" also mimics the feud that Hogan had with Khosrow Vaziri (aka "The Iron Sheik") that made him a venerable superstar and the face of 1980s and early 1990s wrestling.

[mathew]

Artie Lange, John Ventimiglia, and Dave Attell screen tested for the role of Nick.

[nora]

Fox Searchlight bought the North American rights to the film at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival for a reported $4 million.

[nina]

The first scene of Randy working the deli counter was improvised. When real customers kept walking up to the counter during filming, Darren Aronofsky told Mickey Rourke to take their orders while the camera would continue rolling. Also improvised were all of the backstage locker room scenes.

[linda]

World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Afa Anoai ("The Wild Samoan") trained Mickey Rourke and choreographed the matches. His daughter, Vale Anoai, was given a brief role as a pharmacist.

[duane]

Only 12.5 minutes of 110 minute runtime include actual wrestling.

[camila]

During his boxing career, the song played over Mickey Rourke's entrances was "Sweet Child O' Mine", by the band Guns N' Roses; his character in this film uses this same song when entering the ring in his last fight.

[caroline]

The sound effects in the video game Randy plays with the kid is from Atari's Pac Man game

[willard]

Ernest Miller, who plays the Ayatollah, was himself a professional wrestler. Known as Ernest "The Cat" Miller, he wrestled in World Championship Wrestling from 1997 until the company folded in 2001 and then later on in World Wrestling Entertainment.

[wesley]

It is believed that director Darren Aronofsky lent a copy of the professional wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat (1999) to Robert Siegel as a source of inspiration for this film.

[jessica]

Darren Aronofsky considered Sylvester Stallone for the lead but decided against it, feeling it was too thematically similar to his recent Rocky Balboa (2006).