Mickey Rourke to Play Gay Rugby Star

Comeback kid Mickey Rourke is preparing to come back to the big screen again as another athlete, but this time with a different sexual orientation. "The Wrestler" will play Welsh gay rugby star Gareth Thomas, who's touted by the Independent as the only active male sports professional to declare his homosexuality. Rugby is "one of the toughest, hardest sports in the world to play," said Rourke. "To live with that secret, to perform at the high level he performed, it takes a lot of courage." Thomas revealed he was gay in a media interview last year. Rourke says he has already met with Thomas to discuss how to present his story "sensitively."
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