Mickey Rourke claims Robert De Niro stopped him from working with Martin Scorsese.
The 66-year-old star says the pair have had a secret feud for 30 years and the ‘Goodfellas’ actor has allegedly prevented him from getting a part in a Scorsese project starring De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci – potentially ‘The Irishman’ – because of a row while working together on 1987 thriller ‘Angel Heart’.
Speaking to Italian chat show ‘Live – Non è la D’Urso’, Rourke said: "The casting person told my manager that Robert De Niro refused to work with me in a movie.
"I am upset because I needed the money."
The ‘Wrestler’ actor claimed De Niro had insisted they didn’t communicate on the ‘Angel Heart’ set, which left him "hurt".
He added: "I think it’s better if we don’t talk because of our characters in the movie… It hurt my feelings as I looked up to him."
Although Rourke may have missed out on that role, the ‘Expendables’ star will be back on the big screen after reportedly landing a part in revenge thriller ‘Girl’ opposite Bella Thorne.
Thorne will play a young woman who returns to her hometown in order to murder her abusive father but when she gets there she discovers that someone else has already killed him.
Her search for answers leads her to discover a dangerous family legacy.
Rourke is set to take on the part of the local sheriff in the film.
Speaking previously about casting Bella in the lead role, DDI CEO Jason Moring said: "Bella is a very talented, young actress who makes bold choices is a strong lead role that will not just resonate with Bella’s massive fan base, but also with the cultural zeitgeist."
The psychological thriller will start shooting in northern Ontario, Canada this week.