After his hiatus from the film world since fading into obscurity when he decided to trade in his acting career to become a professional boxer, Mickey Rourke has bounced back with new film 'The Wrestler', for which he has received an Oscar nomination.

'The Wrestler' tells the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a has-been wrestler who had his peak in the 80s, but is now some 20 years past his prime. He continues to wrestle in independent and semi-pro matches over weekends to earn a buck, and gets in way over his head when a cunning promoter suggest that Robinson fight his most notable opponent from the past, the Ayatollah, in a 20th anniversary rematch. Thinking this could possibly be his ride back into the big time, Robinson agrees.

Rourke is ageing wrestler Robinson in the movie, while former professional wrestler Ernest Miller ? better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller ? plays Ayatollah. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, with it being helmed by ?Requiem for a Dream? director Darren Aronofsky and penned by The Onion writer Robert D. Siegel.

A gruelling training regimine

Speaking about the gruelling physical training that he had to go through to get ready for his role, Rourke said: ?It was physically brutal.

"I had to do seven and a half months of extensive weightlifting and eating six or seven meals a day, to put on 27 pounds of muscle.

"This is not a lot of time ? so I had this ex-soldier who was very strict with me about my training regime and my diet. This guy took it personally if I didn?t? show up."

Furthermore talking about his Oscar nomination, Rourke seems delighted to have his life back on track.

"This was the hardest movie I ever made, the best movie I ever made. So I?m feeling positive about it and what I did in it,? said the 52-year-old actor.

"In the end the Oscar should be about the acting. But there is a lot of grey, a lot of politics involved and a lot of interests.

"I did all I could do. Whatever happens, happens. I want to keep moving forward. There are always things that happen as the years go by, but I can?t complain.

"I'm still standing."