Barbara Walters' interview with Mickey Rourke aired on Sunday, February 22, 2009.
The first question Barbara Walters had for Mickey Rourke was, "Why did you thank your dogs at the Golden Globes?"
"Oh God," Mickey says, with a big sigh, momentarily looking away. "That's a touchy subject with me."
Mickey goes on to explain.
"When I sort of self destructed and everything came apart...about 14 years ago. The wife had left, the career was over. When my money ran out, I had to take a movie one time, I took it just for the paycheck. And I felt like I whored myself out and I...I lost something."
Barbara: Where were the dogs in all this?
Mickey: The dogs were there when no one else was there. I think when the wife left, it all caved in, and I didn't want to be here. And uh, I was going through some tough sh*t...and uh...
Barbara: You just said you "I didn't want to be here." So what you're telling me is that is that you wanted to die and were suicidal? Is that what you're telling me?
Mickey: For some reason, I get a weak way out in my voice knowing that. I'm going to talk a little slow right now so I don't lose it.
"I didn't want to be here, but I didn't want to kill myself. I think that was the chickensh*t way out, and also I'm Catholic. I just wanted to push a button and disappear."
"I hadn't left the house for four or five months and I'm sitting in the closet. I'm sleeping in the closet for some reason, and my dog Beau Jacques made a sound like "oop!" almost like a human sound. I looked over and he looked up at me like this [staring directly at Barbara Walters with wide eyes] and he was like, 'who's going to take care of me?'"
[Mickey's lips shake visibly at this point and he shifts in his chair, trying to contain his emotions before he continues.]
"What that has given me, in other words, I mean I don't have kids. Like the dogs became everything. And the little dog was looking at me, like 'who's going to take care of me?' And the dogs kept me here."
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