Celebrity Big Brother's Mickey Rourke is unrecognisable in 'amazing' 1980s crime caper

Silver screen icon Mickey Rourke surprised viewers when he made his entrance into the Celebrity Big Brother house this week. Now at 72, Mickey is unrecognisable from his days as an 80s heartthrob.

The seasoned actor's rise to fame was driven by standout roles in action-packed 80s classics like Year of the Dragon and Rumble Fish, as well as a daring turn in the steamy 9 1/2 Weeks.

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His magnetic performance as a New York waiter planning a risky heist earned him high praise, with one movie buff calling it "Mickey Rourke at his very best."

The plot speeds ahead when Charlie, alongside his cousin Paulie Gibonni, portrayed by Eric Roberts, hatch a robbery plan in a get-rich-quick scheme after losing their jobs - only to find themselves embroiled in trouble with the mob.

Eric Roberts is famously one of the most prolific actors of our time, racking up an astonishing 700 screen credits. Now aged 68, his breakout role was in 1978's King of the Gypsies, while he also appeared in hits including The Dark Knight, and the TV series Suits. He's also the brother of Hollywood A-lister Julia Roberts.

Audiences have flocked to review site Rotten Tomatoes to express their opinions on the performances of two 80s icons in The Pope of Greenwich Village. A shared sentiment is that the film offers a captivating and genuine glimpse into the urban underworld of down-on-their-luck criminals.

One review says: "It doesn't really go anywhere or amount to much, but it's an interesting and authentic window into street life for small-time hoods. Rourke and Roberts are fantastically layered characters."

Critics of Eric's portrayal brand his character as "obnoxious", with some viewers saying his performance was "hard to watch". Nonetheless, others have lauded the leads for their "amazing" work, and one admirer praises: "Some really strong performances make it worth your time."

The movie has earned a special place for its raw depiction of blue-collar existence in '80s New York. One reviewer wrote: "This movie's strength doesn't lie in the story or the acting (even though Eric Roberts gives a great performance), but in its gritty, totally authentic and unglamorous portrayal of small-time crook and Italian mobster life in mid-80s New York."

The same critic adds: "In this respect, it's up there with Scorsese, with some great photography contributing to its dirty charm...on the downside there is some questionable acting, and a few either silly or melodramatic scenes that don't work."

After a string of less successful films in the late 80s and early 90s, Mickey Rourke took an unusual career turn in 1991 when he became a professional boxer. He later made a return to acting and experienced something of a career revival in the mid-2000s, with roles in Sin City, Iron Man 2, and The Expendables. His performance in 2008's The Wrestler even earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

However, these days he is seldom seen on the big screen - a factor that may have influenced his decision to join this year's Celebrity Big Brother. The Pope of Greenwich Village is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime.