Ever the shrinking violet, Mickey Rourke, the much-lauded star of Darren Aronofsky’s new drama, rolled into London to wrestle with the British media.

With the dazzling smile of a man who is relishing his time firmly back in the limelight, he was dressed in a jewel-and-brocade-encrusted navy velvet blazer and crocodile shoes (sans socks) - like a glorious love-child of Austin Powers and Jimmy Nail. And he even mentioned he had kept some of the spandex-tastic costumes from the film: “I kept the pants and the tights- they’re in the closet and I cringe every time I look at them.”

He noted that his often boxing background was a hindrance and not a help for making the movie: “Wrestlers don’t move like fighters and fighters don’t move like wrestlers. With the boxing, you move very gracefully, and these guys move more hulking - you can see their punches, whereas with the fighting everything is so short you don’t see things coming. I had to break sixteen or seventeen years of stuff that I’d learned.”

He noted with relish that he didn’t mind taking the hits and ditching his past training for the role: “Darren is someone I really respect and when he asked me to 'bring it', I did. I had fifteen years of thinking about what I would do with a part I could really sink my teeth into – so you either step up to the plate or you go get a job.”

Although he wouldn’t discuss his apparently strained relationship with co-star Marisa Tomei, only saying, “it was an experience,” he was verbal about the strong bond with his onscreen daughter: “All my really heavy emotional scenes were with the young and very talented Evan Rachel Wood. It is all about a father and a daughter- but he was more concerned about being on the road and wearing his tights than he was about looking after her. So now they’re at a crossroads in their lives- where he wants a relationship with his daughter and she kinda wants one with him, but they’re almost like strangers.”

Awards season, and the buzz his performance in the film has garnered was a hot topic - but when asked whether he thought he would win at the Golden Globes on Sunday, he remained reticent, saying: “It’s out of my hands isn’t it? I have nothing to do with it. If the work speaks for itself then that’s one thing. I did the best job that I could and I am grateful for the opportunity - I have worked very hard to do that. It is an honour to be nominated, but it didn’t happen over night, I say it took twelve years, but it was actually fifteen years to get it back up again.”

When discussing the possibility that he might also be up for an Oscar, he said: “I think it is all so surprising right now, but I thought about all that stuff twenty years ago. I’m just happy that I am getting a second chance to work again.”

He was more than happy to talk about 13, the remake of French film 13 Tzameti which he has just finished shooting with British bad-boys Ray Winstone and Jason Statham, telling us: “I had a blast doing it. I was concerned about what I was going to do after The Wrestler, and I sort of broke the ice with that movie. It was great working with such talented actors as Ray and Jason, and the young Sam Riley.”

However, he was much more restrained when questioned about his rumoured return as Marv for Sin City 2. When asked if he would take the role if he was offered it, he said only: “That depends; we’ll have to see what is on the table.”

Rourke’s 13 co-star Jason Statham came along to offer his support at the premiere and although he didn’t talk to press - saying it was Mickey’s night – the Stath’s good friend, Brit actor Stephen Graham, was on hand to have a chat telling us that the three boys were planning a post-premiere night out.

Graham has big things lined up for 2009- with both Public Enemies and Season Of The Witch just finished filming. He also reiterated the recent news that he has been offered the role of Al Capone for Martin Scorsese's new film. When asked whether he enjoys the particular post-depression period of US history which is the setting for both Public Enemies and his new Capone flick, he said: “ Well it’s the only costume drama I will ever do- I’m never going to be Mr Darcy am I?!”

And so the hard men went to take their ring-side seats to witness Rourke in all his lycra-clad glory. The Wrestler opens in the UK on January 16.