The legendary ‘80s actor has returned to work following a turbulent couple of months that saw him lose his Los Angeles home amid mounting financial and legal troubles.
Rourke’s rep Kimberly Hines confirmed to TMZ on Thursday, March 26 that the actor is currently in Utah filming Sol Hershowitz’s Guide to Extraterrestrial Life, where he’s landed one of the lead roles. He’ll be playing a paranoid, ex-military conspiracist who claims to have stolen alien technology from the government.
Hines, who is also an executive producer on the project, says she’s thrilled to have him back on set with production now underway. Onset photos obtained from the outlet show Rourke sitting through full hair and makeup, eyes closed and completely focused.
The return to work comes after a very public and difficult few months. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge entered a judgment on March 9 in favor of Rourke’s landlord in an unlawful detainer case, officially ruling him evicted from his Drexel Avenue home. The judgment was entered by default, and as a result the actor’s rental agreement was canceled and his lease forfeited. Court documents had previously alleged he owed a whopping $59,100 in back rent, with a three-day pay-or-vacate notice served back in December.
READ MORE: Iconic ’80s Actor Loses L.A. Home After Owing Nearly $60K in Rent
By January, Rourke was photographed moving belongings out of the property. When a GoFundMe appeared online around the same time, he was quick to shut it down. “I wouldn’t ask for no f**king charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my a** and pull the trigger,” he said in an Instagram video. The home itself was reported to be in serious disrepair, with black mold, no running water, rodents, and water damage that left much of his furniture unsalvageable.
Still, something of a silver lining emerged from the chaos. The renewed public attention reportedly brought a wave of new opportunities, with Hines noting that “people are emailing him movie offers now, which is great because nobody’s been calling him for a long time.” And it looks like Hollywood followed through.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aol.com ’
