Sam Rockwell

Mickey Rourke Close to Clamping Down on Iron Man 2

• Jan 7, 2009 10:25 PM ET
• by Anna Dimond
• 13 Comments

Mickey Rourke could soon be going from wrestling to wrapping deadly coils around Tony Stark.

The recent Wrestler star is in talks to join Iron Man 2 as a Russian heavy weight who becomes Whiplash, a character with deadly coils he can unfurl with deadly results.

Sam Rockwell is also in talks to join the franchise's follow-up, according to the Hollywood Reporter. If a deal closes, the indie maven (Frost/Nixon, Snow Angels) would play Tony Stark's nemesis, multibillionaire Justin Hammer.

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A Hitchhiker's Homage to Elvis

• May 6, 2005 04:00 AM ET
• by Ethan Alter

Attention, people of Earth: If Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Galaxy, seems familiar to you, that's because he's based on several of what you would call "celebrities." "I pushed for an Elvis/Freddie Mercury vibe," says Sam Rockwell, the actor who embodies the far-out prez in the current hit film, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. "There's also some Vince Vaughn in there — Vince does a great Elvis — and Bill Murray from Kingpin." And in case you're curious, yes, Rockwell also modeled his performance on several real heads of state. "I watched Bush and I watched Clinton," he says. "I was actually pretty nervous during rehearsals because they asked me to tone down the Southern accent." It was Rockwell's versatility that won him the part of Zaphod. He originally auditioned to play the less flamboyant Ford Prefect, a role that later went to Mos Def. "I read for Ford read more