In 'The Wrestler' (2008), they didn't shut down the deli counter while they filmed Randy working there. Those are real customers, and everything Mickey Rourke does is improvised.
GROSS: And so, he's working at - behind the deli counter at an Acme supermarket.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: In Bao, New Jersey.
GROSS: Yeah, I was wondering where it was, because it looks like it's a real supermarket.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
GROSS: And I read that some of the customers were real, too?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Yeah, well the whole thing was - you know, we didn't have enough money to close down the supermarket or even close down the meat deli counter where we were shooting. So people were coming up and asking for, you know - and all those other workers behind, you know, with Mickey, were the actual employees, you know? And so, I just - I was like, hey, Mickey, go serve these people.
And so, he was game. And, you know, that was once again, you know, a lot of improvisation and Mickey bringing his own spirit to the screen.
GROSS: So what did the customers think? They must have seen the camera. Did they know that they were shooting a movie?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Yeah.
GROSS: Did they know that was Mickey Rourke behind the counter serving them?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: I think that's the advantage of having someone like Mickey Rourke at that point in his career is that most people with his hair up in a hair bun aren't going to recognize him. And even if they do, they're not going to be screaming through the aisles for an autograph. So people were very - they were kind of natural. You know, and with so much reality TV going on and so much...
GROSS: Mm Hmm.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: I think people are really comfortable now, and they just don't care. So, you know, they were just - that woman who was asking for the fried chicken was just a woman who came up, and, you know, she said, give me two big breasts. And Mickey made up the line, That's what I'm looking for, two big breasts with a brain. You know, it was just - it was perfect, but it just happened.
klsi832 on April 3rd, 2021 at 22:27 UTC »
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/99825912
GROSS: And so, he's working at - behind the deli counter at an Acme supermarket.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: In Bao, New Jersey.
GROSS: Yeah, I was wondering where it was, because it looks like it's a real supermarket.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
GROSS: And I read that some of the customers were real, too?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Yeah, well the whole thing was - you know, we didn't have enough money to close down the supermarket or even close down the meat deli counter where we were shooting. So people were coming up and asking for, you know - and all those other workers behind, you know, with Mickey, were the actual employees, you know? And so, I just - I was like, hey, Mickey, go serve these people.
And so, he was game. And, you know, that was once again, you know, a lot of improvisation and Mickey bringing his own spirit to the screen.
GROSS: So what did the customers think? They must have seen the camera. Did they know that they were shooting a movie?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: Yeah.
GROSS: Did they know that was Mickey Rourke behind the counter serving them?
Mr. ARONOFSKY: I think that's the advantage of having someone like Mickey Rourke at that point in his career is that most people with his hair up in a hair bun aren't going to recognize him. And even if they do, they're not going to be screaming through the aisles for an autograph. So people were very - they were kind of natural. You know, and with so much reality TV going on and so much...
GROSS: Mm Hmm.
Mr. ARONOFSKY: I think people are really comfortable now, and they just don't care. So, you know, they were just - that woman who was asking for the fried chicken was just a woman who came up, and, you know, she said, give me two big breasts. And Mickey made up the line, That's what I'm looking for, two big breasts with a brain. You know, it was just - it was perfect, but it just happened.
DaveOJ12 on April 3rd, 2021 at 22:38 UTC »
Here's one of the scenes from the deli:
https://youtu.be/tagCa__DYJU
ShaneMP01 on April 4th, 2021 at 01:41 UTC »
They must have been thinking “Times are tough for Mickey Rourke”