Rourke Confirms Gareth Thomas Biopic

Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke confirmed on a British talk show that he will play gay rugby player Gareth Thomas in an upcoming biopic.

But the actor was quick to set host Alan Carr straight when asked if rumors were true he'd be playing the gay rugby star.

"You're not supposed to say that, OK?" he said. "When I met the rugby player, Gareth Thomas, this is one thing that he and I talked about. This is something that's really important: We're doing a movie about a man who plays rugby who is gay."

At 58 years old, Rourke is more than 20 years older than Thomas, the Crusaders player who married his high school sweetheart in 2002. They divorced four years later when Thomas told her that he's gay -- he came out publicly in 2009.

Rourke told Carr he thinks Thomas's journey took a lot of guts.

"To be a man who plays rugby who is gay and to live with that secret for the amount of years that Gareth had, to perform at the high level that he performed at, it takes a lot of courage," he said.

Rourke would not confirm when the biopic is expected to film. It was reported earlier this year that Rourke was in negotiations to star in a film about Thomas.