Mickey Rourke Is Latest Victim Of Celebrity Death Hoax; Website Claims Actor Died In Snowboarding Accident

Mickey Rourke, who resurrected his acting career in 2008 with “The Wrestler,” became the latest celebrity to be a victim of a death hoax Wednesday. One notorious website reported -- falsely -- that the actor died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland.

According to Global Associated News, Rourke was vacationing at Zermatt with his family. Rourke was snowboarding down the mountain when he lost control and crashed into a tree, according to "eyewitnesses" who spoke to Global Associated News.

Most news outlets ignored Rourke’s supposed death, proving that not all news should be treated equally on the Internet. A couple of tweets circulated but the death is nothing more than a hoax. Rourke has plenty on his plate for 2013 and this death hoax will be just one of many stories regarding the actor.

Rourke was an amateur boxer before becoming a prominent actor throughout the 1980s, starring in "Diner," “Rumble Fish, “9 ½ Weeks” and “Barfly.” He quit acting to become a professional boxer in 1991. Injuries to his face, including a broken nose and a fractured cheekbone, led to plastic surgery that dramatically altered his appearance. Rourke appeared in a handful of movies during the 1990s, including a role in “The Rainmaker,” but mostly in supporting roles.

That trend continued into the 2000s, and it was not until he starred in “Sin City,” directed by Robert Rodriguez, that Rourke found success that matched his earlier career. In 2008, Darren Aronofsky cast Rourke in “The Wrestler,” a critically acclaimed film which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

Rourke also starred in “The Expendables” and “Iron Man 2” and will star in “Java Heat” and will return to his role as Marv in “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.”

Rourke has not commented on his supposed death.