Mickey Rourke didn’t collect an Oscar on Sunday, but his irrepressible behaviour kept him in the news all week. On Oscar night, even though he had a front row seat, he persisted in sitting on the side of the stage, from which the more courageous security staff removed him several times.

The day before, he was in exuberant mood when voted best actor at the annual Independent Spirit awards on Santa Monica beach. During his lengthy acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to his chihuahua, Loki, who died last week.

He also threatened to beat up comedian Rainn Wilson, who had impersonated him in an earlier skit. He forgot the name of Marisa Tomei, his co-star in The Wrestler. And he broke his microphone.

Then he turned his attention on Eric Roberts, with whom he made The Pope of Greenwich Villageand Spun. "Eric Roberts is probably the best actor I have ever worked with," he declared before alluding to the 1987 arrest of Roberts for harassing a woman and striking a police officer: "Whatever he did 15, 20 years ago should be forgiven. He deserves, like I got, a second chance."

Rourke continued: “I wish there would be one goddamn film-maker in this room that would let him fly because the man is something else.”

At that stage, a visibly embarrassed Roberts yelled at him: “Accept your award!”