She’s had parts in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “The Pacific,” but sylphlike 26-year-old Isabel Lucas is probably still best known in her native Australia for her three-year stint in the continuing drama, “Home and Away.” She can currently be seen as none other than the goddess Athena in Tarsem Singh’s bloody sword & sandals fantasy, “Immortals.” She will also be featured in the upcoming, long-awaited remake of “Red Dawn.”

In her spare time, Ms. Lucas is also an activist for the environment and animal rights. Her activities on behalf of dolphins actually caused her to run afoul of the Japanese government some years ago and she can be seen briefly in the Oscar winning 2009 documentary, “The Cove.” We managed to grab enough time during the recent “Immortals” junket to ask her, you guessed it, five questions.

1. I’m sure you’ve been called a goddess once or twice. What’s it like to actually play one?

Isabel Lucas: I don’t think I’ve been called a goddess before. Maybe. I don’t know. Athena is a very special archetype. She’s the goddess of wisdom and runs around in the wartimes providing counsel. It was a really amazing opportunity. Big shoes to fill, in a way.

2. So, now, you’re a goddess — the goddess of movies. Which leading man would you choose to be in a movie with? It can be anyone who’s ever been onscreen from any time period.

IL: I was going to say Daniel Day Lewis, but then you said any time period. So, maybe James Dean or Marlon Brando.

3. What was the best thing, and what was the worst thing, about being an Australian soap opera star?

IL: The best thing is probably the learning experience. You have a creative outlet every day and you’re working with really great directors and you have a very tight schedule, and you have a lot of obligations… a lot of dialogue and there’s a lot of things you’re learning on the job. So, that’s a great thing.

What are the negative things about working on a soap opera? It’s probably a boring response, but I think actors can pick up patterns from working on a series like that. [They] find acting tricks that they can repeat — you’re not really stretching yourself. There may only be a certain amount you can learn on a series like that.

4. You were voted one of PETA’s “Sexiest Vegetarians.” Who would you vote for “sexiest vegetarian”?

IL: I don’t know if I really know that many sexy vegetarians. I have a really good friend of mine. He’s been a bit like a big brother. He is a really diligent vegetarian. He’s actually a vegan, and that’s why he came to mind. He’s a free surfer. His name is Dave Rastovich. He does a lot of really great environmental activism. I just did a sail with him and a whole bunch of our friends along the California coast, sailing on kayaks….I went with my boyfriend, who is not a vegetarian. We sailed down — it was basically doing beach clean-ups along the way. Dave organized the whole thing. If you want to check it out, it’s called TransparentSea Voyage.

5. Speaking of your aquatic adventures, you were, of course, involved in an effort to protect some dolphins from fishermen. Is it true that you’re still a wanted woman in Japan?

IL: I would kind of chuckle if they threatened that. I think it was more just to sort of make a scare, to scare us from coming back. At this point, I don’t really have any plans to go back right now. I think that Japan obviously has a lot of issues that need to be dealt with and doesn’t need this right now. However, I actually don’t think it’s very serious because I did return to Japan for the “Transformers” premiere [in 2009] and it was fun.

And nobody tried to arrest you?

IL: No.

“9 1/2 Weeks” director Adrian Lyne is supposed to have said that if Mickey Rourke had died in 1986, his legend might have surpassed James Dean’s. Maybe so. The problem was that, after a series of usually superb but always entertaining performances, Rourke didn’t die. Instead, as the man himself explains, artistic hubris and psychological issues got the better of him. He developed probably the worst reputation of any actor in Hollywood before quitting show business for a time to become a boxer at age 39. Though the resulting injuries and reconstructive surgery permanently altered Rourke’s appearance, years of public fence mending and consistently strong work in small but memorable roles have finally paid off in the afterglow of a sympathetic, engaging, and just plain damn brilliant Oscar nominated performance in Darren Aronofsky’s 2008 indie hit, “The Wrestler.”

A former amateur boxer from Schenectady, New York, the actor first got short-listed for the A-list with his charismatic turn in Barry Levinson’s 1982 ensemble classic about masculine immaturity, “Diner.” That was followed by a series of memorable films that didn’t impress at the box office but live on in home video: “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” Francis Ford Coppola‘s tragically underrated “Rumblefish,” Michael Cimino’s “Year of the Dragon,” Alan Parker’s “Angel Heart,” and Barbet Schroeder’s charming 1987 Charles Bukowski adaptation, “Barfly.” Prior to “The Wrestler,” Rourke was probably best known for 2005′s “Sin City” and 1987′s “9 1/2 Weeks,” which also did a lot to popularize co-star Kim Basinger and the erotic use of ice cubes.

I spoke to Rourke via phone about 24 hours prior to the press junket for “Immortals,” Relativity Media’s hyper-violent mythological fantasy film directed by visual stylist Tarsem Singh (“The Cell,” “The Fall”). When I cheerfully asked the star how he was, his response was a weary, “Oh, that depends.” What else should I have expected from one of acting’s most respected loose cannons?

Bullz-Eye: It’s an honor to talk to you.

Mickey Rourke: Thank you.

BE: We’ll start with “Immortals.” I think this might be your first real period film.

MR: Yeah, close.

BE: And also it’s your first 3-D film. A lot of green screen; a lot of effects. How did that affect your approach?

MR: It doesn’t really. I mean, I got used to the green screen two years back when I did “Sin City” with Robert Rodriguez.

BE (embarrassed I forgot about it): Of course.

MR: You know, everybody says, “Oh, it’s a green screen,” but it’s just another aspect of making movies. It doesn’t really get in the way with me.

BE: And the 3-D, you don’t even think about it?

MR: No, you don’t even know. I mean, I don’t deal with that stuff. Shoot it in 6-D, I don’t give a fuck.

BE: Okay, now you’ve played a lot of anti-heroes and questionable type people, but you’ve never really played a whole lot of nasty villains like Hyperion in “Immortals.”

MR: Yeah.

BE: And here, you’re not only a bad guy but you’re a king. You’re an authority figure.

MR: Right.

BE: I know you’ve been very frank in interviews that that’s an issue for you. I wonder if you maybe imagined he was your least favorite producer or studio head.

MR: Oh, my least favorite producer was Elliot Kastner. He’s dead.

BE: But I mean, when you were playing him, were you thinking of somebody in particular?

MR: Oh, the king you mean?

BE: Yeah.

MR: Not necessarily. My whole thing all the time is, let’s not make a one-dimensional bad guy. Let’s give him some layers and justify why he is the way he is.

BE: Sure.

MR: There’s always a fight.

BE: So you’re trying to maybe even give him some good qualities.

MR: Absolutely.

BE: You’ve worked with a lot of visionary directors in your day. How about Tarsem Singh? What’s he like compared to people like Coppola, Cimino and Aronofsky?

MR: He’s just very prepared and he knows exactly what he wants to do. Like I said in the last interview, the wardrobe lady, [Eiko] Ishioka, was working on the film for a couple of years before we even made it. [Tarsem] had done a very extensive pre-production and a lot of research, too, on that particular period of mythology or whatever. He just knew what he wanted. That makes it all really easy for me. I just have to put on my tights.

BE: I was watching your 2008 Charlie Rose interview last night, and you mentioned that you liked directors that kind of push you a little bit.

MR: Yeah, well Tarsem doesn’t really push you that way. He’s just intellectually prepared.

BE: Right.

MR: He gives you interesting activities. Or he’ll even say, “Don’t even say all those lines, just do this,” you know? He’s very spontaneous and he’s not so concerned with the dialogue as he is with creating the moment. So he’s very much open to an almost improvisational type delivery, with structure.

BE: He’s flexible.

MR: He’s flexible in a smart way because, like I said, he knows what he wants. When somebody knows what they want, you get a lot more, I think, out of the actor and the message that comes across.

BE: Gotcha. Moving on to “The Wrestler,” and of course I’m sure you’ve heard a few times that you did pretty good in that movie. I’ve noticed that a lot of really good actors, more than I would think, have a pretty serious athletic background, like you certainly do. What do you think the connection is between athletics and acting, if there is one?

MR: Oh, with me it was I just wasn’t good at any one particular sport to continue my career on. I’ve always much more enjoyed athletics than making movies. I think it’s a good nucleus and a good base, because it’s all about dedication and hard work. You just keep on trying to persevere and make yourself better, you know? And when you fall down, you have an instinct and an understanding to get back up. It is all about winning, but it’s also about if you make a gigantic effort and even if you lose, then you can be proud of the effort that you made.

BE: Right.

MR: You know, I can relate really good directing to a really good coach or a trainer.

BE: Now as far as working with actors, do you have a favorite of the directors you’ve worked with?

MR: Probably Cimino, Coppola, Adrian Lyne. Liliana Cavani [Rourke's director in the 1994 drama, "Francesco," in which he played St. Francis of Assisi, which means that "Immortals" is not his first period film]. Aronofsky, of course, even though he’s a hard motherfucker. But I would go to work for him again, you know. I would work with Tarsem again because he’s a really smart man. Well, first of all, Aronofsky and Tarsem are really bright guys. They’ve got really large brains and they help make my job easier because if I make a choice, they sometimes give me an adjustment and say something that will be a better choice than I made. That’s what makes the acting interesting. I don’t know if I would have done this particular material if it wasn’t [for] Tarsem.

BE: You wanted to be with somebody kind of on the interesting side of things.

MR: Well, even if [the movie is] seen as mediocre or ordinary, he’s such a visionary and he’s so bright he can transcend the material.

BE: With you, there’s kind of an obsession out there with your very dramatic career. Again, listening to the Rose interview last night, I was thinking that the moment that I started to think that you were eventually going to come back was probably before you think it was, which is “The Rainmaker” (1997).

MR: Well, you know, it’s funny. I think what happened with that was once again Coppola gave me a shot to do that when I couldn’t get any work in Hollywood. And it didn’t really happen after that. My reputation at that time was still so bad that they didn’t care how good I was in that movie. You know what I mean?

BE: It took more than one movie.

MR: They weren’t going to let me back in the door yet. At that period of time there were still too many people around that I had pissed off. I had to wait another several years for them fuckers to die off.

BE: Okay. This is a question that I like to ask people who have done a lot of movies. Of all the movies you have done, which one do you think didn’t get the attention it deserved?

MR: I don’t know. My favorite movie that I ever did up until now is “The Pope of Greenwich Village.”

BE: It’s funny you mention that. Believe it or not, that was maybe the one major film in your filmography that I had not seen and I just caught up with it the other night.

MR: Yeah.

BE: That is the darnedest movie.

MR: The studios had changed studio heads at the time so it was a new regime that came in and nobody really wanted to push the movie. It probably was the most fun I’ve ever had on film. And Eric Roberts is definitely one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with.

BE: You two have a really fascinating dynamic in that movie. The one that I’m a big fan of, and the one where I saw you and went “Oh my God, this guy is a movie star,” was “Rumblefish.”

MR: Well, that was sort of an early introduction to working in a very unconventional way. Once again, you take Rodriguez and Coppola and Tarsem, and they are all sort of the same kind of big brain visionary person that doesn’t work in, let’s say, your A-B-C kind of way.

BE: Right. “Rumblefish” was remarkable at the time. You didn’t know what time period it was set in. It could have been the 50s, it could have been the 80s. You didn’t know.

MR: The studio at the time wasn’t so hot about it. But I know when it went to France, all of the French loved it.

BE: The French, and me and everyone at UCLA where I was. Now you got a lot of attention in the old days for passing movies up. Were there any that you were particularly happy that you passed up?

MR: Sure, I can’t mention them though.

BE: Oh, darn it.

MR: You know, I’ve learned my lesson about pissing those people off so I’m not going to name the names. But yeah, there’s quite a few movies that I regret passing up for stupid reasons back in the day. And sure, there’s a whole bunch that I’m glad that I didn’t do.

BE: Are there any directors right now that you’re really anxious to work with soon?

MR: I’d like to work with Adrian Lyne again and I’m always open to working with Francis.

BE: I know you’ve had close calls with Quentin Tarantino a couple of times.

MR: But he talks a lot.

BE: Yes, he does.

MR: What can I say? You’ve got to be able to decide who you’re going to talk to and how you’re going to say it.

BE: Right… you see in the press how they tend to leak these stories about how so and so is thinking about being in a movie and so and so is circling something.

MR: Well, you know, I don’t know how to say it politely.

BE: Well, what have you got coming? I was looking on IMDb and there are some interesting sounding movies coming up.

MR: I’m mainly going to take some time off now and get ready to do my rugby movie that I wrote. It’s about a rugby player who’s gay. His name is Gareth Thomas and I wrote a script called “The Beautiful Game,” so I’m doing that next.

BE: Cool. And this is not the first script that you’ve written. There was a movie you did with Tupac several years ago called “Bullet.”

MR: Yeah, there are about four that I’ve written.

BE: So now, you’re going to be in it?

MR: Yeah.

BE: I don’t know about the story, Are you playing him or are you playing somebody else?

MR: You can Google him, it’s Gareth Thomas, he plays for Wales.

BE: Okay. And who’s directing?

MR: A South African director named Antony Hoffman.

BE: Sounds really interesting. How do you think you’re acting background works when you’re writing?

MR: It’s more life background. Well, yeah. It’s so important to write the other characters as good as you write your character. So, coming from the acting background, there’s certain actors that I have in my mind that I want to use in certain roles. If I’m writing something and it’s for this particular person, I have the responsibility to write his role as good as I would write my own role.

BE: Sure.

MR: So I have to write all the main roles, or even if it’s a one-line guy, with some layers and with honorable intentions, in a way.

BE: Do you find yourself kind of having fun maybe trying to get into the head of somebody who in a role you would never ever be cast in?

MR: Say that again.

BE: In other words, you’re writing the part of a character that you know you would never be cast in. Just physically, you’re wrong; it’s a woman, say. Do you find as an actor you can get into your head a little bit maybe and get into her head?

MR: Yeah, sort of, you could do that.

BE: Okay, moving back into your filmography, I have a weird question. I have no evidence to support this, but with Barry Levinson’s movie after “Diner,” “Tin Men,” it always seemed to me [something was going on] because, at the end of the movie, your character gets a job [selling aluminum siding] with a character played by Michael Tucker…

MR: In which movie?

BE: We’re going way back to “Diner.”

MR: Oh “Diner,” yeah.

BE: Yeah, and your character, he gets a job [selling aluminum siding] working for a fellow named Bagel, who was played by Michael Tucker [who reprised the role in "Tin Men.]

MR: Right.

BE: It just seemed to me that the character played [in "Tin Men"] by Richard Dreyfuss was kind of like your character. I always wondered if maybe at some point that was intended to be more of a direct sequel.

MR: You know, I didn’t see that movie so I don’t know.

BE: So you never heard anything about it.

MR: Yeah. You obviously know your film history.

BE: I’m a fan. So, let me ask you this, when you go to see movies, what do you like to see?

MR: I don’t go to movies.

BE: Really?

MR: Yeah. I mean, I watch on the DVD and Apple TV. I just cruise through independent movies usually, the foreign films.

BE: Right. Well, let me ask you this, as a writer, who would you say your big influences are?

MR: Probably Pinter and Tennessee Williams combined.

BE: I was looking at a quote from when you were doing “Barfly” and you mentioned you were impressed by working with Charles Bukowski a little bit, but it wasn’t like he was Tennessee Williams.

MR: Not that much.

BE: Well, right, that’s what I was saying, it wasn’t as if he was Tennessee Williams to you.

MR: No, his wife was a jerk.

Perhaps not surprisingly, right at that moment the publicist decided to move things along, but that wasn’t quite Bullz-Eye’s last encounter with Mickey Rourke. I met again with Mr. Rourke not long afterward. This time it was in person but also in the company of a table full of my fellow entertainment journos at the L.A. Four Seasons. Provided with an audience and allowed to have a smoke outside for a moment, Rourke was in a carefree mood, asking inquisitors about where they were from and, at one point, administering playful noogies to a female writer who, fortunately, took it all very much in stride. Below are a few highlights, starting with another question from yours truly.

BE: Now that you’ve done…

MR: Where are you from?

BE: Los Angeles, actually.

MR: Oh, you’re the one.

BE: Yes. Anyhow, now that you’ve done a sort of classical period role, are there any famous classical roles you’d like to do from mythology or Shakespeare, say.

MR: [When I was a kid] I’d have trouble sleeping and my grandma would read me all that stuff. I like that. It’s very soothing and relaxing to hear all about those crazy things that you hope are real. I don’t have any plans though. First of all, directors like Tarsem don’t fall out of trees, so I don’t know what he’s gonna do next. If Tarsem was going to do another piece different than this, I’d work with him again. I know Darren Aronofsky is gonna do Noah’s Ark. If there’s a small part in that to work with Darren, I would gladly work with Darren — if he pays me this time.

Journalist: Do you agree with the assessment [in the "Immortals" press materials] that your character was like a Greek mythology version of Charlie Manson?

MR: No, not at all. I don’t know who came up with that…That’s terrible, that’s them trying to make [Hyperion] a one-dimensional evil bastard. This is what I fight with them pricks about.

Journalist: How would you describe him?

MR: He’s a guy who’s got some territorial issues, you know? It’s his block, okay? He owns everything in the neighborhood. What’s wrong with that? He earned it and this sissy wants to come over and start shit, I gotta cut his head off.

Journalist: You have a great fight scene at the end with Henry Cavill. What’s your view of him? He’s going to be Superman [in Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot] and he’ll have this Hollywood machine come at him.

MR: I liked him because Henry was so enthusiastic, doing his push-ups and all ready to go to work. It was easy. He was nice. I don’t particularly care for actors myself and he is at a place right now where he is still a good person. Doesn’t behave like an actor, you know what I mean?

Journalist: When you turn on the TV and you see “9 1/2 Weeks,” do you turn it off? Do you like watching yourself?

MR: I never watched that movie until about five years ago…I saw it [again] about a year or so ago, like little pieces of it and I said, “That fuckin’ Kim [Basinger] was hot as shit!” I used to go home with a boner every night. Really. That was no fun…

Journalist: When you’re flipping through the channels and see yourself in something from a long time ago, does that take the form of a sort of out-of-body experience.

MR: No, it’s depressing. I’m going, “Oh, I’ve got so fucking old. I used to be much better looking.” Now it’s terrible. It really sucks, to see yourself deteriorate. I don’t know how [actors] do it.

Who: John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garces, Thomas Lennon and Neil Patrick Harris
What: After Harold and Kumar accidentally set fire to Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree, the duo embark on yet another weed-fueled adventure to replace it.
When: November 4th
Why: Though I refuse to believe that the 3D revolution is going to stick around for much longer, this is one of those times where I actually don’t completely hate the idea. That’s probably because director Todd Strauss-Schulson is really embracing the gimmicky nature of the technology, but who doesn’t love making fun of 3D? Though Harold and Kumar’s last adventure was a bit ridiculous for its own good, writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg appear to have reined things in for the third (and likely final) installment in the stoner bud series. Toss in some Claymation and the return of Neil Patrick Harris and there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a fun theater experience.

Who: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck and Téa Leoni
What: A group of employees at a luxury condominium enlist the aid of a career criminal to help them steal $20 million from the investor that emptied out their pension plans.
When: November 4th
Why: When I first heard that Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy were teaming up with director Brett Ratner for what can be best described as a blue-collar “Ocean’s 11,” I responded accordingly, with a witty comment and a cynical roll of the eyes. But something strange happened between then and now – I saw the trailer for the film, and amazingly, it doesn’t look half-bad. Perhaps it’s just because my expectations are so low for those involved in the movie, but this actually looks like it could be pretty enjoyable, and even somewhat of a return to form for Murphy, who hasn’t been funny in a really long time.

Who: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts and Judi Dench
What: A biopic about the founder of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, whose 50-year reign as the face of law enforcement was threatened by the many secrets in his personal life.
When: November 9th
Why: Everything about this film has “future Oscar nominee” written all over it, including star Leonardo DiCaprio, director Clint Eastwood and co-star Armie Hammer, who’s landed the plum role of Hoover’s lifelong friend and rumored lover Clyde Tolson. It’ll be interesting to see how a mild conservative like Eastwood handles the mysterious relationship between the two men, especially with gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black behind the script, because dodging the issue completely won’t sit well with the usually liberal-minded Academy. The person that stands the most to gain from all of this, of course, is Hammer, who is pretty much a lock for a Best Supporting Actor nomination after just barely missing out last year for his incredible work in “The Social Network.”

Who: Henry Cavill, Frieda Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz and Mickey Rourke
What: Zeus calls on the mortal Theseus to lead the fight against King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.
When: November 11th
Why: If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the movie is going to look incredible. Tarsem Singh may not be the most prolific filmmaker in Hollywood (he’s only made three movies in 11 years), but he already has a reputation for creating some lusciously gorgeous cinematography. Though some have been quick to criticize the film as a “Clash of the Titans” clone that unabashedly mimics Zack Snyder’s slo-mo camera technique from “300,” I think we can all agree that both movies could have been better. There’s no telling if Singh succeeded in making a superior film, but at the very least, audiences will get their first look at new Superman Henry Cavill in action hero mode.

Who: George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster and Beau Bridges
What: A father tries to reconnect with this two estranged daughters after his cheating wife falls into a coma following a boating accident.
When: November 18th
Why: After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the general consensus was that the movie was going to be a major contender in the Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture categories at this year’s Oscars. Though it’s been a while since Alexander Payne’s last film (2004’s “Sideways”), early buzz suggests that the director is still at the top of his game. It certainly seems to follow in the footsteps of Payne’s previous work, which were all dependent on enlisting a top actor who can handle the dramatic material as well as the quirky comedy that his movies tend to exhibit. And is there anyone in Hollywood that does that better than George Clooney?

Who: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
What: With the help of three fans, Kermit the Frog gets the gang back together to put on a show to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.
When: November 23rd
Why: It’s been six years since the last Muppets movie, and even longer since one was actually released in theaters, but if the new film does well enough, it might just be the final push that Disney needs to finally commission a new Muppets TV series. The talent behind the movie is certainly encouraging, with self-proclaimed fan Jason Segel (who demonstrated the extent of his puppet love in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) co-writing the script and starring alongside Amy Adams, “Flight of the Conchords” co-creator James Bobin making his feature film directorial debut, as well as oodles of guest cameos including Billy Crystal, Ricky Gervais, Zach Galifianakis, Emily Blunt, and many more. If that’s not enough to get you excited about the Great Muppet Revival, then nothing will.

Who: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley
What: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
When: November 23rd
Why: Though Martin Scorsese has compiled a great cast for his adaptation of Brian Selznick’s award-winning bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabaret” (a title they should have kept intact), I can’t help but feel like the material is beneath him. While it’s always refreshing to see a director that’s willing to work outside his comfort zone, the 3D looks gimmicky and the sounds like something that Steven Spielberg would be more attracted to than Scorsese. If anyone can make this interesting, however, it’s him, although don’t be surprised if this turns out to be the director’s first misstep in years.

Who: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Penelope Ann Miller and John Goodman
What: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he falls in love with a young dancer set for a big break.
When: November 23rd
Why: It received rave reviews at Cannes – winning Best Actor and a nomination for the prestigious Palm d’Or along the way – and has continued to gain steam as one of the must-see movies of awards season. The fact that it’s a black and white silent film won’t do it any favors in appealing to a mainstream audience, but art house fans will likely show up in droves. Though it helps to have recognizable names like Penelope Ann Miller and John Goodman in the cast, the movie supposedly belongs to French actor Jean Dujardin with his star-making performance. I’m still not crazy about how much the trailer gives away, but if it gets people to go see the film, then it was a job well done.