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A GoFundMe is started for the actor Mickey Rourke, and the internet responds as it so often does. Reading the comments anonymously, Aaron discovers something rather unexpected, especially given the state of 2026. What unfolds isn’t really a story about a fundraiser or a public figure shaped by past and perception. It’s a meditation on people, and the quiet hope that lingers when someone is seen in need.
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The Team:
Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato
Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt
Additional vocals: Cori Calafato
Art: Pete Whitehead
Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke
Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring
TRANSCRIPT
Are people geared toward being good?
Hold on. I know some of you are rolling your eyes. I’m asking—and you can’t tell me this question hasn’t crossed your mind. But I’m not glib enough to think that, one, I’m even going to be able to understand the answer.
However, I did get an insight into that very question from a very unusual place: a now-paused GoFundMe account that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the legendary actor Mickey Rourke.
I know. But let’s see what happens here in the next seven minutes, right after the music.
—
Mickey Rourke was an incredible actor.
He had this kind of Marlon Brando thing. It was instinctual. It was raw. And it clearly traced back to a past—things he had gone through. Some of the greatest actors, some of the greatest art, some of the greatest stories—they all come from that stuff.
If you’ve seen films like Barfly, Angel Heart, or The Wrestler—because that’s really where Mickey Rourke came back onto the scene—you know what I mean.
He had been sort of blacklisted by Hollywood. There was bad behavior. But then he came back with Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. If you haven’t seen it, you should. And no matter what you think of the guy, that performance said something. It touched a lot of people.
Recently, there was news that he was having a hard time financially. From what I understand, someone within his camp—an assistant to a manager who once worked with him—knew about it and tried to help.
They started a GoFundMe account. The message was simple: he has debt, he’s going to be evicted, let’s raise some money.
When Mickey Rourke found out, he said, “Thank you—but I didn’t ask for this. This was done without my consent. Get all your money back. Don’t give to this.”
And I respect the hell out of that.
—
When I clicked into the GoFundMe page, what really hit me wasn’t the amount raised. It was what people said when they donated.
I’m not mentioning names, but I want to read a few of the messages.
Just when you think you’ve got an answer, human beings find a way to send you all the way back to square one.
Let’s start with a couple shorter ones.
“Dear Mickey, dear brother. Years ago, I downloaded The Wrestler illegally. It made an unforgettable impression on me. Your acting felt as real as life itself. It’s one of the few movies I’ve ever watched twice. So Mickey, here’s the money I owe you—without Hollywood in between me and you. Let it come straight into your heart, from my heart to yours.”
That person donated over two hundred dollars.
Another:
“You are a tour de force of limitless talent and heart, Mickey. I’ve been your ardent supporter ever since the mid-eighties, when as a teen I rented and cherished your screen performances from video stores in Karachi, Pakistan. I wish you the very best in life and will always stand in your corner, rooting for you.”
Another:
“Hey Mickey. I loved Angel Heart and The Wrestler. Here’s a couple of bones from a hardworking truck driver. It’s not much, but I hope it means something. You’re an awesome dude. I hope things improve for you in the new year. Just keep your head up and try to live within your means. Much love, brother.”
—
These next two actually brought a tear to my eye.
First:
“I know it’s not much, Mickey, and I’ll tell you the truth—I’m broke as hell. But watching your movies is actually my medicine after working a hard twelve-hour day. I’m lucky to have family and friends, and most of all my incredible woman who watches your films with me every time. Especially when it’s the same movie we just watched. I say a great movie is just like a great song—you want to hear it and see it over and over again. And we’re blessed to have such a library from your career to enjoy. God bless.”
And finally:
“I too was in your position. I lost everything because of a crook who stole from me. I wasn’t almost evicted—I was evicted. I was a single father raising a son on my own, and I was forced to send him away because honestly, I didn’t think I was going to make it.
My heart was shattered. All my cherished belongings were laid out on my front lawn, being sold right in front of me. The end was close.
Then there was this woman. She drove by in a pickup truck and stopped. She was a sixty-five-year-old grandmother. Her name was Cookie. It fit.
She heard my story. She offered me a place to live, a small job, and she saved my life.
I rebuilt from there. I lived in shame for about a year. But you and I are the same, Mick. We’re both the character from The Wrestler.”
—
What I just shared with you isn’t ultimately about GoFundMe. It’s not even really about Mickey Rourke—though he’s in the news and upset that this happened without his consent.
“Hey, thanks—but I don’t take charity.”
I get that.
This isn’t about campaigns that turn malicious or evolve into scams. Those are awful. Those are evil.
This is about the people who did give. The things they said. Their stories. Their intentions.
It’s about us—and the potential of who we are, and how we act, when we’re our best selves.
Which brings us back to the original question.
Seven Minute Stories listeners, are people geared toward being good?
I don’t have an answer.
But I do have an instinct.
And I have a hope.
I’ll talk to you next week.
