Rourke: 'Penn deserved to win Oscar'

Mickey Rourke has congratulated his rival Sean Penn for beating him to the best actor Oscar at this year's ceremony.

Speaking to The Mirror, the Wrestler star revealed that he was "pleased" that Penn had been honoured for his work in the biopic Milk.

"He's a great actor and a great friend of mine," he said. "He deserved it."

Rourke has previously credited Penn for helping him turn his life around when he was "down and out", saying: "He got hold of me and told me exactly what to do and not to do."

The pair dismissed reports of a feud between them earlier this month after they were spotted enjoying drinks together at the Sunset Tower in Hollywood.

Referencing the death of his pet Chihuahua last week, Rourke said: "To be honest I'd rather have my dog Loki back than an award."