BEVERLY HILLS -- Mickey Rourke won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama here Sunday for his portrayal of a washed-up prizefighter in "The Wrestler."

Rourke, 52, whose acting career had been in a downward spiral since his 1980s heyday, earned widespread critical acclaim for his performance, which echos his own troubled recent history.

Rourke earned the award ahead of Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon").