Did Darren Aronofsky Mess With Artie Lange?



(image via drunkenfist)

On The Howard Stern Show there was some debate yesterday about whether or not Darren Aronofsky, the director of buzzy Oscar-bait The Wrestler, put Artie Lange through the paces because of an earlier, pre-A-Lister drubbing by the comedian-with-a-heart-of-gold. Frankly, this blogger worries that what could happen to the emotionally unstable comedian if he found out that Aronofsky was busting his chops about ever having a chance at a meaty role in one of his films. Could the dazzling Rachel Weisz marry a man with that much Pimp in his heart? From Howardstern.com/Rundown:

"Artie noted that he auditioned for a part of the sleazy wrestling promoter in Darren Aronofsky's 'The Wrestler' back when Nicholas Cage (and not Mickey Rourke) was set to star in the project. After a few callback auditions, all of which he felt he had killed in, Artie's agent called him and said he almost got the part, but Darren went with a different actor.

"A few months later, someone reminded Artie that he'd met Darren years before at a party and had berated him mercilessly , calling him a 'film school fag.' Everyone speculated that the tortuous audition process could've been Darren's sick way of getting back at Artie for the incident, but Artie doubted it: 'I don't believe it. I don't believe that happened. I don't believe that I slapped him around.'"

Every age has its Fat Man Comic. The 70s had Belushi. The 80s: John Candy. The 90s: Farley. They carry the sins of the world on their gouty haunches. Gerardo could sing a shitty little ballad like "Rico y Suave" because the Fat Man Comic archetype that was John Candy carried the weight of its sonic excrescence on his gouty haunches ("There aint a woman alive that could handle a man like me/That's why I juggle 2 or 3"). Artie could have been the next one with a meaty role in The Wrestler.