Jan 22, 2011 11:50 GMT  ·  By

Much has been said about Mickey Rourke over the years, mostly being speculation on the surgical interventions he had and how difficult he was on set. A new report suggests that his hygiene has gotten so bad it’s hard to be in the same room as him.

The National Enquirer (story via here) says Mickey has toned down his tantrum on sets and is now quite a pleasure to work with – if it wasn’t for the overpowering smell that’s coming from him.

Apparently, the actor has terrible breath and quite an aversion to showers, which makes it very trying on cast members and production staff to be in the same room as him.

These only come near him when there’s no other way of solving a problem – and, when they do so, they actually hold their breath for as long as possible, one insider dishes for the tab.

“Mickey’s a nice guy – but the bottom line is he smells! He’s got a definite hygiene problem. Between his overpowering body odor and his awful breath, a lot of people won’t go near him unless they have to,” the unnamed spy says.

The people who work with him are still torn about whether the stink is a direct consequence of his aversion to showers and deodorant – or whether Mickey simply forgets to wash.

It’s not just his body that’s a mess, another spy chimes in, since his trailer is just as bad: a place where few men dare venture, if you will.

“It’s so sloppy and messy that the makeup and wardrobe people try to work with him anywhere else but there. They avoid that trailer like a hazardous waste dump!” says the second spy.

“Mickey’s like Pigpen in the ‘Peanuts’ comics… he’s lovable, but dirty. Directors tend to overlook his bad hygiene because he’s such a sweetheart and gifted actor. But the crew and the cast get the brunt of it. On bad days when they see Mickey, they run in the other direction,” the source explains.