Tomei wasn't sure about 'Wrestler' role

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Marisa Tomei says it took her a little while to decide she wanted the role in "The Wrestler" that director Darren Aronofsky offered her.

In the film, Tomei portrays an aging stripper and the love interest of the title character played by Mickey Rourke.

Asked if she found the role irresistible, Tomei told United Press International in New York recently: "Irresistible? Hardly!

"I was like, 'I've got to be nuts!'" she added with a laugh. "No. I really thought long and hard and was kind of not so sure about it. I had just done 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' and I was like, 'I'm not really up for this again.' But I really wanted to work with Darren and I have the utmost respect for him and I didn't have that many choices. It was a good movie and that was the one that came to me and so, I did it."

The Oscar-winning actress said she also enjoyed working with Rourke.

"He's incredibly charming and he's really fun. He's very smart, intuitive and he's got a lot of style," she said. "It felt really intimate and it wasn't like a big deal every day, like some big actors' preparation. Darren was a task master in a way, in a great way and we were playmates, really."

Tomei and Rourke were each nominated for Golden Globe awards for their performances in the film.