The Angel Heart star recalls locking himself and his beloved dog away in a closet, planning to commit suicide - but he just couldn't go through with it - and it was all down to his little dog.

Rourke recalls, "(I was) doing some crazy s**t, but I saw a look in Beau Jack's eyes, and I put the s**t down. That dog saved my life."

But even though his acting career is on the rise again, thanks in part to his acclaimed new role in The Wrestler, Rourke admits he still has self-destructive tendencies.

He adds, "There's still a little man inside me with an axe, but I keep that little f**ker quiet."

Beau Jack died in 2002, and Rourke now dotes on his late pooch's daughter, Loki.