By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor

Former WWE star Hulk Hogan has remained quiet about "The Wrestler" during the recent hype leading up to tonight's Academy Awards show where Mickey Rourke is being considered for the Best Actor award. Hogan claims he had a shot at the leading role years ago, and thinks the movie is dangerous to the public.

Hogan told the Los Angeles Times that he read the script a few times when it crossed his agent's desk, but he passed on the movie.

"The movie got made and they cast Mickey Rourke," Hogan said. "I thought he did a great job."

However, Hogan fears the public perception of pro wrestling will be tainted by a small-lens view of the business.

"Made me realize how shock value - that just the drop of reality - can have an effect on the public," Hogan said about the movie. "It was wrestling light. Very light version of wrestling."

Hogan was complimentary of Rourke, saying he did a "tremendous job" without much to work with, but he wishes Rourke could have had 30 years of wrestling experience that he had to tell a more accurate story.

"I don't think the public could have handled it, though," Hogan said. "Just made me realize after seeing the movie with Mickey Rourke that if someone does the real Hulk Hogan movie, you better hang on for the ride, brother."

One of the key themes in the movie is how wrestlers "gig" themselves across the forehead to draw blood to increase an emotional response from the audience. Hogan says it was too much for the public to see.

"Light version of what really happens," Hogan characterized the scene. "To see Rourke do a blade job and expose that, it was an overdramatic version of a blade job. None of it upset me, but it made me realize how one small drop of the poison was such huge shock value to the public."

Hogan was asked about whether Rourke should accept a WrestleMania appearance and payday from WWE to cross-promote the movie. Hogan says it would dangerous territory based on his own experience.

"You don't want to jade your performance or have the Hollywood community look at you like, 'you sold out,'" Hogan said. He added that he talked to "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson about needing to distance himself from the wrestling community and simply be "Dwayne Johnson" if he wanted to be a successful actor.

Hogan claims he was held back in Hollywood doing B-movies because he kept going back to wrestling, so the Hollywood community didn't accept him. He doesn't think Rourke should enter wrestling for a payday, but from a wrestling perspective, he believes it would help sell WrestleMania and be fun to watch.

Link: Hulk Hogan interview with Scott Feinberg of L.A. Times.

RELATED STORY at PWTorch.com: Part 2 - Hogan advocates unions in wrestling.

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