Mark was interviewed by ABC 7 (KABC) in Los Angeles. He talks about "Broken City" and his other upcoming projects.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Watch Mark Wahlberg on CBS Miami
Mark was recently interviewed by CBS Miami about his weight gain and loss for movie roles, his character in "Broken City" and more.
Watch clip of Mark Wahlberg on MTV's After Hours
Mark was recently on MTV's After Hours in which he beats various objects with a baseball bat. You can watch the clip below:
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Listen to Mark Wahlberg on the Hill-Man Morning Show
Mark was on the Hill-Man Morning Show earlier this week. He is asked about the Golden Globes, "Boardwalk Empire", NFL football, what movie did he not want to promote, "Pain and Gain", when is he working on "Transformers", how would he vote for the Oscars, Lone Survivor, how he feels about Lance Armstrong's confession and more.
Here is the audio:
Here is the audio:
Mark Wahlberg interview with Time Out Chicago
Mark was recently interviewed by Time Out Chicago about his relationship with with his agent, his foundation, religion and politics. Here is the interview:
His first name, shouted mostly by excited women, echoed through the lobby of the South Loop cinema. Mark Wahlberg, 41, signed autographs as he made his way into the auditorium to introduce, alongside director Allen Hughes, a screening of the new crime-and-politics thriller Broken City. Wahlberg plays a working-class cop turned private detective who’s hired by the NYC mayor (Russell Crowe) to investigate the suspected infidelity of the city’s first lady. The next morning in a Mag Mile hotel, Marky Mark sat down to field a funky bunch of questions.
When you hear people screaming your name, do you use that as a career gauge?
That’s not an everyday occurrence for me. I got four kids who are usually screaming—but they’re screaming at each other!
That’s not an everyday occurrence for me. I got four kids who are usually screaming—but they’re screaming at each other!
Rahm Emanuel’s brother Ari is your agent and the basis for Ari Gold on Entourage, for which you were an executive producer. Do the Emanuels invite you over for Hanukkah?
You know what, Ari never invited me over for Passover dinner! Ari and I play golf often.
You know what, Ari never invited me over for Passover dinner! Ari and I play golf often.
Does Rahmbo tee it up, too?
No! Rahm doesn’t play. Rahm’s a real adult. He’s got too much responsibility as mayor to be playing golf. Is Rahm doing a good job here in Chicago? I wasn’t sure what his approval rating is.
No! Rahm doesn’t play. Rahm’s a real adult. He’s got too much responsibility as mayor to be playing golf. Is Rahm doing a good job here in Chicago? I wasn’t sure what his approval rating is.
He certainly has his critics.
Yeah, well, everybody does. [Laughs] You’re never going to have everybody’s support.
Yeah, well, everybody does. [Laughs] You’re never going to have everybody’s support.
Who’s your toughest critic?
My dad, who passed on. He was a movie lover and a very honest critic. He hated a few of my roles and movies. He’d just say, “That was a stinker!”
My dad, who passed on. He was a movie lover and a very honest critic. He hated a few of my roles and movies. He’d just say, “That was a stinker!”
You can throw a punch onscreen, but lately you’ve been hitting more punch lines. Does comedy come naturally for you?
I always wanted to do comedy. The more I got known for doing dramatic roles, I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. So I started meeting with a lot of comedy guys, and a lot of them are weird and dark and not funny in real life. I was like, I don’t want to deal with that shit. It took sitting down to dinner with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay about The Other Guys for me to do a full-blown comedy.
I always wanted to do comedy. The more I got known for doing dramatic roles, I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. So I started meeting with a lot of comedy guys, and a lot of them are weird and dark and not funny in real life. I was like, I don’t want to deal with that shit. It took sitting down to dinner with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay about The Other Guys for me to do a full-blown comedy.
At last night’s screening, you said Chicagoans should be “promoting peace.” How so?
That was inspired by an article in The New York Times about gang violence in Chicago. With my foundation, I’m trying to do a lot with inner-city kids. We started building studios for recording, animation, television and film at Boys & Girls Clubs. It would be very useful here in Chicago.
That was inspired by an article in The New York Times about gang violence in Chicago. With my foundation, I’m trying to do a lot with inner-city kids. We started building studios for recording, animation, television and film at Boys & Girls Clubs. It would be very useful here in Chicago.
As an adolescent in Boston, you ran with a gang, sold drugs and served time for assault and attempted murder. What do you tell kids who don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel?
That you have to work hard. Growing up, the only things I thought I could be was a crook or a cop.
That you have to work hard. Growing up, the only things I thought I could be was a crook or a cop.
And now you have, onscreen.
I remember when I was playing a sergeant in The Departed and the filmmakers called and said, “Do you want to do some research, meet with the cops?” I said, “I’ve been dealing with cops all my life! I don’t need to talk with them.” When I decided, okay, I’m gonna leave the gang, that’s when life became most difficult for me because I couldn’t just move out of my neighborhood. We were still a poor family. But prison was not a nice place and I didn’t want to go back, so I decided to work hard and change my life. But my past helps me communicate directly with at-risk kids. They realize I’m one of them, and if I turned things around, they certainly can, too.
I remember when I was playing a sergeant in The Departed and the filmmakers called and said, “Do you want to do some research, meet with the cops?” I said, “I’ve been dealing with cops all my life! I don’t need to talk with them.” When I decided, okay, I’m gonna leave the gang, that’s when life became most difficult for me because I couldn’t just move out of my neighborhood. We were still a poor family. But prison was not a nice place and I didn’t want to go back, so I decided to work hard and change my life. But my past helps me communicate directly with at-risk kids. They realize I’m one of them, and if I turned things around, they certainly can, too.
You’ve said you’d like to get to a place where you can apologize to the man you blinded in one eye. Are you still considering that?
I think about it. But I’ve paid for my mistakes and I have to constantly keep moving forward, trying to help others, trying to be the best father and husband. I’m 41 years old now, and I was a kid then. There were a lot of other people that I did a lot of wrong things to and I had a lot of wrong done to me. You have to forgive and let go, and my faith allows me to. I wrote in my prayer book this morning.
I think about it. But I’ve paid for my mistakes and I have to constantly keep moving forward, trying to help others, trying to be the best father and husband. I’m 41 years old now, and I was a kid then. There were a lot of other people that I did a lot of wrong things to and I had a lot of wrong done to me. You have to forgive and let go, and my faith allows me to. I wrote in my prayer book this morning.
Being a practicing Catholic makes you an anomaly in secular Hollywood, right?
Hey, to each his own. I don’t try to mask my faith and don’t try to push it on anybody. But it’s the most important part of my life. I pray most for kids whose parents are incarcerated.
Hey, to each his own. I don’t try to mask my faith and don’t try to push it on anybody. But it’s the most important part of my life. I pray most for kids whose parents are incarcerated.
Broken City touches on the underhandedness of back-room City Hall deal making. Do politics and campaigns pique your interest?
I certainly use my right to vote, but I’m not out there campaigning for one person or another. Stuff like the fiscal cliff pisses me off because I don’t mind paying more taxes. I’m worried more about the middle class. There’s a war on the middle class.
I certainly use my right to vote, but I’m not out there campaigning for one person or another. Stuff like the fiscal cliff pisses me off because I don’t mind paying more taxes. I’m worried more about the middle class. There’s a war on the middle class.
You’re known for your blue-collar roles. Is it hard to stay true to those roots now that you’re wealthy?
The way I’ve always looked at my life and my career is keeping in mind that I could end up back where I started at any time. And if that happened, I thought, I’d want to be welcomed back.
The way I’ve always looked at my life and my career is keeping in mind that I could end up back where I started at any time. And if that happened, I thought, I’d want to be welcomed back.
Broken City opens January 18.
Calgary Herald's interview with Mark Wahlberg
Mark talked with the Calgary Herald about his role in Boogie Nights, his relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, movies his father would enjoy and more. Here is the article:
Mark Wahlberg learned to love movies at his father’s side when he was a toddler.
The youngest of nine children living in Boston’s Dorchester neighbourhood, the young Wahlberg found solace in the dark theatre, where Donald Wahlberg — a teamster — would take him to share his enthusiasm for gritty, urban films.
“My dad took me to the movies all the time,” Wahlberg said. “The first movie I saw in the theatre was Hard Times with Charlie Bronson. The kind of movies I would watch with my dad were ones starring Jimmy Cagney and Steve McQueen.”
The 41-year-old actor now says he’s been searching for a movie to make his dad proud ever since.
It’s a search that, with a notable musical and modelling detour, eventually led Wahlberg to his Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, and it’s one that drove him to produce his latest passion project, Broken City.
Opening in wide release on Jan. 18, Broken City is a twisted morality tale disguised as a noir detective drama. Wahlberg plays Billy Taggart, a disgraced police officer turned private investigator whose own secret threatens to be revealed when Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (an impressively agile Russell Crowe) hires him to find out if his wife is having an affair.
More importantly to Wahlberg, though, “It was just so nice to find a piece of material that reminded me of all the great movies I watched with my dad.”
Like Vincent Chase — the happy-go-lucky movie star at the centre of the Wahlberg-produced HBO series Entourage — Mark Wahlberg’s path to internationally recognized celebrity and media mogul is fraught with happy coincidences.
After spending his teen years as a hoodlum, Wahlberg began public life as the rapper Marky Mark. Known as much for his muscular physique as his natural flow, he got his first acting break in Penny Marshall’s 1994 comedy, Renaissance Man.
“I knew from the first time I walked on set that this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “It was a real process coming from the Marky Mark thing and the underwear thing to be taken seriously as an actor.”
That process came to a head when he met fellow fledgling actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Ironically, Wahlberg and DiCaprio’s first meeting was less than cordial.
“We had a run-in in an MTV basketball game and I was a bit of p---k,” Wahlberg confessed. But bygones being what they are, the two put aside their differences long enough to appear together in the controversial drug drama, The Basketball Dairies.
Wahlberg’s acting chops led the rising DiCaprio to vouch for the former rapper. And, not long after, Wahlberg said, the two would find their fates intertwined in a manner that would shape their respective careers.
“When Boogie Nights came to me, (director P.T. Anderson and I) had the same agent and it’s funny because he was talking to Leonardo DiCaprio about playing that part and I was making (Titanic director) Jim Cameron let me drive his Humvee while we were talking about the Titanic,” Wahlberg said. “So we would drive around Hollywood in his Hummer and I would make him tell me Arnold stories.”
The resulting leading man switch would send each actor on their own, more rounded trajectory. With Titanic, DiCaprio, who had already made a name for himself, became one of the most bankable stars in the world. But Wahlberg, playing doomed porn star Eddie Adams, ensured he could not only play more than a buff baddie, he could also carry a movie.
Of course, in classic Wahlberg fashion, it nearly didn’t happen.
“I got the script from my agent and I was like, ‘Not interested’ — just because of the subject matter. And my agent was like, ‘Just. Read. Some of it.’” Wahlberg said. “And 35 pages in I had to put it down. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this could be the most brilliant thing ever, this could be Showgirls — which had just come out — it could be some weird guy who finally just wants Marky Mark to take his underwear off in a movie.’ And my agent was like, ‘Just meet the guy.’ And I met Paul and within five minutes I was like, ‘I would love to do this.’”
“That was the first time I was going out of my comfort zone,” Wahlberg explained. “I’d played the tough guy role, the bad guy role, that was cool. I could go back to the neighbourhood and guys would say, ‘Yeah, you f — ked up guys in that movie. That was really cool.’ But playing the vulnerable, innocent guy whose f — king exposed and naked. But I felt like, y’know what? This is what I’m doing. I’m going to be an actor and I can’t worry about what guys think of me anymore. I’m moving on with my life.”
Nearly 10 years later, Wahlberg and DiCaprio reunited on screen in The Departed. Wahlberg — the son who sat in a dark theatre with his father all those years ago — earned his first Academy Award nomination.
“When I got nominated for the Academy Award I called my dad and he said, ‘Now you can consider yourself an actor,’” Wahlberg said.
Unfortunately, Donald Wahlberg died before his son could show him Broken City.
“I was just thinking that it’s such a shame that I couldn’t have shown him that kind of movie,” he sighed. “There wasn’t too many movies that I made that my dad really enjoyed. He was such a film buff.”
Mark Wahlberg learned to love movies at his father’s side when he was a toddler.
The youngest of nine children living in Boston’s Dorchester neighbourhood, the young Wahlberg found solace in the dark theatre, where Donald Wahlberg — a teamster — would take him to share his enthusiasm for gritty, urban films.
“My dad took me to the movies all the time,” Wahlberg said. “The first movie I saw in the theatre was Hard Times with Charlie Bronson. The kind of movies I would watch with my dad were ones starring Jimmy Cagney and Steve McQueen.”
The 41-year-old actor now says he’s been searching for a movie to make his dad proud ever since.
It’s a search that, with a notable musical and modelling detour, eventually led Wahlberg to his Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, and it’s one that drove him to produce his latest passion project, Broken City.
Opening in wide release on Jan. 18, Broken City is a twisted morality tale disguised as a noir detective drama. Wahlberg plays Billy Taggart, a disgraced police officer turned private investigator whose own secret threatens to be revealed when Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (an impressively agile Russell Crowe) hires him to find out if his wife is having an affair.
More importantly to Wahlberg, though, “It was just so nice to find a piece of material that reminded me of all the great movies I watched with my dad.”
Like Vincent Chase — the happy-go-lucky movie star at the centre of the Wahlberg-produced HBO series Entourage — Mark Wahlberg’s path to internationally recognized celebrity and media mogul is fraught with happy coincidences.
After spending his teen years as a hoodlum, Wahlberg began public life as the rapper Marky Mark. Known as much for his muscular physique as his natural flow, he got his first acting break in Penny Marshall’s 1994 comedy, Renaissance Man.
“I knew from the first time I walked on set that this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “It was a real process coming from the Marky Mark thing and the underwear thing to be taken seriously as an actor.”
That process came to a head when he met fellow fledgling actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Ironically, Wahlberg and DiCaprio’s first meeting was less than cordial.
“We had a run-in in an MTV basketball game and I was a bit of p---k,” Wahlberg confessed. But bygones being what they are, the two put aside their differences long enough to appear together in the controversial drug drama, The Basketball Dairies.
Wahlberg’s acting chops led the rising DiCaprio to vouch for the former rapper. And, not long after, Wahlberg said, the two would find their fates intertwined in a manner that would shape their respective careers.
“When Boogie Nights came to me, (director P.T. Anderson and I) had the same agent and it’s funny because he was talking to Leonardo DiCaprio about playing that part and I was making (Titanic director) Jim Cameron let me drive his Humvee while we were talking about the Titanic,” Wahlberg said. “So we would drive around Hollywood in his Hummer and I would make him tell me Arnold stories.”
The resulting leading man switch would send each actor on their own, more rounded trajectory. With Titanic, DiCaprio, who had already made a name for himself, became one of the most bankable stars in the world. But Wahlberg, playing doomed porn star Eddie Adams, ensured he could not only play more than a buff baddie, he could also carry a movie.
Of course, in classic Wahlberg fashion, it nearly didn’t happen.
“I got the script from my agent and I was like, ‘Not interested’ — just because of the subject matter. And my agent was like, ‘Just. Read. Some of it.’” Wahlberg said. “And 35 pages in I had to put it down. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this could be the most brilliant thing ever, this could be Showgirls — which had just come out — it could be some weird guy who finally just wants Marky Mark to take his underwear off in a movie.’ And my agent was like, ‘Just meet the guy.’ And I met Paul and within five minutes I was like, ‘I would love to do this.’”
“That was the first time I was going out of my comfort zone,” Wahlberg explained. “I’d played the tough guy role, the bad guy role, that was cool. I could go back to the neighbourhood and guys would say, ‘Yeah, you f — ked up guys in that movie. That was really cool.’ But playing the vulnerable, innocent guy whose f — king exposed and naked. But I felt like, y’know what? This is what I’m doing. I’m going to be an actor and I can’t worry about what guys think of me anymore. I’m moving on with my life.”
Nearly 10 years later, Wahlberg and DiCaprio reunited on screen in The Departed. Wahlberg — the son who sat in a dark theatre with his father all those years ago — earned his first Academy Award nomination.
“When I got nominated for the Academy Award I called my dad and he said, ‘Now you can consider yourself an actor,’” Wahlberg said.
Unfortunately, Donald Wahlberg died before his son could show him Broken City.
“I was just thinking that it’s such a shame that I couldn’t have shown him that kind of movie,” he sighed. “There wasn’t too many movies that I made that my dad really enjoyed. He was such a film buff.”
Mark Wahlberg interview with Hindustan Times
The Hindustan Times did an interview with Mark and asked him about the Entourage movie, Transformers, Indian cinema and more.
Did you meet cops to be able to play the role of one realistically in Broken City?
I didn’t need to. I was 16 years old when I was arrested and tried as an adult. I have spent enough time around cops to develop an authentic interpretation of how they work. Jail time really turned my life around. I could have gone either way, but I chose to lead a better life.
Which of your co-stars did you get along with best?
Russell (Crowe) and I had the ability to just go at each other. We tried to outdo each other as characters, but not as actors, so we had some great duels. It’s nice to see someone as prepared as him. Denzel Washington is another co-star who elevates you.
What kinds of roles excite you?
The tough guy roles are what I’m offered most of the times and I think over a period of time I’ve sort of mastered that (laughs).
There’s a lot of excitement about the Entourage movie. What’s happening with that?
That’s definitely something that we’re actively trying to put together. We’re just waiting for Doug (Ellin, series creator) to write the script. I think a 90-minute movie of sheer craziness — getting back to just being about the guys, you know? Lose the ladies. Go crazy. Give people what they want.
You’ve signed on to work with Michael Bay again. How will this Transformers movie be any different?
I’m really excited about Transformers. Michael and I had a great time doing Pain and Gain (unreleased). Then he came to me and said he was doing a different reboot on Transformers and asked if I was interested. I loved the idea. I’m not doing it just to get a pay cheque. I’m thinking this is the most important role of my career.
What do you know about Indian cinema? Would you like to be affiliated with it in any way?
Not much, I’m afraid. But I’ve heard a lot about Indian stars like Aishwarya Rai from Catherine (Zeta Jones), who is a huge fan of India and yoga. I would love a chance to work in a Bollywood project. Even produce it, for that matter.
Did you meet cops to be able to play the role of one realistically in Broken City?
I didn’t need to. I was 16 years old when I was arrested and tried as an adult. I have spent enough time around cops to develop an authentic interpretation of how they work. Jail time really turned my life around. I could have gone either way, but I chose to lead a better life.
Which of your co-stars did you get along with best?
Russell (Crowe) and I had the ability to just go at each other. We tried to outdo each other as characters, but not as actors, so we had some great duels. It’s nice to see someone as prepared as him. Denzel Washington is another co-star who elevates you.
What kinds of roles excite you?
The tough guy roles are what I’m offered most of the times and I think over a period of time I’ve sort of mastered that (laughs).
There’s a lot of excitement about the Entourage movie. What’s happening with that?
That’s definitely something that we’re actively trying to put together. We’re just waiting for Doug (Ellin, series creator) to write the script. I think a 90-minute movie of sheer craziness — getting back to just being about the guys, you know? Lose the ladies. Go crazy. Give people what they want.
You’ve signed on to work with Michael Bay again. How will this Transformers movie be any different?
I’m really excited about Transformers. Michael and I had a great time doing Pain and Gain (unreleased). Then he came to me and said he was doing a different reboot on Transformers and asked if I was interested. I loved the idea. I’m not doing it just to get a pay cheque. I’m thinking this is the most important role of my career.
What do you know about Indian cinema? Would you like to be affiliated with it in any way?
Not much, I’m afraid. But I’ve heard a lot about Indian stars like Aishwarya Rai from Catherine (Zeta Jones), who is a huge fan of India and yoga. I would love a chance to work in a Bollywood project. Even produce it, for that matter.
Mark Wahlberg talks to The Times Colonist
The Times Colonist interviewed Mark Wahlberg about his plans for the future, "Broken City" and more.
Actor-producer Mark Wahlberg, star of 'Broken City,' says he'd love to direct
TORONTO - After earning Oscar nominations for his acting and producing, Mark Wahlberg is now open to the idea of directing. It likely won't happen anytime soon, though.
"Directing takes a long time. That's the only problem," Wahlberg, 41, said in a recent interview. "I would love to direct at the right time, on the right piece of material.
"But right now, producing, making the movies that I've made, and fathering four children — it's a lot of plates to be spinning up in the air at the same time."
Wahlberg has become a heavyweight producer in recent years, with credits including the TV series "In Treatment," "Entourage" and "Boardwalk Empire," and the films "The Fighter" and "Broken City," which hits theatres on Friday.
Producing gives him the control he craves, he said, noting if his projects flop he'd rather take the blame.
"I always felt like the good scripts were never coming to me, so I had to kind of create my own destiny, go out there and make things happen, find material, develop things, secure the financing myself," said Wahlberg, who produced and starred in "The Fighter" that got an Oscar nomination for best picture. He was also up for a best supporting actor Oscar in "The Departed."
"Certainly starting in producing television really helped us when it comes to making movies like this, or movies like 'The Fighter' or 'Lone Survivor,' because people just don't spend the kind of money that it would take to make a movie like this anymore," he continued.
"So you've got to come in with that kind of television mentality — have a lot less money and a lot less time, but you've got a great piece of material."
In "Broken City," Wahlberg stars as Billy, an ex-New York City cop who becomes a private detective after an on-the-job scandal. When the city's shady mayor (Russell Crowe) hires him to follow his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Billy finds himself tangled in a web of corruption.
Canadian Barry Pepper co-stars as a councilman who's running against the mayor in an election, Kyle Chandler plays his campaign manager, Natalie Martinez is in the role of Billy's wife, and Jeffrey Wright plays the police commissioner.
Allen Hughes, known for making films with his twin brother Albert Hughes ("Menace II Society," "The Book of Eli"), directs from a script by Brian Tucker.
Redemption is a key theme in the plot twister and it's one that resonates with Wahlberg, who turned his life around after running afoul of the law as a youth in Boston, where he grew up with nine siblings (including "Blue Bloods" star Donnie Wahlberg) in a small home.
"I had to do some redeeming myself," said the former Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch rapper and Calvin Klein underwear model, who now helps at-risk kids through his Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
"I can certainly relate to it in certain ways. That wasn't the only reason for doing it. I just felt like it was one of the better screenplays I'd read in a long time and it was a juicy part. And there was a lot of other great, juicy parts, and they could kind of attract the talented people that I would like to work with."
But in attracting such talent, Wahlberg had to apply that aforementioned "television mentality."
"My thing with attracting a lot of the talent in the movie was I just said, 'You know what, I'll share my back end or whatever I need to do to get you. We can't pay you up front but you have a great, juicy role.'
"I (said to) Russell Crowe and whoever else in the movie, 'Please come make this movie with us, and if it's a hit, you'll make more money than you would have if we'd paid ya.'"
Wahlberg still has his signature scrappy spirit (during his recent stop in Toronto, he challenged his pal Tie Domi — a former NHL enforcer — to a friendly boxing match).
And he said he tries to remain "as grounded as possible" these days ("I work when I work, and when I'm not I'm at home"), always feeling like there's a good chance he could lose it all.
"I keep that as a possibility. I think that keeps me focused and working hard and trying to do the right thing," added Wahlberg. "I don't want to let my guard down and feel too comfortable and start becoming complacent.
"Then you start feeling entitled and everything else, and I'm ready to go dig a ditch if I have to."
Wahlberg's other upcoming projects include the film "Lone Survivor," in which he stars as a U.S. Navy SEAL member who survived a dangerous mission to nab a notorious Taliban leader. "It was close to being one of the most difficult that I've made throughout my entire career," he said.
Wahlberg also recently filmed "2 Guns" and said he's developing a couple of docu-series on "regular people" in and around Boston.
And in the spring, he'll start filming his starring role in the fourth "Transformers" film, which he views as "the most important job" he's ever taken on.
It may sound like a lot of work, but to Wahlberg, it's not enough.
"Right now I feel like I'm unemployed," said Wahlberg.
"I just have the mentality of you've got to strike while the iron is hot, it could all be gone tomorrow. Gotta do it while we can."
Actor-producer Mark Wahlberg, star of 'Broken City,' says he'd love to direct
TORONTO - After earning Oscar nominations for his acting and producing, Mark Wahlberg is now open to the idea of directing. It likely won't happen anytime soon, though.
"Directing takes a long time. That's the only problem," Wahlberg, 41, said in a recent interview. "I would love to direct at the right time, on the right piece of material.
"But right now, producing, making the movies that I've made, and fathering four children — it's a lot of plates to be spinning up in the air at the same time."
Wahlberg has become a heavyweight producer in recent years, with credits including the TV series "In Treatment," "Entourage" and "Boardwalk Empire," and the films "The Fighter" and "Broken City," which hits theatres on Friday.
Producing gives him the control he craves, he said, noting if his projects flop he'd rather take the blame.
"I always felt like the good scripts were never coming to me, so I had to kind of create my own destiny, go out there and make things happen, find material, develop things, secure the financing myself," said Wahlberg, who produced and starred in "The Fighter" that got an Oscar nomination for best picture. He was also up for a best supporting actor Oscar in "The Departed."
"Certainly starting in producing television really helped us when it comes to making movies like this, or movies like 'The Fighter' or 'Lone Survivor,' because people just don't spend the kind of money that it would take to make a movie like this anymore," he continued.
"So you've got to come in with that kind of television mentality — have a lot less money and a lot less time, but you've got a great piece of material."
In "Broken City," Wahlberg stars as Billy, an ex-New York City cop who becomes a private detective after an on-the-job scandal. When the city's shady mayor (Russell Crowe) hires him to follow his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Billy finds himself tangled in a web of corruption.
Canadian Barry Pepper co-stars as a councilman who's running against the mayor in an election, Kyle Chandler plays his campaign manager, Natalie Martinez is in the role of Billy's wife, and Jeffrey Wright plays the police commissioner.
Allen Hughes, known for making films with his twin brother Albert Hughes ("Menace II Society," "The Book of Eli"), directs from a script by Brian Tucker.
Redemption is a key theme in the plot twister and it's one that resonates with Wahlberg, who turned his life around after running afoul of the law as a youth in Boston, where he grew up with nine siblings (including "Blue Bloods" star Donnie Wahlberg) in a small home.
"I had to do some redeeming myself," said the former Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch rapper and Calvin Klein underwear model, who now helps at-risk kids through his Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
"I can certainly relate to it in certain ways. That wasn't the only reason for doing it. I just felt like it was one of the better screenplays I'd read in a long time and it was a juicy part. And there was a lot of other great, juicy parts, and they could kind of attract the talented people that I would like to work with."
But in attracting such talent, Wahlberg had to apply that aforementioned "television mentality."
"My thing with attracting a lot of the talent in the movie was I just said, 'You know what, I'll share my back end or whatever I need to do to get you. We can't pay you up front but you have a great, juicy role.'
"I (said to) Russell Crowe and whoever else in the movie, 'Please come make this movie with us, and if it's a hit, you'll make more money than you would have if we'd paid ya.'"
Wahlberg still has his signature scrappy spirit (during his recent stop in Toronto, he challenged his pal Tie Domi — a former NHL enforcer — to a friendly boxing match).
And he said he tries to remain "as grounded as possible" these days ("I work when I work, and when I'm not I'm at home"), always feeling like there's a good chance he could lose it all.
"I keep that as a possibility. I think that keeps me focused and working hard and trying to do the right thing," added Wahlberg. "I don't want to let my guard down and feel too comfortable and start becoming complacent.
"Then you start feeling entitled and everything else, and I'm ready to go dig a ditch if I have to."
Wahlberg's other upcoming projects include the film "Lone Survivor," in which he stars as a U.S. Navy SEAL member who survived a dangerous mission to nab a notorious Taliban leader. "It was close to being one of the most difficult that I've made throughout my entire career," he said.
Wahlberg also recently filmed "2 Guns" and said he's developing a couple of docu-series on "regular people" in and around Boston.
And in the spring, he'll start filming his starring role in the fourth "Transformers" film, which he views as "the most important job" he's ever taken on.
It may sound like a lot of work, but to Wahlberg, it's not enough.
"Right now I feel like I'm unemployed," said Wahlberg.
"I just have the mentality of you've got to strike while the iron is hot, it could all be gone tomorrow. Gotta do it while we can."
Mark Wahlberg's interview with Daily News
Mark talked with Daily News Los Angeles about his role in "Broken City" and some of his other upcoming projects. Here is the article.
Mark Wahlberg stars in several new films, relishes role as dad
"I'm an old weird dude. I play checkers and (stuff) all the time. If you knew how much I played checkers, you would think I was crazy."
That's funny, because the rest of us see Mark Wahlberg as an exciting, sexy movie star - not a "old weird dude," even if he is 41 and the father of four. The actor's latest project is "Broken City," a dark urban thriller that opens Friday, which he both stars in and produces.
Wahlberg plays a former New York City cop looking for redemption. He had resigned after a controversial shooting. Years later, he is hired by the mayor (Russell Crowe) to spy on his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who he claims is cheating on him. Director Allen Hughes had brought Wahlberg the script by Brian Tucker, which had been on the Black List, an entertainment industry catalog of what are considered the best unproduced screenplays.
"I said to Allen early on that there are two ways we can go with this - go the studio route or we can or figure out a way to do it on our own," says Wahlberg, whose successes include "Boardwalk Empire," "The Fighter," "Entourage," "In Treatment," "We Own the Night" and last year's "Contraband."
After persuading Hughes - who is going solo for the first time after making films with his twin brother, Albert ("From Hell," "The Book of Eli") - to go the indie route and find a studio later (Fox is releasing the film), Wahlberg worked on attracting some stars.
"We had to get very creative with the cast because we didn't have the luxury of paying them their quotes," Wahlberg says. He adds that he did what he could to sweeten the deal, but ultimately it was the material that attracted such a strong cast, which includes Jeffrey Wright, Barry Pepper and Kyle Chandler.
"Everybody loved their parts," Wahlberg says. "They felt like they had really juicy parts and a chance to act with some really talented people."
Wahlberg says he only knew Crowe in passing but was definitely a fan and remembers their first day on the set together where they went toe to toe in a crucial scene. "Allen asked if we wanted to rehearse, but we both said no. So we set up two cameras and just started going at each other."
In another scene, Wahlberg's character - a reformed alcoholic - goes off the wagon and on a drunken, destructive rampage in the streets.
Raised in the tough streets of a Boston slum, the actor - one of nine children - was often in trouble with the law as a youth, which partially explains his attraction to gritty urban thrillers like "Broken City."
"All the bad stuff that happened in my life, I always bring it to what I do," says Wahlberg, who has expressed regret for things he did as a youth. "It's part of my makeup, of who I am. I love finding roles that I can identify with on a personal level. And I think it just makes for a much more realistic portrayal."
There is another reason Wahlberg is attracted to gritty urban thrillers: family.
"I grew up watching movies like this with my dad, whether it was `Serpico' or `Chinatown.' These are the kind of movies I grew up loving, and they don't make them that often. So when you get an opportunity to make one, you got to jump at it."
Wahlberg's late father was a Teamster, and among his many projects, the actor is producing a reality show in Boston about the union. "When people hear reality shows they usually think `Jersey Shore,"' he says, "but we're thinkingmore like `Deadliest Catch'-quality material. We're interested in shows about people trying to make a living, of people trying to overcome something difficult, trying to build something special."
Wahlberg is involved in many projects as an actor or producer or both, and a couple of projects are waiting for the green light.
He's already finished starring in three films - "Lone Survivor," the true story of a Navy SEAL team sent on an assassination mission, for Peter Berg; the action-comedy "Pain & Gain" for Michael Bay; and the thriller "2 Guns" with Denzel Washington for Baltasar Kormakur, who helmed "Contraband" for him.
Having enjoyed working with Bay, Wahlberg has also signed on to do "Transformers 4." Does his participation signal a change in direction in the franchise?
"They don't want me to talk about it," Wahlberg says. But he adds that his character will have a kid.
Asked if he finds it hard to keep up with everything he's doing, Wahlberg responds, "I got to get more going on. I get my list every day, and I just got to stay on top of it."
When we talked, the actor was in Miami promoting "Broken City" but was anxious to get home for his youngest's third birthday. His other children are 9, 6 and 4.
"If I'm working in L.A., I come home every night, and if I'm on location, my family travels with me," he says about balancing being a family man and his career.
A big sports fan, Wahlberg took his oldest son to his first football game a couple of months ago. "It was awesome - a great experience that neither one of us will ever forget."
Wahlberg is such a Hollywood success these days that people may forget his early career as a rapper, briefly with his brother Donnie and the band New Kids on the Block and then with his own group, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch. So what is the checkers player listening to these days?
"Normally, when I'm in L.A., I am listening to K-EARTH 101 or 103.5 (KOST-FM), all that kind of easy-listening kind of stuff," he says.
"But I just got an iPhone, so I started downloading some stuff. I got the Adele album and Jay-Z's and Kanye's `Watch the Throne' album on my iPhone. I've been a BlackBerry man for long time, but I gave it up. I'm feeling brand-new."
Mark Wahlberg stars in several new films, relishes role as dad
"I'm an old weird dude. I play checkers and (stuff) all the time. If you knew how much I played checkers, you would think I was crazy."
That's funny, because the rest of us see Mark Wahlberg as an exciting, sexy movie star - not a "old weird dude," even if he is 41 and the father of four. The actor's latest project is "Broken City," a dark urban thriller that opens Friday, which he both stars in and produces.
Wahlberg plays a former New York City cop looking for redemption. He had resigned after a controversial shooting. Years later, he is hired by the mayor (Russell Crowe) to spy on his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who he claims is cheating on him. Director Allen Hughes had brought Wahlberg the script by Brian Tucker, which had been on the Black List, an entertainment industry catalog of what are considered the best unproduced screenplays.
"I said to Allen early on that there are two ways we can go with this - go the studio route or we can or figure out a way to do it on our own," says Wahlberg, whose successes include "Boardwalk Empire," "The Fighter," "Entourage," "In Treatment," "We Own the Night" and last year's "Contraband."
After persuading Hughes - who is going solo for the first time after making films with his twin brother, Albert ("From Hell," "The Book of Eli") - to go the indie route and find a studio later (Fox is releasing the film), Wahlberg worked on attracting some stars.
"We had to get very creative with the cast because we didn't have the luxury of paying them their quotes," Wahlberg says. He adds that he did what he could to sweeten the deal, but ultimately it was the material that attracted such a strong cast, which includes Jeffrey Wright, Barry Pepper and Kyle Chandler.
"Everybody loved their parts," Wahlberg says. "They felt like they had really juicy parts and a chance to act with some really talented people."
Wahlberg says he only knew Crowe in passing but was definitely a fan and remembers their first day on the set together where they went toe to toe in a crucial scene. "Allen asked if we wanted to rehearse, but we both said no. So we set up two cameras and just started going at each other."
In another scene, Wahlberg's character - a reformed alcoholic - goes off the wagon and on a drunken, destructive rampage in the streets.
Raised in the tough streets of a Boston slum, the actor - one of nine children - was often in trouble with the law as a youth, which partially explains his attraction to gritty urban thrillers like "Broken City."
"All the bad stuff that happened in my life, I always bring it to what I do," says Wahlberg, who has expressed regret for things he did as a youth. "It's part of my makeup, of who I am. I love finding roles that I can identify with on a personal level. And I think it just makes for a much more realistic portrayal."
There is another reason Wahlberg is attracted to gritty urban thrillers: family.
"I grew up watching movies like this with my dad, whether it was `Serpico' or `Chinatown.' These are the kind of movies I grew up loving, and they don't make them that often. So when you get an opportunity to make one, you got to jump at it."
Wahlberg's late father was a Teamster, and among his many projects, the actor is producing a reality show in Boston about the union. "When people hear reality shows they usually think `Jersey Shore,"' he says, "but we're thinkingmore like `Deadliest Catch'-quality material. We're interested in shows about people trying to make a living, of people trying to overcome something difficult, trying to build something special."
Wahlberg is involved in many projects as an actor or producer or both, and a couple of projects are waiting for the green light.
He's already finished starring in three films - "Lone Survivor," the true story of a Navy SEAL team sent on an assassination mission, for Peter Berg; the action-comedy "Pain & Gain" for Michael Bay; and the thriller "2 Guns" with Denzel Washington for Baltasar Kormakur, who helmed "Contraband" for him.
Having enjoyed working with Bay, Wahlberg has also signed on to do "Transformers 4." Does his participation signal a change in direction in the franchise?
"They don't want me to talk about it," Wahlberg says. But he adds that his character will have a kid.
Asked if he finds it hard to keep up with everything he's doing, Wahlberg responds, "I got to get more going on. I get my list every day, and I just got to stay on top of it."
When we talked, the actor was in Miami promoting "Broken City" but was anxious to get home for his youngest's third birthday. His other children are 9, 6 and 4.
"If I'm working in L.A., I come home every night, and if I'm on location, my family travels with me," he says about balancing being a family man and his career.
A big sports fan, Wahlberg took his oldest son to his first football game a couple of months ago. "It was awesome - a great experience that neither one of us will ever forget."
Wahlberg is such a Hollywood success these days that people may forget his early career as a rapper, briefly with his brother Donnie and the band New Kids on the Block and then with his own group, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch. So what is the checkers player listening to these days?
"Normally, when I'm in L.A., I am listening to K-EARTH 101 or 103.5 (KOST-FM), all that kind of easy-listening kind of stuff," he says.
"But I just got an iPhone, so I started downloading some stuff. I got the Adele album and Jay-Z's and Kanye's `Watch the Throne' album on my iPhone. I've been a BlackBerry man for long time, but I gave it up. I'm feeling brand-new."
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Mark Wahlberg talks to the Boston Herald
Mark was interview by the Boston Herald at while he was at the screening of "Broken City" at the Patriot Cinema in the Hingham Shipyard a few days ago. Here is the video clip:
Listen to Mark Wahlberg on Ryan Seacrest
Mark was interviewed by Ryan Seacrest this week. He talks about the shirt his wife bought for Christmas, complimenting Today show host Matt Lauer, working with Russell Crowe on "Broken City" and more.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Watch Mark Wahlberg on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Mark Wahlberg was on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He talks about the Wahlburgers pilot, producing TV shows and he even sings! Here are the video clips.
Watch highlights of Mark Wahlberg on Anderson Cooper Live
Mark was on Anderson Cooper Live today and he announced he will be attending the Oscars on February 24. Here are some video clips:
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Watch Mark Wahlberg on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Mark was interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. They talk about Wahlburgers, The Celtics, The Golden Globes, Seth MacFarlane, Transformers, doing the weather and traffic report and more.
His part starts about 18 minutes in:
His part starts about 18 minutes in:
Watch Mark Wahlberg on he Ellen Degeneres Show
Here are a couple clips of Mark on The Ellen Degeneres Show. He talks about an injury to his toe, the Golden Globes, releasing a water with Diddy, the Patriots and more.
Mark Wahlberg appearances today
From Mark's Twitter: Catch Mark today on @TheEllenShow, @106andpark and @jimmykimmel.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Watch clip of Mark Wahlberg on The Today Show
Mark Wahlberg was interviewed on The Today Show this morning. Here is a video clip:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Monday, January 14, 2013
Listen to Mark Wahlberg on 720 WGN
Mark was interviewed on 720 WGN The Voice of Chicago. He talks about "Broken City", "Transformers 4", "Ted", the Golden Globes and more.
Click here to listen!
Click here to listen!
Watch Mark Wahlberg on Despierta América
Here are some highlights of Mark's appearance on Despierta América
Daily News and Analysis interview with Mark Wahlberg
Daily News and Analysis interviewed Mark about his upcoming movies. Here is the article:
How was Broken City as an experience, since you’ve acted and co-produced the film?
I play Billy Taggart, an ex-cop trailing the wife of New York City’s mayor who finds himself immersed in a larger scandal. The character is intense and interesting too, but it was not very difficult to play, as Allen is a great director. He knew what he wanted out of the character.
Working with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Russell Crowe must have been quite the experience?
We were shooting five weeks before Russell came in and everybody was like what he is going to be like. We had such a great energy and atmosphere on the sets and he just showed up and had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, I mean monologue after monologue. He just showed up and walked into the room and Allen asked if we want to rehearse and I looked at Russell and Allen and said, “let’s do this s***”. The way it was written we had the ability to just go at each other. We tried to outdo each other as characters but not as actors. So we had some really great duals. Crowe just came in and nailed it, it’s nice to see someone who was prepared... it was like “Oh some people do care!” Catherine Zeta Jones again is a very down to earth and superbly beautiful person.
You play the role of a cop, a wronged cop to be precise in Broken City. How different is Billy from Dignam in The Departed?
My character in The Departed had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This character is faced with a whole different choice and challenges and I found it really interesting, I could understand what he did in the beginning of the movie and why he did it. You still want to do the right thing for the system. He does the right thing even when he’s faced with this issue of taking down the mayor and helping a lot of less fortunate people even though he’s going to have to risk losing his own freedom — he just does it. I just love Billy Taggart, I just love that about him, it’s one of those things that reminded me of when I saw Chinatown with my dad. Here is a great character, here is a great story and here is an interesting twist and they don’t have a tendency to make these movies anymore, although they all do really well.
And finally, we’re all excited about Pain & Gain and 2 Guns. You’re paired with two great ensemble casts in both the films — could you let us in on more about these films?
Pain & Gain is an upcoming action film written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directed by Michael Bay. The film is based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles by investigative journalist Pete Collins about a couple of Florida steroid-abusing knucklehead bodybuilders who become criminals involved in an extortion ring and a kidnapping plot that goes horribly wrong. I am Daniel Lugo, who is regular bodybuilder workingat the Sun Gym. While 2 Guns, follows a Navy SEAL and a DEA Agent who both work together undercover, not knowing about the other’s government affiliation. The two are tasked with stealing millions of bucks from the CIA, and discover that they’ve both been double-crossed into doing the deed, forcing them to team together to clear their respective names. I am one of the agents in the movie.
How was Broken City as an experience, since you’ve acted and co-produced the film?
I play Billy Taggart, an ex-cop trailing the wife of New York City’s mayor who finds himself immersed in a larger scandal. The character is intense and interesting too, but it was not very difficult to play, as Allen is a great director. He knew what he wanted out of the character.
Working with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Russell Crowe must have been quite the experience?
We were shooting five weeks before Russell came in and everybody was like what he is going to be like. We had such a great energy and atmosphere on the sets and he just showed up and had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, I mean monologue after monologue. He just showed up and walked into the room and Allen asked if we want to rehearse and I looked at Russell and Allen and said, “let’s do this s***”. The way it was written we had the ability to just go at each other. We tried to outdo each other as characters but not as actors. So we had some really great duals. Crowe just came in and nailed it, it’s nice to see someone who was prepared... it was like “Oh some people do care!” Catherine Zeta Jones again is a very down to earth and superbly beautiful person.
You play the role of a cop, a wronged cop to be precise in Broken City. How different is Billy from Dignam in The Departed?
My character in The Departed had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This character is faced with a whole different choice and challenges and I found it really interesting, I could understand what he did in the beginning of the movie and why he did it. You still want to do the right thing for the system. He does the right thing even when he’s faced with this issue of taking down the mayor and helping a lot of less fortunate people even though he’s going to have to risk losing his own freedom — he just does it. I just love Billy Taggart, I just love that about him, it’s one of those things that reminded me of when I saw Chinatown with my dad. Here is a great character, here is a great story and here is an interesting twist and they don’t have a tendency to make these movies anymore, although they all do really well.
And finally, we’re all excited about Pain & Gain and 2 Guns. You’re paired with two great ensemble casts in both the films — could you let us in on more about these films?
Pain & Gain is an upcoming action film written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directed by Michael Bay. The film is based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles by investigative journalist Pete Collins about a couple of Florida steroid-abusing knucklehead bodybuilders who become criminals involved in an extortion ring and a kidnapping plot that goes horribly wrong. I am Daniel Lugo, who is regular bodybuilder workingat the Sun Gym. While 2 Guns, follows a Navy SEAL and a DEA Agent who both work together undercover, not knowing about the other’s government affiliation. The two are tasked with stealing millions of bucks from the CIA, and discover that they’ve both been double-crossed into doing the deed, forcing them to team together to clear their respective names. I am one of the agents in the movie.
Mark Wahlberg TV Appearances
Mark will be on The Today Show tomorrow morning and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday. Both shows air on NBC. Check your local listings for times.
Update on Wahlburgers reality show
The Boston Globe reports that filming for the Wahlburgers reality show will begin on Tuesday. Here is the article:
In Hingham, Wahlburgers pilot to begin filming during movie party
By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent
Filming for the pilot of a reality TV show about Wahlburgers restaurant in Hingham will begin after a private screening of Mark Wahlberg's new movie next week.
Walhberg will be joined in the endeavor by his brothers Donnie and Paul, who are co-owners of the restaurant. According to Paul, who is the chef at Wahlburgers, the show is still in the beginning stages.
'They are still piecing things together,' Paul said in a phone interview. 'It's a business. It will be fun, and I'll see more of my brothers, Mark and Donnie. It'll be good, and we're looking forward to it.'
The reality show has been rumored for months, but this will be the first filming to take place. According to Paul, the pilot will focus on Wahlburgers and what it takes to run the business.
Restaurant ownership has suited the family well, with Paul operating a successful restaurant, Alma Nove, right next to Wahlburgers at the Hingham Shipyard.
Producing is also a business Mark Wahlberg has found success in through 'Entourage,' 'In Treatment,' and 'Boardwalk Empire.'
Mark is also starting filming on a 'docu-series' set in Boston this month. Tentatively titled 'Breaking Boston', the show will follow six young women from the metro area who embody the real world.
The celebrity is also staying busy with other projects, among them a show called 'Teamsters,' focused on Boston's Teamsters Local 25.
The filming for the reality show will be an interesting accompaniment to a third screening event of a Wahlberg movie at the Hingham Shipyard. 'Broken City', costarring Russell Crowe, will be shown at the Hingham Shipyward Cinema next Tuesday, in advance of its national opening on Jan. 18.
The private screening is a fund-raiser for the Mark Wahlburg Youth Foundation, and according to PR spokespeople, Mark; his mother, Alma; and brother Jimmy Wahlberg will attend the screening.
Previously, the shipyard hosted screenings for two other Wahlberg movies, 'The Fighter' and 'The Other Guys." The after-screening parties for those movies were hosted at Alma Nove. This time around Wahlburgers will cater the event.
'It's going to be the Wahlburgers menu; sliders and a lot of the food that's there,' Paul said. 'It will be simple, but it will definitely be the representation of the menu.'
Also a part of this event is an opportunity for two members of the public to attend the after party and get an opportunity to get a photo with Mark.
A raffle is ongoing through Celebrities For Charity, with all proceeds to go to the youth foundation.
Overall, Paul said, the event will be good for Wahlburgers and for the foundation, which offers funding to youth service and enrichment programs.
'It's good because it's to benefit the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. We do that. And for the buzz everyone is excited, but it's good for the restaurants and it's good for the business' Paul said.
In Hingham, Wahlburgers pilot to begin filming during movie party
By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent
Filming for the pilot of a reality TV show about Wahlburgers restaurant in Hingham will begin after a private screening of Mark Wahlberg's new movie next week.
Walhberg will be joined in the endeavor by his brothers Donnie and Paul, who are co-owners of the restaurant. According to Paul, who is the chef at Wahlburgers, the show is still in the beginning stages.
'They are still piecing things together,' Paul said in a phone interview. 'It's a business. It will be fun, and I'll see more of my brothers, Mark and Donnie. It'll be good, and we're looking forward to it.'
The reality show has been rumored for months, but this will be the first filming to take place. According to Paul, the pilot will focus on Wahlburgers and what it takes to run the business.
Restaurant ownership has suited the family well, with Paul operating a successful restaurant, Alma Nove, right next to Wahlburgers at the Hingham Shipyard.
Producing is also a business Mark Wahlberg has found success in through 'Entourage,' 'In Treatment,' and 'Boardwalk Empire.'
Mark is also starting filming on a 'docu-series' set in Boston this month. Tentatively titled 'Breaking Boston', the show will follow six young women from the metro area who embody the real world.
The celebrity is also staying busy with other projects, among them a show called 'Teamsters,' focused on Boston's Teamsters Local 25.
The filming for the reality show will be an interesting accompaniment to a third screening event of a Wahlberg movie at the Hingham Shipyard. 'Broken City', costarring Russell Crowe, will be shown at the Hingham Shipyward Cinema next Tuesday, in advance of its national opening on Jan. 18.
The private screening is a fund-raiser for the Mark Wahlburg Youth Foundation, and according to PR spokespeople, Mark; his mother, Alma; and brother Jimmy Wahlberg will attend the screening.
Previously, the shipyard hosted screenings for two other Wahlberg movies, 'The Fighter' and 'The Other Guys." The after-screening parties for those movies were hosted at Alma Nove. This time around Wahlburgers will cater the event.
'It's going to be the Wahlburgers menu; sliders and a lot of the food that's there,' Paul said. 'It will be simple, but it will definitely be the representation of the menu.'
Also a part of this event is an opportunity for two members of the public to attend the after party and get an opportunity to get a photo with Mark.
A raffle is ongoing through Celebrities For Charity, with all proceeds to go to the youth foundation.
Overall, Paul said, the event will be good for Wahlburgers and for the foundation, which offers funding to youth service and enrichment programs.
'It's good because it's to benefit the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. We do that. And for the buzz everyone is excited, but it's good for the restaurants and it's good for the business' Paul said.
Mark Wahlberg's interview with ESPN
Mark was interviewed by ESPN about different sports topics.
The Academy Award-nominated actor is never too Hollywood to represent his Beantown roots.
Here’s a shocker -- Mark Wahlberg is about to star in a movie in which he plays a badass.
All jokes, clearly, considering the Academy Award-nominated actor specializes in all things breakneck. This month, he, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones -- a drool-worthy cast to be sure -- star in “Broken City,” a twisty tale about a former cop, a New York City mayor, his wife and a delicious scandal. It’s just the kind of crime drama you might expect to see a guy like Wahlberg pop up in and produce.
“This script reminded me of the movies that I grew up watching -- those great crime thrillers that are very rich in character and story,” he says of the film, which hits theaters on Jan. 18.
Wahlberg, a huge sports fan who earned an Oscar nomination for portraying boxer Micky Ward in 2010’s “The Fighter,” took a break from the movie chatter to talk sports (and brag a bit about his awesome memorabilia) with ESPN Playbook.
What team would make you happiest if it won a championship?
The Patriots! I’m a diehard Bostonian Patriots fan. I’d also like to see the Cubs win a World Series.
What’s your most prized piece of sports memorabilia?
I have an amazing autographed picture of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale walking off the court at the Boston Garden. I’ve got Manny Pacquiao’s gloves and sneakers signed, and I’ve got a beautiful football signed from Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson.
What’s your favorite sports memory, as a fan or as a participant?
Playing baseball as a kid, doing the movie “The Fighter,” and the most memorable, most recent, was taking my son to his first Patriots game. We went to the Monday Night game against the Texans and it was incredible. He was in the locker room with Tom Brady and on the field with the whole team, and then he was in the locker room after the game with Coach Belichick.
If your life depended on your performance in a competitive sport, which one would you choose?
Probably football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing or golf.
So you have skills in a couple different sports, then?
Oh yeah. I’m no slouch.
Who was your childhood sports idol?
Larry Bird and Micky Ward.
Which modern athlete do you love to hate?
Anybody with pinstripes.
Spoken like a guy from Boston ...
Yeah. But I’m very friendly with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. But I haven’t let a little of that hate go.
The Academy Award-nominated actor is never too Hollywood to represent his Beantown roots.
Here’s a shocker -- Mark Wahlberg is about to star in a movie in which he plays a badass.
All jokes, clearly, considering the Academy Award-nominated actor specializes in all things breakneck. This month, he, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones -- a drool-worthy cast to be sure -- star in “Broken City,” a twisty tale about a former cop, a New York City mayor, his wife and a delicious scandal. It’s just the kind of crime drama you might expect to see a guy like Wahlberg pop up in and produce.
“This script reminded me of the movies that I grew up watching -- those great crime thrillers that are very rich in character and story,” he says of the film, which hits theaters on Jan. 18.
Wahlberg, a huge sports fan who earned an Oscar nomination for portraying boxer Micky Ward in 2010’s “The Fighter,” took a break from the movie chatter to talk sports (and brag a bit about his awesome memorabilia) with ESPN Playbook.
What team would make you happiest if it won a championship?
The Patriots! I’m a diehard Bostonian Patriots fan. I’d also like to see the Cubs win a World Series.
What’s your most prized piece of sports memorabilia?
I have an amazing autographed picture of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale walking off the court at the Boston Garden. I’ve got Manny Pacquiao’s gloves and sneakers signed, and I’ve got a beautiful football signed from Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson.
What’s your favorite sports memory, as a fan or as a participant?
Playing baseball as a kid, doing the movie “The Fighter,” and the most memorable, most recent, was taking my son to his first Patriots game. We went to the Monday Night game against the Texans and it was incredible. He was in the locker room with Tom Brady and on the field with the whole team, and then he was in the locker room after the game with Coach Belichick.
If your life depended on your performance in a competitive sport, which one would you choose?
Probably football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing or golf.
So you have skills in a couple different sports, then?
Oh yeah. I’m no slouch.
Who was your childhood sports idol?
Larry Bird and Micky Ward.
Which modern athlete do you love to hate?
Anybody with pinstripes.
Spoken like a guy from Boston ...
Yeah. But I’m very friendly with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. But I haven’t let a little of that hate go.
Boston Globe interviews Mark Wahlberg
The Boston Globe recently interviewedMark about Broken City, violence in movies, how his faith influences his decisions, bring a producer and more.
Whatever you think of the movies Mark Wahlberg makes — from a shoot-’em-up urban western like “Four Brothers” to the gritty boxer biopic “The Fighter” to the filthy but very funny “Ted” — it’s hard to argue with the career he’s created for himself. A former juvie from Dorchester who once seemed destined for an extended stay behind bars, Wahlberg is now 41 and a full-fledged Hollywood mogul. Two decades after appearing on buses and billboards, buff and smirking in a pair of Calvin Klein tighty whities, Wahlberg is an Oscar-nominated actor (for “The Departed”), a successful producer (of the HBO series “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire”), and an entrepreneur (he and his brothers Donnie and Paul own Wahlburgers, a burger restaurant in Hingham that they hope to franchise elsewhere). In short, Wahlberg, who’s married to model Rhea Durham, with whom he has four children, has become a grown-up, a solid citizen of the sort that may surprise even members of his own family. In his new movie, “Broken City,” which opens Friday, Wahlberg plays an ex-cop seeking revenge after being double-crossed by a powerful New York mayor played by Russell Crowe. The film costars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jeffrey Wright. In a recent phone interview from Atlanta, where he was busy promoting “Broken City,” Wahlberg talked about his motivation for making movies and what he’s up to next.
Q. So I read an interview you did not so long ago in which you said you’re at a point in your career where you make movies you’d like to see. This is one of those?
A. This fits, in particular, because it reminds me of “Serpico” and “Chinatown” and all the great movies of the ’70s that I watched with my dad, movies that were character-driven, underdog stories of guys that have to overcome quite a bit in a very realistic way. I just read the script and fell in love with the material. Initially, we wanted to do it independently so we didn’t have studio people staring over our shoulder and what not. So [director] Allen [Hughes] and I were basically left to our devices and . . . after we shot the movie, we made the deal with Fox.
Q. Talk to me about making a movie with Allen Hughes, who, with his brother Albert, also made “Menace II Society” and “Dead Presidents.”
A. I was a big fan of Allen’s since “Menace II Society.” We talked about working together at one point or another but this was the first time it came together.
Q. This film falls into a category you’re quite good at. I don’t know what to call it. Maybe “revenge films”? There’s a setup and then you make things right.
A. It has a redemption theme.
Q. Right. That’s something that appeals to you?
A. For sure. I love this character. He lives in this world which is a very unapologetic world. I remember one journalist asked me why wasn’t there a big kind of apology/breakdown scene. I said because that’s not what happens in this story. This guy’s going to have 15 years to deal with the mistakes he’s made. But he’s willing to take that chance in order to right something even bigger.
Q. There is a political undercurrent here. But you don’t strike me as a particularly political guy. Is that fair?
A. Yes, very fair. My biggest concerns, obviously, when it comes to politics or unemployment or inner city or at-risk kids are things that affect people who come from where I came from.
Q. The movie is violent, but not gratuitously so.
A. When you see the campaign manager [Kyle Chandler] shot, you don’t see him actually get shot. And you see a bullet going through my car window, and you see me shoot that big guy [Chance Kelly] in the leg. I knew we were going to have to fight so I wanted to level the playing field a little.
Q. He is a giant.
A. We didn’t want to pull any punches making this movie. All those guys were specifically hired to come in and fight with me. We didn’t want to do the slick editing choreographed fights. We wanted to be down and dirty and real. Like the car chase.
Q. Yes, the car chase is good. Honestly, I didn’t think you were going to get up from that. But I guess you had to.
A. Yeah, there was a little bit more to be done.
Q. You seemed prepared for my question about violence. You’re a dad now — a family man — is violence something you think about as you decide what movies to make?
A. Of course. If you think about the horrible tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and think about what happened in Aurora, Colo., our country is not doing something right. We have to be able to protect our families and our children and our schools.
Q. So when you’re making a movie, you’re thinking about how violent it is?
A. Yeah, you know, there’s a much bigger problem going on. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But, yeah, I think about a lot of things, being a parent and a husband now. All of that comes into play when I think about what I want to do.
Q. You’re also a Catholic who goes to church regularly. Does that influence the decisions you make?
A. My faith and my family are the most important things in my life. I’ve made a lot of movies. I hope God’s a movie fan.
Q. You’ve had success doing comedies, with “Ted” and the movie you did with Will Ferrell, “The Other Guys.” You get a different audience with those movies. Do you find comedy difficult to do?
A. There have been comedic elements to my performances going back to “Boogie Nights” and “Basketball Diaries.” But doing a full-blown comedy is a different thing. It’s all a matter of finding the right vehicle. It really comes down to the material. My approach to doing comedy is the same as it is for drama: Play the part as real as possible. Comedy has got to come from the commitment to the absurdity of the situation. Playing it as straight as possible, which I did in “Ted.” That bear was real. He was my best friend. We smoked pot all day, and I tried to balance keeping my girlfriend happy and spending time with my best friend. You have to be, like, OK, this is really happening. How else are you going to get an audience to buy into a concept like that?
Q. It was also well written.
A. Absolutely. You can’t have me falling through tables and making funny faces.
Q. In addition to being an actor, you’ve had a very successful career as a producer. Last time we talked, you called yourself a businessman. What is the thing that makes you happy? Is it money? Awards? Recognition?
A. Awards and accolades are nice but it’s not why I make movies. I make movies to entertain people but also to be successful. Films have to be successful in order for them to give you more money to make more films. So I want to make great things that are enjoyed by everybody. Every time we make a movie, no matter what kind of movie it is, we’re trying to make the best version we can. So I’d say making successful films is the most important thing to me.
Q. You’ve done that.
A. It’s funny because when I started producing, I was always trying to find and develop material for myself so that I wasn’t waiting around for Hollywood or a studio to send me the script that was going to change my career. When I started producing, I had an in with television so I started producing television. And as the economy started to change and studios started crying poverty because the DVD business was going down the toilet, the only way to make movies was to do it with the television approach: less time and less money. So when ‘The Fighter’ was originally a $70 million movie, we were able to make it for $11 million, and the same thing with ‘Contraband’ and with this movie and with [the upcoming] ‘Lone Survivor’ and with ‘2 Guns’ with Denzel [Washington]. That movie was supposed to be north of $100 million and we figured out a way to make it for a lot less. So many people don’t know how to adapt. They think it’s impossible to make a movie in 40 days for X amount of money. It’s crazy. I try to explain to them the process, and they just can’t wrap their heads around it.
Publicist: I’m sorry to interrupt, but last question.
Q. Oh, we’re done? OK.
A. That’s what happens when studios get involved.
Q. You’re getting involved in a few reality TV projects, including one that’s based on the CBS show “The Big Bang Theory,” but at a local university. I must say, that seems like a brilliant idea. Tell me about it.
A. We’re working on it as we speak, and next time I go to Boston I’m going to try to meet with everybody so we can sit down and explain to [MIT] exactly what we want to do. I, too, think it’s a brilliant idea, but it’s all in the execution. I want [the university] to know they’ll be in good hands and our intentions are coming from a good place. People hear “reality TV” and they get crazy. When they hear docu-series, which is what we’re interested in doing, it’s all about quality and integrity. So we’ll articulate that message to them in person.
Whatever you think of the movies Mark Wahlberg makes — from a shoot-’em-up urban western like “Four Brothers” to the gritty boxer biopic “The Fighter” to the filthy but very funny “Ted” — it’s hard to argue with the career he’s created for himself. A former juvie from Dorchester who once seemed destined for an extended stay behind bars, Wahlberg is now 41 and a full-fledged Hollywood mogul. Two decades after appearing on buses and billboards, buff and smirking in a pair of Calvin Klein tighty whities, Wahlberg is an Oscar-nominated actor (for “The Departed”), a successful producer (of the HBO series “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire”), and an entrepreneur (he and his brothers Donnie and Paul own Wahlburgers, a burger restaurant in Hingham that they hope to franchise elsewhere). In short, Wahlberg, who’s married to model Rhea Durham, with whom he has four children, has become a grown-up, a solid citizen of the sort that may surprise even members of his own family. In his new movie, “Broken City,” which opens Friday, Wahlberg plays an ex-cop seeking revenge after being double-crossed by a powerful New York mayor played by Russell Crowe. The film costars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jeffrey Wright. In a recent phone interview from Atlanta, where he was busy promoting “Broken City,” Wahlberg talked about his motivation for making movies and what he’s up to next.
Q. So I read an interview you did not so long ago in which you said you’re at a point in your career where you make movies you’d like to see. This is one of those?
A. This fits, in particular, because it reminds me of “Serpico” and “Chinatown” and all the great movies of the ’70s that I watched with my dad, movies that were character-driven, underdog stories of guys that have to overcome quite a bit in a very realistic way. I just read the script and fell in love with the material. Initially, we wanted to do it independently so we didn’t have studio people staring over our shoulder and what not. So [director] Allen [Hughes] and I were basically left to our devices and . . . after we shot the movie, we made the deal with Fox.
Q. Talk to me about making a movie with Allen Hughes, who, with his brother Albert, also made “Menace II Society” and “Dead Presidents.”
A. I was a big fan of Allen’s since “Menace II Society.” We talked about working together at one point or another but this was the first time it came together.
Q. This film falls into a category you’re quite good at. I don’t know what to call it. Maybe “revenge films”? There’s a setup and then you make things right.
A. It has a redemption theme.
Q. Right. That’s something that appeals to you?
A. For sure. I love this character. He lives in this world which is a very unapologetic world. I remember one journalist asked me why wasn’t there a big kind of apology/breakdown scene. I said because that’s not what happens in this story. This guy’s going to have 15 years to deal with the mistakes he’s made. But he’s willing to take that chance in order to right something even bigger.
Q. There is a political undercurrent here. But you don’t strike me as a particularly political guy. Is that fair?
A. Yes, very fair. My biggest concerns, obviously, when it comes to politics or unemployment or inner city or at-risk kids are things that affect people who come from where I came from.
Q. The movie is violent, but not gratuitously so.
A. When you see the campaign manager [Kyle Chandler] shot, you don’t see him actually get shot. And you see a bullet going through my car window, and you see me shoot that big guy [Chance Kelly] in the leg. I knew we were going to have to fight so I wanted to level the playing field a little.
Q. He is a giant.
A. We didn’t want to pull any punches making this movie. All those guys were specifically hired to come in and fight with me. We didn’t want to do the slick editing choreographed fights. We wanted to be down and dirty and real. Like the car chase.
Q. Yes, the car chase is good. Honestly, I didn’t think you were going to get up from that. But I guess you had to.
A. Yeah, there was a little bit more to be done.
Q. You seemed prepared for my question about violence. You’re a dad now — a family man — is violence something you think about as you decide what movies to make?
A. Of course. If you think about the horrible tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and think about what happened in Aurora, Colo., our country is not doing something right. We have to be able to protect our families and our children and our schools.
Q. So when you’re making a movie, you’re thinking about how violent it is?
A. Yeah, you know, there’s a much bigger problem going on. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But, yeah, I think about a lot of things, being a parent and a husband now. All of that comes into play when I think about what I want to do.
Q. You’re also a Catholic who goes to church regularly. Does that influence the decisions you make?
A. My faith and my family are the most important things in my life. I’ve made a lot of movies. I hope God’s a movie fan.
Q. You’ve had success doing comedies, with “Ted” and the movie you did with Will Ferrell, “The Other Guys.” You get a different audience with those movies. Do you find comedy difficult to do?
A. There have been comedic elements to my performances going back to “Boogie Nights” and “Basketball Diaries.” But doing a full-blown comedy is a different thing. It’s all a matter of finding the right vehicle. It really comes down to the material. My approach to doing comedy is the same as it is for drama: Play the part as real as possible. Comedy has got to come from the commitment to the absurdity of the situation. Playing it as straight as possible, which I did in “Ted.” That bear was real. He was my best friend. We smoked pot all day, and I tried to balance keeping my girlfriend happy and spending time with my best friend. You have to be, like, OK, this is really happening. How else are you going to get an audience to buy into a concept like that?
Q. It was also well written.
A. Absolutely. You can’t have me falling through tables and making funny faces.
Q. In addition to being an actor, you’ve had a very successful career as a producer. Last time we talked, you called yourself a businessman. What is the thing that makes you happy? Is it money? Awards? Recognition?
A. Awards and accolades are nice but it’s not why I make movies. I make movies to entertain people but also to be successful. Films have to be successful in order for them to give you more money to make more films. So I want to make great things that are enjoyed by everybody. Every time we make a movie, no matter what kind of movie it is, we’re trying to make the best version we can. So I’d say making successful films is the most important thing to me.
Q. You’ve done that.
A. It’s funny because when I started producing, I was always trying to find and develop material for myself so that I wasn’t waiting around for Hollywood or a studio to send me the script that was going to change my career. When I started producing, I had an in with television so I started producing television. And as the economy started to change and studios started crying poverty because the DVD business was going down the toilet, the only way to make movies was to do it with the television approach: less time and less money. So when ‘The Fighter’ was originally a $70 million movie, we were able to make it for $11 million, and the same thing with ‘Contraband’ and with this movie and with [the upcoming] ‘Lone Survivor’ and with ‘2 Guns’ with Denzel [Washington]. That movie was supposed to be north of $100 million and we figured out a way to make it for a lot less. So many people don’t know how to adapt. They think it’s impossible to make a movie in 40 days for X amount of money. It’s crazy. I try to explain to them the process, and they just can’t wrap their heads around it.
Publicist: I’m sorry to interrupt, but last question.
Q. Oh, we’re done? OK.
A. That’s what happens when studios get involved.
Q. You’re getting involved in a few reality TV projects, including one that’s based on the CBS show “The Big Bang Theory,” but at a local university. I must say, that seems like a brilliant idea. Tell me about it.
A. We’re working on it as we speak, and next time I go to Boston I’m going to try to meet with everybody so we can sit down and explain to [MIT] exactly what we want to do. I, too, think it’s a brilliant idea, but it’s all in the execution. I want [the university] to know they’ll be in good hands and our intentions are coming from a good place. People hear “reality TV” and they get crazy. When they hear docu-series, which is what we’re interested in doing, it’s all about quality and integrity. So we’ll articulate that message to them in person.
Mark Wahlberg talks with Miami Herald
Mark talked with The Miami Herald about gaining and losing weight for movie roles and promoting "Broken City", here is the article.
Mark Wahlberg in Miami to talk ‘Broken City’
Mark Wahlberg plays a dogged cop in Broken City, but the promoting part is proving tough.
The hulking actor walked the red carpet outside Regal South Beach Wednesday night for the premiere much to screaming fans’ delight, then started interviews at the Setai Hotel bright and early Thursday morning.
Listening to his press tour schedule almost evokes a sympathy yawn.
“I flew from L.A. to Chicago, Chicago to Atlanta, Atlanta to Philly, Philly to Miami, then I go back to L.A. and New York on Monday,” Wahlberg, looking ripped in a tight black T-shirt, explained of his busy week.
But the Boston native, 41, is nothing if not dedicated.
For the four movies he did this year, his weight yo-yoed, depending on the role.
“I’ll do what’s called for,” he said simply. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do if I think the part is cool.”
The Ted star started his year out making Broken City, in which he uncovers a huge scandal involving the NYC mayor, played by Russell Crowe. The two stars, though they had never worked together, had great chemistry.
“Our first scene was our confrontation at the end. Allen [ Hughes, the director] asked, ‘Do you want to rehearse?’ And we both looked at each other and said, ‘Point the cameras, and let’s go.’ ’’
Not everything went so easily. Wahlberg remembers an evening production meeting he had in the early stages with Hughes ( Menace II Society, Dead Presidents).
“I had a big bag of food, some wine, and Allen kind of looked at me like, ‘You’re going to get rid of all that, right?’ He wanted me to be as thin as possible.”
For Broken City, the onetime underwear model got down to 165 pounds, then shot up to 212 for Michael Bay’s locally shot Pain and Gain, to play a bodybuilder.
There was no clubbing for the father of four (wife is model and Florida native Rhea Durham).
“I didn’t go out at all,” Wahlberg explained of his time in South Florida. “I’d eat at 7, be in bed at 8 and up by 5 a.m. to be in the gym, then on set by about 9.”
Safe to say, Pain and Gain was a physical grind. “I love Miami, the whole place, but I didn’t love the climate in June. It was a little warm for me running around.”
Thirty days after leaving Miami, Wahlberg again had to bring his weight down to 180 for crime drama Two Guns, with Denzel Washington.
2012 wasn’t over. Two weeks after wrapping, Wahlberg began SEAL training to play Marcus Lutrell, the sole survivor of the failed 2005 mission to capture Taliban leader, Admad Shad.
“So that was my year,” said Wahlberg, the youngest of nine siblings. “But it’s my job.”
The former rapper’s days wouldn’t be so filled if he also didn’t produce projects for both the big and small screen.
“I wanted to control my own destiny. How involved am I? Probably too much.”
Mark Wahlberg in Miami to talk ‘Broken City’
Mark Wahlberg plays a dogged cop in Broken City, but the promoting part is proving tough.
The hulking actor walked the red carpet outside Regal South Beach Wednesday night for the premiere much to screaming fans’ delight, then started interviews at the Setai Hotel bright and early Thursday morning.
Listening to his press tour schedule almost evokes a sympathy yawn.
“I flew from L.A. to Chicago, Chicago to Atlanta, Atlanta to Philly, Philly to Miami, then I go back to L.A. and New York on Monday,” Wahlberg, looking ripped in a tight black T-shirt, explained of his busy week.
But the Boston native, 41, is nothing if not dedicated.
For the four movies he did this year, his weight yo-yoed, depending on the role.
“I’ll do what’s called for,” he said simply. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do if I think the part is cool.”
The Ted star started his year out making Broken City, in which he uncovers a huge scandal involving the NYC mayor, played by Russell Crowe. The two stars, though they had never worked together, had great chemistry.
“Our first scene was our confrontation at the end. Allen [ Hughes, the director] asked, ‘Do you want to rehearse?’ And we both looked at each other and said, ‘Point the cameras, and let’s go.’ ’’
Not everything went so easily. Wahlberg remembers an evening production meeting he had in the early stages with Hughes ( Menace II Society, Dead Presidents).
“I had a big bag of food, some wine, and Allen kind of looked at me like, ‘You’re going to get rid of all that, right?’ He wanted me to be as thin as possible.”
For Broken City, the onetime underwear model got down to 165 pounds, then shot up to 212 for Michael Bay’s locally shot Pain and Gain, to play a bodybuilder.
There was no clubbing for the father of four (wife is model and Florida native Rhea Durham).
“I didn’t go out at all,” Wahlberg explained of his time in South Florida. “I’d eat at 7, be in bed at 8 and up by 5 a.m. to be in the gym, then on set by about 9.”
Safe to say, Pain and Gain was a physical grind. “I love Miami, the whole place, but I didn’t love the climate in June. It was a little warm for me running around.”
Thirty days after leaving Miami, Wahlberg again had to bring his weight down to 180 for crime drama Two Guns, with Denzel Washington.
2012 wasn’t over. Two weeks after wrapping, Wahlberg began SEAL training to play Marcus Lutrell, the sole survivor of the failed 2005 mission to capture Taliban leader, Admad Shad.
“So that was my year,” said Wahlberg, the youngest of nine siblings. “But it’s my job.”
The former rapper’s days wouldn’t be so filled if he also didn’t produce projects for both the big and small screen.
“I wanted to control my own destiny. How involved am I? Probably too much.”
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Movieline interviews Mark Wahlberg
Mark talks about "Broken City" and more in this interview from Movieline:
Watch Mark Wahlberg's interview with Mix Philadelphia
Mark was interviewed by Mix Philadelphia recently. He talks about "Broken City", working with Russell Crowe, what music his kids listen to, Disney shows, and more.
Here is the video:
Here is the video:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Listen to Mark Wahlberg on Sportsradio 94WIP
Mark was interviewed on Sportsradio 94WIP in Philadelphia to talk about "Broken City", "Ted" and more.
Click here to listen!
Click here to listen!
Watch Mark Wahlberg's interview on The Bert Show
Here is the video of Mark Wahlberg's interview on The Bert Show:
Mark Wahlberg at Philadelphia 76ers game
Mark attended a Philadelphia 76ers game and was presented with a jersey. Here is a quick video clip:
Watch Mark Wahlberg on Good Day Philadelphia
Mark was a guest on "Good Day Philadelphia" to talk about "Broken City" and he also helped do the weather and traffic reports. Here are the videos:
Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
“Broken City” screening in Hingham Shipyard January 15
Mark Wahlberg will be at a private screening of “Broken City” at 7 p.m, January, 15 at the Patriot Cinema in the Hingham Shipyard to raise money for the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. Fans can enter for a chance to win two tickets at Celebrities For Charity. The deadline is January 14.
Watch video clip of Mark Wahlberg on WSB
Mark was recently at a preview screening for "Broken City" in Atlanta. Here is a news clip from WSBTV.com:
Mark Wahlberg in Atlanta for screening of "Broken City"
Mark Wahlberg helped honor a police officer in Atlanta at a sneak preview screening of "Broken City". Read the full article from Access Atlanta and check of some photos from the event here and at CBS Atlanta.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Mark Wahlberg to make appearance in Chicago tomorrow
This was posted on Chicago Now:
Mark Wahlberg and film director Allen Hughes will meet fans and host a special advance screening of their new political crime thriller Broken City in Chicago on Sunday January 6th at 7PM. Some lucky fans will even be selected from the crowd outside the Kerasotes Showplace ICON (150 W. Roosevelt) to be among the first audiences to screen the film.
Broken City opens nationwide on Friday, January 18, 2013.
Mark Wahlberg and film director Allen Hughes will meet fans and host a special advance screening of their new political crime thriller Broken City in Chicago on Sunday January 6th at 7PM. Some lucky fans will even be selected from the crowd outside the Kerasotes Showplace ICON (150 W. Roosevelt) to be among the first audiences to screen the film.
Broken City opens nationwide on Friday, January 18, 2013.
Breaking Boston begins filming January 14
The Boston Globe posted an article with some information about the tv show inspired by on the women from "The Fighter" which is tentatively called "Breaking Boston".
Mark Wahlberg will be busy in 2013. On the same day the actor’s new movie opens, we’re told he’ll start shooting a TV pilot here inspired by the tough-talking sisters in the Oscar-nominated film “The Fighter.”
The show, which Wahlberg calls a “docu-series,” is set to begin filming in Boston Jan. 14, the same day “Broken City,” Marky Mark’s new action flick costarring Aussie actor Russell Crowe, hits theaters.
We’re told the pilot, which is being pitched to A&E, has a tentative title — “Breaking Boston” — and a cast of six young women plucked by producers from neighborhoods in and around Boston. As we previously reported, the show will focus on women who, in Wahlberg’s words, “live in the real world,” meaning they struggle to overcome hardscrabble circumstances that could include problems with money, jobs, boyfriends, family, or drugs.
Wahlberg, who’s enjoyed enormous success as a producer with the HBO series “Entourage,” “In Treatment,” and “Boardwalk Empire,” is producing the pilot with Stephen Levinson of Leverage, Bill Thompson of Bill Thompson Productions Inc., and Stephanie Drachkovitch of 44 Blue Productions.
“Breaking Boston” is just one of a few reality TV projects Wahlberg is pursuing in the new year. Already in the can is “Teamsters,” a pilot focused on Boston’s Teamsters Local 25, which A&E is mulling over now. And he’s also partnering with his brother Bob Wahlberg to produce a show about a couple of low-level former Whitey Bulger associates who run a towing company. In an interview in November, Wahlberg said he’s not interested in making crass reality TV franchises like “Jersey Shore” and “Real Housewives.”
“There are plenty of ways to get a paycheck in this business, but I’m always looking to do something top quality,” he said.
Mark Wahlberg will be busy in 2013. On the same day the actor’s new movie opens, we’re told he’ll start shooting a TV pilot here inspired by the tough-talking sisters in the Oscar-nominated film “The Fighter.”
The show, which Wahlberg calls a “docu-series,” is set to begin filming in Boston Jan. 14, the same day “Broken City,” Marky Mark’s new action flick costarring Aussie actor Russell Crowe, hits theaters.
We’re told the pilot, which is being pitched to A&E, has a tentative title — “Breaking Boston” — and a cast of six young women plucked by producers from neighborhoods in and around Boston. As we previously reported, the show will focus on women who, in Wahlberg’s words, “live in the real world,” meaning they struggle to overcome hardscrabble circumstances that could include problems with money, jobs, boyfriends, family, or drugs.
Wahlberg, who’s enjoyed enormous success as a producer with the HBO series “Entourage,” “In Treatment,” and “Boardwalk Empire,” is producing the pilot with Stephen Levinson of Leverage, Bill Thompson of Bill Thompson Productions Inc., and Stephanie Drachkovitch of 44 Blue Productions.
“Breaking Boston” is just one of a few reality TV projects Wahlberg is pursuing in the new year. Already in the can is “Teamsters,” a pilot focused on Boston’s Teamsters Local 25, which A&E is mulling over now. And he’s also partnering with his brother Bob Wahlberg to produce a show about a couple of low-level former Whitey Bulger associates who run a towing company. In an interview in November, Wahlberg said he’s not interested in making crass reality TV franchises like “Jersey Shore” and “Real Housewives.”
“There are plenty of ways to get a paycheck in this business, but I’m always looking to do something top quality,” he said.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Mark Wahlberg's Broken City Private Screening Raffle
Enter this raffle for a chance to win tickets to attend the private screening and after party for Mark Wahlberg's new movie Broken City! Proceeds Benefit The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
Grand Prize:
Winner will receive 2 tickets to the private screening of Mark Wahlberg's new movie "Broken City" on January 15th, 2013 at 7 PM at the Hingham Shipyard Cinema
Winner will receive 2 tickets to attend the after party hosted by Mark Wahlberg at Wahlburgers Family Restaurant immediately following the screening
Drawing Date: Monday, January 14, 2013 (Entry Deadline: 11:00 AM ET on Monday, January 14, 2013)
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