American Actor and Producer

Mark Wahlberg | Biography

Actor Known For Movies Like 'The Perfect Storm,' 'Planet of the Apes,' and 'The Italian Job'

• By Grishma Giri
• Update : October 01, 2021

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Mark Wahlberg is an American actor well known for his roles in the movies 'The Basketball Diaries,' 'The Departed,' 'Ted,' 'Lone Survivor,' 'Deepwater Horizon,' and 'Patriots Day.' 

Who is Mark Wahlberg?

Mark Wahlberg, the stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. 

Wahlberg formed a hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, in the 1990s and released the albums Music for the People (1991) and You Gotta Believe (1992). Wahlberg moved from music to acting with his cinematic debut in Renaissance Man (1994) and his first leading part in Fear (1996). 

Early Life

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was born on 5 June 1971, as the youngest among his eight other siblings, to Donald Edmond Wahlberg and Alma Elaine. Donald was a U.S. Army veteran who was a part of the Korean War. He also became a delivery driver later. Elaine was a bank clerk. 

Wahlberg grew up in a working-class family, and he had to deal with the divorce of his parents at 11. Although he attended Copley Square High School in Newbury Street, Boston, he dropped out of high school at 14. He then made a living on the streets by selling drugs, hustling, and stealing. 

Life was hard on him, both emotionally and physically, and it became even tougher when he was in prison for his role in beating up a Vietnamese man savagely. He was 16 years old at that time. During his 45 days in jail, Wahlberg realized that he needed a change in his life. He also vowed to dedicate his time to bodybuilding and shape his body.    

Elaine, Wahlberg's mother, later blamed herself for not bringing him up emotionally and assumed that she was the reason her son indulged in juvenile crime. Unfortunately, on 15 April 2021, Wahlberg's mother passed away at 78 after struggling with an illness.

Change of Life through Music

After being released from prison, Wahlberg wanted to get rid of his criminal life. He wanted a drastic change in his career path. Donnie Wahlberg, his older brother, assisted him in making this change. Donnie, who then was a member of the successful band New Kids on the Block, took him into the band and made him explore the music within him. 

In 1990, Wahlberg formed the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. With the release of their debut album, Music for the People, in 1991, he established himself as a rapper. The album was co-written and arranged by his brother Donnie, and it made two hit singles, 'Good Vibrations' and 'Wildside.' 

Brand Endorsements

Wahlberg used to take off his shirt during the performances and in the supporting videos. His well-built body attracted many people. He was soon hired by Calvin Klein, a fashion design company, as an underwear model for two years contracts. Wahlberg then realized that the billboards, television, and print photo campaigns as a model brought him more fame than music albums. His 'bad-boy' image also added some push to become a celebrity after the disappointing sales of his second album, You Gotta Believe, in 1992.

As an Actor 

Wahlberg made his debut in the movie industry, with a minor role in a comedy movie, Renaissance Man, in 1994. The Basketball Diaries, which was released in 1995, gave him critical notice. It was after this movie Wahlberg decided to land on his acting profession strong-footed. Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, released in 1997, could be marked as his much-needed breakthrough. In this film, he played the central role of Eddie Adams, who was a porn star. 

Wahlberg then indulged in various genres of films, like comedy, action, and drama. His standout performances could be seen in the movies like Three Kings (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001), and The Italian Job (2003). Martin Scorsese's The Departed, released in 2006, earned Wahlberg a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor in 'Academy Awards.' He portrayed the role of a tough Boston police officer. The film bagged 79th' Academy Awards' for the Best Picture and three other 'Academy Awards.'

David Owen Russell's The Fighter, released in 2010, portrayed Wahlberg in the role of Micky Ward. The critically acclaimed documentary drama was about a boxer and his family. The movie was not his first one with Russell as he had worked with him in his previous film, Three Kings, in 1999. 

After this movie, Wahlberg appeared in a lighter tone and comedy movie Ted in 2012. Directed by Seth MacFarlane, the popular comedy movie was about a teddy bear who could talk. Wahlberg was also a part of its sequel, Ted 2, which was released in 2015. 

Wahlberg played a role of a Navy SEAL in an American biographical war film Lone Survivor (2013), directed by Peter Berg. He was also part of Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) and its sequel, Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). The actor got back to the comedy genre with Daddy's Home in 2015, directed by Sean Anders. He also became a part of its sequel, which got released in 2017. 

In 2016, Wahlberg starred in Deepwater Horizon, which was also directed by Peter Berg. The action movie was based on the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He then became a part of another Peter Berg film, Patriots Day, released in the same year. In this film, he portrayed the character of a police officer, and the movie plot was about multiple bomb explosions during the Boston Marathon.

'All the Money in the world'

Wahlberg appeared in All the Money in the world in 2017. The movie was a biopic of the 1973 kidnapping of the billionaire J. Paul Getty's grandson, John Paul Getty III. 

After the movie, he faced some criticism regarding his pay, which was far more significant than his female co-star, Michelle Williams. He responded to this problem by stating that he supported equal pay. He went further ahead and donated his reshoot salary to the Time's Up Legal Defence Fund to support the legal expenses of women who experienced workplace sexual harassment. 

Wahlberg's most recent work is Spenser Confidential, aired on Netflix in 2020. He portrayed the role of a former police officer who turned into a private investigator.

Upcoming movies

Wahlberg is set to star in Uncharted as Victor McCauley. The feature is in the post-production phase as of September 2021 and is scheduled to release in 2022. A few more of his forthcoming projects include Stu, where he will portray the role of Stuart Long, and The Six Billion Dollar Man, where he will appear as Steve Austin. Two more projects, Me Time and Arthur the King, did not reveal his role. 

'Uncharted'

The action and adventure amalgam, Uncharted, is adapted from a video game of the same name. Since pre-production, the movie faced numerous challenges, including various screenwriters and directors joining and leaving the crew, rumors about the cast and plot, the pandemic halting its production, and many more. The movie's development was announced in 2008, but its release has been delayed several times. Its planned release date was June 2016. However, it was rescheduled to December 2020 and again in March 2021. The feature is again set to release on 18 February 2022.

The movie stars Wahlberg as Victor Sully Sullivan, a wealthy hunter, and Nate's (played by Tom Holland) mentor and father figure.

As a Producer

Wahlberg also undertook the career of a producer when he produced the cult hit HBO series, Entourage. The series aired from 2004 to 2011. He also produced the acclaimed morality tale Boardwalk Empire, which aired on HBO from 2010 to 2014. He also appeared as himself and became the executive producer for another television series, Wahlburgers. The series aired from 2014 to 2019 for ten seasons. The reality television series incorporated the hamburger restaurant business of his brother, Paul Wahlberg. 

More of his executive productions include the documentary Juvies (2004), about 16 episodes of the TV series How to Make It in America (2010-2011), 114 episodes of In Treatment (2008-2021), 11 episodes of Shooter (2016-2018), 15 episodes of Ballers (2015-2019), 6 episodes of TV mini-series documentary McMillions (2020), and 10 episodes of TV series short Run This City (2020). Besides, he executive produced the TV special The Lost Lincoln in 2020 and the TV series documentary Wahl Street in 2021.

Similarly, he has worked as a producer of numerous movies - We Own the Night (2007), The Fighter (2010), Contraband (2012), Broken City (2013), The Gambler (2014), Deepwater Horizon (2016), Patriots Day(2016), Spenser Confidential (2020), Infinite (2021) and others.

Furthermore, he has a few forthcoming projects as a producer, including The Raven, which has completed its production, and Stu and The Six Billion Dollar Man, both in the pre-production phase. The announcement on two more projects, Untitled Basketball Project and The Roman, as of September 2021.

As an Entrepreneur

Wahlberg, along with an American rapper With Sean "Diddy" Combs, co-owns the improved water business AQUAhydrate, which sells alkaline water enriched with electrolytes and minerals. Wahlberg also owns a nutrition company, Performance Inspired Nutrition, and the co-owner of his family's burger chain, Wahlburgers.

AQUAhydrate

Wahlberg co-owns the enhanced water business, AQUAhydrate, with an American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. AQUAhydrate sells alkaline water fortified with minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline water proved a personal benefit to the health and lifestyle of Wahlberg, and thus, he thought of commercializing this composition to outreach its benefit. It also helps in cutting down acidity and inflammation to a wide population.

Wahlberg admitted to CNBC in 2017 that he required help in understanding the new sector, "I had no knowledge of the beverage business." In the same interview, Wahlberg stated that he contacted Nelson Peltz, a billionaire whose hedge fund, Trian Fund Management, had acquired a significant interest in Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, a multinational soft drink company. The reason he contacted Nelson Peltz was for networking.

In 2011, AQUAhydrate received $10 million in venture capital from the Yucaipa Companies, owned by billionaire Ron Burkle.

Performance Inspired Nutrition

Wahlberg co-owns Performance Inspired Nutrition with his partner Tom Dowd. The company offers protein supplements, collagen formulations, apple cider vinegar, multivitamins, and other products. The brand's Instagram handle has about 161 thousand followers.

On his Instagram post dated 12 September 2020, Wahlberg shared his morning shake drink ingredients from Performance Inspired Nutrition, which included flaxseed, chia seed, sheep's yogurt, banana, hemp seed, raspberries, and others.

Chevrolet Dealership

Wahlberg also owns and operates a Chevrolet dealership (car) business in Columbus, Ohio. His Chevrolet dealership business page on Instagram has a fan base of 66.5 thousand people.

Forbes Highest-Paid Actor

With an estimated earning of $68 million, Mark Wahlberg climbed to the top of Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's best-paid actors in 2017. His income owes to his roles in Daddy's Home 2 and Transformers: The Last Knight, both of which were released in 2017. Wahlberg had surpassed 2016 best-paid actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Wife & Children

In 2009, Wahlberg married Rhea Durham, an American model. Durham has featured in multiple major fashion magazines like French Vogue and Marie Claire. The couple share four kids. Before their marriage, they had three children, a daughter Ella and two sons, Michael and Brendan. After their marriage, they welcomed their fourth child and second daughter, Grace Margaret, in 2010. 

Net worth

Mark Wahlberg has an estimated net worth of $350 million as of September 2021.

Interesting Fact

Wahlberg regularly wakes up at 2:30 a.m. to exercise.