Wahlberg was born inBoston. As a youth, he took part in a number of violent and racially motivated attacks, resulting in a felony conviction. He gained fame as a member of thehip hop groupMarky Mark and the Funky Bunch in the 1990s, with whom he released the albumsMusic for the People (1991) andYou Gotta Believe (1992). Wahlberg made his screen debut inRenaissance Man (1994) and had his first starring role inFear (1996). He received critical praise for his performance as porn actor Dirk Diggler inBoogie Nights (1997).
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was born on June 5, 1971, in theDorchester neighborhood ofBoston, Massachusetts. He is the youngest of nine children,[3] including actorRobert and singer/actorDonnie. His mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly; 1942–2021), was a bank clerk and a nurse's aide, and his father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr. (1930–2008), was a U.S. Army veteran of theKorean War. After his parents divorced in 1982, he divided his time between them.[4]
Wahlberg's father was of Swedish and Irish descent. His mother was of Irish, English and French-Canadian ancestry.[5][6][7] On his mother's side of the family, he is distantly related to authorNathaniel Hawthorne.[8][9] Wahlberg was raised Catholic.[10][11]
In 1990, Wahlberg began recording with dancers/rappers Scott Ross (Scottie Gee), Hector Barros (Hector the Booty Inspector), Anthony Thomas (Ashley Ace), and Terry Yancey (DJ-T) asMarky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with "Good Vibrations" from their debut albumMusic for the People. The record, produced by brother Donnie, hit number one on theBillboard Hot 100, later becoming certified as aplatinum single. The second single, "Wildside", peaked at number five onBillboard'sHot Singles Sales chart and number 10 on theBillboard Hot 100.[13] It was certified as a gold single. Marky Mark opened for the New Kids on the Block during their last tour. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch also had their own video game, titledMarky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video, which, despite the band's success, was a huge flop.[14][15] The second Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch LP,You Gotta Believe, was not as successful as the first, yielding only a minor hit single in the title track.[16]
In December 1992, while performing on the British TV showThe Word, Wahlberg praisedShabba Ranks, who had stated gay people should be crucified.GLAAD condemned him and berated Calvin Klein for using him to promote their products.[17] A self-titled autobiographical picture book,Marky Mark, with images taken byLynn Goldsmith and statements mostly by him, was also released.[18] Trying to resuscitate his music career, he had shifted toHamburg, where he was produced under the label ofEast West Records byFrank Peterson andAlex Christensen.[19]
Wahlberg later collaborated with the late reggae/ragga singerPrince Ital Joe on the albumLife in the Streets. The project combined rap vocals, electronic-infused ragga, and "European dancefloor" music, delivering the singles "Happy People", German number one hit "United", "Life in the Streets", and "Babylon", with Peterson and Christensen as producers.[20] Many of these tracks featured on the filmRenaissance Man, starring Wahlberg andDanny Devito.
In 1995, he released a single titled "No Mercy", in support of his friendDariusz Michalczewski, whom he had befriended earlier in the 1990s.[21] Michalczewski also appears in the music video of the song.[22] Wahlberg and Prince Ital Joe released another album in 1995 for Ultraphonic Records. TitledThe Remix Album, it featured remixes from the duo's previous album,Life in the Streets, as well as Mark's solo track, "No Mercy".[23]
After his album with Ital Joe became a hit in Germany, he started putting together amusical act called One Love with him as its producer and also sometimes its lead singer. He also started production on a third studio album.[24] He featured in their song titled "That's the Way I Like It".[25] In 1996, Wahlberg returned to Hamburg to record a solo single titled "Hey DJ" with producerToni Cottura.[26] Two more solo tracks titled "Feel the Vibe" and "Best of My Love" were released in 1997.[27][28]
In 1993, Wahlberg made his acting debut in the television filmThe Substitute.[30] After this appearance, he dropped the "Marky Mark" name. His big screen debut came the next year, with theDanny DeVito featureRenaissance Man. A basketball fanatic, he caught the attention of critics after appearing alongsideLeonardo DiCaprio inThe Basketball Diaries (1995), a film adaptation of theJim Carroll book of same name, playing the role of Mickey. He had his first starring role inJames Foley's thriller filmFear (1996).
Despite his felony conviction, which legally prohibits him from handling firearms, Wahlberg prepared for his role inShooter (2007) by attending long-range shooting training atFront Sight Firearms Training Institute nearPahrump, Nevada. He was able to hit a target at 1,100 yards on his second day, a feat which usually takes weeks to achieve.[35] He had said in a number of interviews that he would retire at the age of 40 to concentrate on parenthood[36] andprofessional golf. However, in early 2007, he indicated that the latter was no longer the plan as "his golf game is horrible".[37] In 2007, he starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix inWe Own the Night, a movie about a family of police officers in New York City.
In 2014, Wahlberg starred inthe remake ofThe Gambler, the 1974James Caan film that was loosely inspired bythe Dostoyevsky novella.[43][44] Also in 2014, Wahlberg was the producer of the reality showBreaking Boston, which was pulled off the air after its premiere had 311,000 viewers.[45] He executive-produced one episode ofWahlburgers, while co-starring in it.[46]
Wahlberg topped the list of the world's highest-paid actors in 2017.[48] In 2018, his salary of $1.5 million for the reshoots forAll the Money in the World stirred agender pay gap controversy, as his co-starMichelle Williams had received less than $1,000 for the same reshoots. Wahlberg donated the money to theTime's Up initiative, a movement against sexual harassment co-founded by Williams.[49] In 2018, he starred in the family comedy-drama filmInstant Family.
Wahlberg first displayed his physique in the "Good Vibrations" music video and most prominently in a series of underwear ads forCalvin Klein (1992)[56] shot byHerb Ritts, following it with Calvin Klein television advertisements.[57]
Magazine and television promotions sometimes featured Wahlberg exclusively or accompanied by modelKate Moss.Annie Leibovitz also shot a famous session of Wahlberg in underwear forVanity Fair's annual Hall of Fame issue.[58] He also made a workout video titledThe Marky Mark Workout: Form... Focus... Fitness (ISBN1-55510-910-1).
In 2012, Wahlberg began serving as a brand ambassador for Marked, a line of sports nutrition supplements byGNC.[59]
In March 2017,AT&T announced that Wahlberg would become a spokesman and he would create original content for the mobile network division.[60]
Business interests
Wahlberg is a co-owner ofWahlburgers, along with his brothers Donnie and Paul.[61] It was Mark's idea to expand Paul's restaurant inHingham, Massachusetts into a full-fledged chain, with a reality show to promote it.[62]
In July 2013, Wahlberg bought an equity interest of theBarbados Tridentscricket team.[63] Wahlberg was introduced to the game by his friend Ajmal Khan, the club's chairman andCaribbean Premier League founder.[64][65] Following the announcement, Wahlberg stated, "I am a huge cricket fan now. I'm excited to be a part of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League because I know cricket is huge in the Caribbean and a rich part of the region's heritage. Sports and entertainment are a powerful combination, and the LCPL will appeal to a huge audience worldwide."[66]
In 2015, Wahlberg recruited rapperSean Combs and billionaireRonald Burkle to join him in investing in Aquahydrate, a bottled water brand Wahlberg discovered. Together, the three men own a majority stake in the company.[67] Wahlberg, together with formerGNC executive Tom Dowd, co-founded Performance Inspired, asports nutrition company launched in 2016.[68] In February 2017, Wahlberg was one of the investors who took part in a $6 million funding round for StockX, a sneaker resale marketplace.[69] In March 2019, Wahlberg bought a stake in theF45 fitness franchise.[70]
On July 20, 2018, Wahlberg and his business partner, Jay Feldman, announced the purchase of Bobby LaymanChevrolet inColumbus, Ohio. The dealership was renamed Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet.[71] Due to the success of the dealership, localABC affiliateWSYX reported in March 2020 that HaydocyBuick-GMC, right across the street from Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet, had filed paperwork withOhio Secretary of StateFrank LaRose to rename itself Mark Wahlberg Buick-GMC; Feldman later confirmed that he and Wahlberg were purchasing their secondGeneral Motors dealership in the city.[72] The deal became official on June 29, 2020, and also included Haydocy'sAirstream andRV dealership, located next door at the car dealership's formerOldsmobile showroom. Shortly afterward, Wahlberg and Feldman announced they were purchasing Jack Maxton Chevrolet in nearbyWorthington, Ohio, their fourth Columbus-area dealership, with plans to rename it Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Worthington.[73] A fifth dealership, Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Avon, was added inAvon, Ohio in July 2021; unlike the other dealerships, the Avon location is inGreater Cleveland, marking Wahlberg and Feldman's entry intoNortheast Ohio.[74]
In 2021, Wahlberg, along with his producing partner/manager Stephen Levinson, launched Ballers Report, an online platform (and spin-off of their HBO seriesBallers) that features inspiring business, entertainment and sports articles, videos and podcasts.[75]
In 2023, Wahlberg became Chief Brand Officer forF45 Training.[77]
Legal issues
Wahlberg took part in racially motivated attacks as a teenager, in 1986 and 1988.[78] In June 1986, 15-year-old Wahlberg and three friends chased three black children while yelling "Kill thenigger, kill the nigger" and throwing rocks at them.[79] The next day, Wahlberg and the others followed a group of mostly black fourth-graders (including a victim from the previous day) taking a field trip on a beach, yelled racial epithets, threw rocks at them, and "summoned other white males who joined" in the harassment.[79][80] In August 1986, civil action was filed against Wahlberg for violating the civil rights of his victims, and Wahlberg and his friends were issued a civil rights injunction which served as a warning that they would be jailed if they committed anotherhate crime.[81][82][83][84]
In April 1988, Wahlberg, then 16, assaulted a middle-aged Vietnamese-American man on the street, calling him a "Vietnam fucking shit" and knocking him unconscious with a large wooden stick. Later the same day, he attacked Johnny Trinh, another Vietnamese-American, punching him in the eye. When Wahlberg was arrested and returned to the scene of the first assault, he told police officers: "I'll tell you now that's the mother-fucker whose head I split open."[85] Wahlberg later said he was onPCP at the time.[86] Investigators noted that Wahlberg "made numerous unsolicited racial statements about 'gooks' and 'slant-eyed gooks'".[87][88] He was arrested forattempted murder.[89] He was charged with two counts ofassault andbattery with a dangerous weapon, one count of marijuana possession, andcriminal contempt for violating the prior civil rights injunction he received in 1986.[81] He pleaded guilty to felonyassault and was sentenced to three months in jail, but served only 45 days of his sentence.[81][87][89] Wahlberg believed he had left the second victim permanently blind in one eye, though Trinh later said that he had actually lost his eye during theVietnam War while serving in theArmy of the Republic of Vietnam.[90][84][87][88]
In August 1992, Wahlberg fractured the jaw of his neighbor Robert Crehan.[91] Court documents state that Wahlberg, "without provocation or cause, viciously and repeatedly kicked" Crehan in the face, while another man, Derek McCall, held the victim on the ground. Wahlberg's attorney claimed that Wahlberg and McCall, who is black, were provoked after McCall was called a racial slur by Crehan.[92] The lawsuit was settled between the two parties, avoiding a criminal trial.[93]
In 2006, Wahlberg said the right thing for him to do would be to meet with Trinh and make amends.[89] Wahlberg engendered controversy in 2014 by applying for a pardon for his convictions from the State ofMassachusetts.[94][95][87] According to theBBC, the debate about his suitability for a pardon raised "difficult issues, with the arguments on both sides being far-reaching and complex".[96] Wahlberg later said he regretted the attempt to obtain a pardon, and his petition was closed after he failed to answer a request from the pardon board as to whether he wanted it to remain open.[97][98] In 2016, Wahlberg said he had met with Trinh and apologized "for those horrific acts". Trinh released a public statement forgiving Wahlberg.[90][97]
Personal life
Wahlberg started datingRhea Durham in 2001. They had three children during the first seven years of their relationship, and married on August 1, 2009, at theGood Shepherd Catholic Church inBeverly Hills, near where they lived. They had another child five months after their wedding in January 2010.[99][100][101][102]
Wahlberg was booked to fly onAmerican Airlines Flight 11 onSeptember 11, 2001, but changed his plans the day before and travelled instead to Toronto to attend theToronto International Film Festival.[103] He received backlash for stating in a 2012 interview, "If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did". He added that "there would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'" He issued an apology after family members of those killed on the flight expressed outrage.[104]
Wahlberg isCatholic,[105] and has described his religion as "the most important part" of his life; he goes toMass twice on Sundays.[106] He fervently supportssame-sex marriage despite the Church's opposition.[107] In September 2015, he apologized toPope Francis over the crude jokes he made in the filmTed,[108] and he stated in an interview with CardinalBlase Cupich ofChicago in 2017 that he sought forgiveness fromGod for playing a porn star inBoogie Nights.[109][110] He later stated onAndy Cohen's radio show that the interview "was a joke taken too seriously".[111] In 2023, Wahlberg stated that the Christian practices offasting and prayer duringLent were meaningful to him, as he discussed using theHallow Christian prayer app.[112]
Wahlberg established the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in May 2001 for the purpose of raising and distributing funds to youth service and enrichment programs.[113] Wahlberg is active with The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children.[114]
^Young, Ileana; Lynch, Robin (September 21, 2008)."Mark of a man".Herald Sun. Australia. Archived fromthe original on June 15, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2010.
^Schwarzbaum, Lisa (January 15, 1993)."The marketing of Marky Mark".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. RetrievedMay 17, 2018.
^"Billboard".Google Books. December 3, 1994. RetrievedJuly 28, 2015.
^Sierakowski, Slawomir (October 1, 2014)."From Pugilist to Activist".The New York Times.Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2017.
^Journal staff (July 31, 2013)."Mark Wahlberg Takes Stake in Caribbean Cricket Team". Carib Journal.Archived from the original on August 3, 2013.Limacol CPL CEO Damien O'Donohoe said the league was "thrilled" that Wahlberg had taken an equity interest in the team.
Simpson, Mark (1994). "Marky Mark and the Hunky [sic] Bunch: the Hustler Syndrome".Male Impersonators: Men Performing Masculinity. New York: Routledge. pp. 150–163.ISBN0-41590991-0. – Wahlberg is also mentioned and discussed elsewhere (as "Marky Mark") in Simpson's book.
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