Mark Wahlberg says he may not be “acting at the pace I’m at now” for much longer – The Hollywood Reporter
Mark Wahlberg is thinking about his future.
The experienced actor, producer and entrepreneur sat down with us Cigar lovers to cover the publication’s September/October issue, in which he tells Marvin R. Shanken about his past, present and future business ventures. In particular, the 52-year-old blockbuster star is wondering how much longer he can stay in front of the camera.
“Well, I’m certainly working harder now than ever before. You build certain companies, pass them on or leave them. “Hopefully we’ll see my kids see what their interests are, but I don’t think I’ll be acting at the rate I’m at for much longer,” he explains, referring to his four children with wife Rhea Durham . “That’s for sure. Because that’s the hardest thing.”
This pace includes a list of recent films on the acting side, including Me Time, Father Stu, Uncharted, Infinite, Joe Bell And Spenser confidential and upcoming titles like Arthur the King, The Union, The Family Plan, Flight Risk And The Six Billion Dollar Man. During the wide-ranging conversation, Wahlberg discussed family, faith and how creating his own opportunities as a producer helped him diversify his Hollywood resume.
“I started becoming a producer out of necessity,” he says. “I didn’t want to sit around and wait for Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, or whoever was already established before me and were the guys at the time, and Leo [DiCaprio] to pass on a film until I can get my hands on it. I was always proactive in trying to find material and things to produce that I knew were right for me and shaping my own destiny.”
With that in mind, Wahlberg admits he may expand his talents further by jumping into the director’s chair and “working with some other great talent,” including Next Generation. In the meantime, he’s busy building his empire, which includes the tequila brand Flecha Azul.
Fans of his previous filmography may appreciate what he had to say about taking on the role of porn actor Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie nights. “When I first heard about the film, I didn’t like the subject matter. I came from the whole Marky Mark thing, pulling down my pants and Calvin Klein underwear – I didn’t know if that was just the next level of my exploitation, and now all of a sudden we have to lose the underwear,” he recalls . “My agents kept pushing me. So I read the first 25 or 30 pages and then basically put it aside. I thought this could be something great, or it could be absolutely terrible.”
