On your Marks
Born in Boston Massachusetts, Mark Wahlberg is the youngest of nine children including his two well known brothers, actor Robert and singer Donnie. His mother, was a bank clerk and a nurse's aide, whilst his father was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. After his parents divorced in 1982, he divided his time between the two. The now critically acclaimed actor is one of few entertainers who managed to make the transition from teen pop idol to renowned film star. Formerly known by his stage name ‘Marky Mark’, Wahlberg first rose to fame alongside his brother Donnie, as an original member of the boy band ‘New Kids on the Block’ despite being only 13 years old at the time. After leaving the band, Mark embarked on a successful solo music career which spanned 7 years and included the release of popular singles ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘Wildside’. In 1993, he made his acting debut in the television film ‘The Substitute’ which led him to his first big screen appearance a year later in ‘Renaissance Man’; but it was ‘Boogie Nights’ which made Wahlberg hugely famous.
Speaking to Vanity Fair about first receiving the Boogie Nights script he said “I was like, This could be fantastic, or this could be terrible. And then I met with PTA and I was like, Oh God, this could be great. And, you know, it was one of the best experiences of my career.’ Later, Wahlberg played Sean Dignam in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 thriller, ‘The Departed’, where he further proved himself as an actor and in doing so netted an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination along with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It could be said that Wahlberg found his groove as comedy actor in 2012 when he starred in the hit comedy, “Ted”, and its follow up sequel in 2015. Wahlberg started dating Rhea Durham in 2001. They had three children during the first seven years of their relationship, and married on August 1, 2009. They had another child five months after their wedding in January 2010.
In more recent years, Wahlberg has made no secret of his love for fitness or the importance of faith in his life. Following a troubled youth in which he struggled with substance abuse, his life has been nothing short of transformative. He openly shares in interviews his love for intermittent fasting and working out. In 2019, Wahlberg became a shareholder in the F45 Fitness franchise, a chain of gyms which specialise in HIIT-style workouts that aim to help you burn 750 calories in a 45-minute session. The benefits that F45’s high-intensity workouts had on Wahlberg’s frame were on full display last winter while he was filming the Netflix movie ‘Spenser Confidential’ with Wahlberg claiming that he was in the best shape of his life thanks to his newfound routine. “F45 is great for everybody,” Wahlberg says. “I’m trying to educate people on that fact. It’s a tough job. But there’s no slowdown in sight with F45. Health, wellness, and fitness are not going away.” Along the way, Wahlberg has lured his celebrity friends to give F45 a try. Actors Mario Lopez and Michael Pena along with former NFL star Calvin Johnson, NBA great Dwyane Wade, and Butler have all taken a class with Wahlberg. Each has come away breathless, literally. In May of this year, it was announced that Wahlberg would star as a pilot transporting a dangerous criminal for trial in suspense film ‘Flight Risk’ directed by Mel Gibson. ‘Flight Risk’ is Wahlberg and Gibson's maiden collaboration as actor-director. The duo recently starred in biographical drama ‘Father Stu’. "These world-class talents combining for this dynamic, character-driven film will make ‘Flight Risk’ one of the most suspense-filled, must-see events of the year" Joe Drake, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.
