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| Real Name: Mark Wahlberg | ||||
| Birthday: June 5, 1971 | ||||
| Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts | ||||
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Mark Wahlberg Biography: Mark Wahlberg received his first acting attention for his authentic role as ruthless porn star Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights” (1997) - The story of a young man's adventures in the Californian porn industry of the 1970s and 1980s. Wahlberg showed he was no one-time-winner, going on to master outstanding roles in “Three Kings” (1999), “Four Brothers” (2004) and “The Departed” (2006), where Wahlberg won an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Wahlberg also excelled as co-creator and producer of HBO’s television comedy show “Entourage” in 2004, which was flattered with numerous Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, with the shows analysis of his life as a young teen rapper suddenly rolling with money, influence and women. The youngest of nine children, Mark Wahlberg was born on June 5, 1971, in the working class Boston district of Dorchester. His father was a union driver, and his mother was a nurse who lumped her kids into a three room apartment after her divorce from their father in 1982. At the time, Wahlberg and younger brother Donnie had already started work to become music stars, first by singing on the streets and then as early ensemble members of the hot young teen boy band, "New Kids on the Block". Mark Wahlberg joined the band when he was just twelve years old, and while he enjoyed the attention, Mark wasn't into the voice and dance routine lessons the band’s administration ordered; or their clean-living musician image.
Wahlberg left Copley Square High School in 9th grade and ended up as a full time rabble-rouser. He sold drugs and was jailed for burglary and minor crimes. In 1986, he was arrested and charged with harassing African American students. In 1988, after burglarizing a liquor store, he was convicted of assault and attempted murder. Wahlberg served jail time at the Plymouth County House of Corrections, but being behind bars as an adult at the Deer Island Correctional Facility was a reality check for the juvenile ruffian, who was encircled by former neighborhood gang members twice his age. After his release from jail, now superstar brother Donnie helped keep Wahlberg out of danger. He showed him around the music industry, and agencies realized there was money to be made off this sexy bad boy young teen with the jail work out room muscles. Donnie Wahlberg wrote a couple of songs he knew his brother’s narrow vocal talents could match, and they created an incredible energetic stage show of dancers and musicians who played as the opening act for the New Kids. In 1991, the hip-hop musician “Marky Mark” let loose his first album "Music for the People", which went platinum on the muscle of the songs "Good Vibrations" and "Wildside." Not wanting to sit idle with his music, Marky Mark gave his listeners an extra special performance, as he became known for going naked, and dropping his pants and showing his muscle and nude body as well as his underwear during performances. The promotion department at Calvin Klein could not help but notice, signing Wahlberg to a multi year contract as a model. Wahlberg soon appeared on a Times Square poster in the designer's signature boxer underwear, which left little to the imagination, making Wahlberg almost appear nude.
Trying to reinvent himself, Mark Wahlberg had been sought after for acting offers quite a few times since his singing breakthrough, but he never viewed himself as an actor until he was asked to meet with Penny Marshall. Marshall was onto Wahlberg’s game, telling him he had been acting his whole life. The past rapper measured all the time he had spent pleading his purity to judges, lying to his friends and family, developing the icon of the meanest thug in the district, and erecting walls to safeguard himself in jail. With Marshall’s support he received a part in "Renaissance Man” (1994). With that, Wahlberg dropped the “Marky” name, feeling like he had found his calling. And while he didn't show much in the form of acting talent in the movie, he did compose himself with simplicity in front of the camera, having a charm and attraction that was found pleasing to audiences. The following year Wahlberg stole the show from Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Basketball Diaries” (1995), as hotheaded Mickey, young teen boyhood friend of DiCaprio's Jim Carroll. In 1996, Mark gave an amazingly unsettling performance in "Fear" as a amiable but mystifying young man who dates a privileged young teen girl (Reese Witherspoon) and shows his true colors as a volatile and brutal stalker. "Boogie Nights" (1997), made it tough to dispute with the fact that Wahlberg could hold up a movie on his own - even without being nude. Led by Paul Thomas Anderson, "Boogie Nights" recanted the story of an oddly built restaurant worker, turned porn star, and his rise and collapse in the adult porn business during the mid 1970's to early 1980's. Mark's animal sexuality made him just the thing in Eddie Adams/Dirk "Diggler". In 1998, Wahlberg cashed in on his new popularity in the action adventure and comedy "The Big Hit” (1988), starring with Christina Applegate, Antonio Sabato Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips and Bokeem Woodbine as one of a team of polished and sexy, but somewhat inept killers. The next year Mark took on a role opposite Chow Yun Fat in the Asian gang, big city crime production "The Corruptor.” While both works were good, the roles did seem real, as both were characterizations and Wahlberg's skilled work did not seem to add much. He would do better with roles that used his winning recipe of childlike charisma and sophisticated stability; as well as roles where his looks matched his actions.
A bad movie choice was “Rock Star” (2001) starring Jennifer Aniston, with Wahlberg playing the poor to rich story of its musician hero, but the hair extensions and heavy metal tricks were hard to take seriously for a young teen age bracket not quite ready to revisit the rock bands of the late 1980s. Mark Wahlberg in a monkey costume, did not score with audiences either. Tim Burton’s edition of 1968’s "Planet of the Apes" was a fun summer film and made a massive amount of cash, even if Wahlberg found it hard to fill Charlton Heston's shoes. It was even more difficult for him to step into the trendy shoes of sophisticated Hollywood legend Cary Grant for the 2002 remake of Stanley Donen's 1963 classic, "Charade". Wahlberg made another gaffe with the remake of "The Italian Job" (2003) with Edward Norton, based on a 1969 Michael Caine film of the same name, thieves plan to pull of the heist of their lives by creating Los Angeles largest traffic jam ever. Wahlberg began to cast off his bad run of flops in 2004, when he became executive producer and creator of the HBO television series “Entourage” (HBO, 2004- ). The stylish show drew upon the events of Wahlberg and his real life Hollywood friends, to unveil the plot of imagined rising star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his part mongering gang. “Entourage” went on to earn Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Best Comedy several times. Wahlberg then appeared in a film playing a fireman pulled into the search for answers to profound truth-seeking events in a retail superstore in the comedy "I Heart Huckabees" (2004). Most people were of the opinion that the actor stole the film from his more veteran co-stars, including Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and Jude Law. Next for Wahlberg was the football movie “Invincible” (2006), based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976Based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976 Wahlberg then received a once in a lifetime role. Wahlberg turned back to Boston and the area of his own questionable rise to fame to shoot Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” (2006). Teaming with an all star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, fellow Bostonian Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, he played a rough cop who was one of two people inside the South Boston police department that knows one of their own (Leonardo DiCaprio) is deep undercover inside a crime syndicate, while the mob has its own mole (Matt Damon) on the force. For his strong and often hilarious performance, Wahlberg earned both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2007, Wahlberg released two successful action adventure movies that failed to have the same quality of his huge success the previous year. “Shooter” (2007) was an action murder mystery about a sniper brought back to the job by his old contacts to stop a murder, only to be tricked and accused of killing the President. In “We Own the Night” (2008), starring Eva Mendes, Wahlberg again acted as cop in the doubtful tale of family loyalties in the middle of the Russian mob, police, and a nightclub owner in 1980's Brooklyn. The following year had Mark Wahlberg appearing in the sci-fi drama "The Happening" (2008) about a paranoid thriller and a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. Next was the crime drama "Max Payne" (2008) with a plot about coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City and a DEA agent whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin out to avenge her sister's death. Mark then was hired and cast in the horror thriller "The Lovely Bones" (2009) starring Susan Sarandon about a young girl who is brutally raped and murdered, then watches the effects of her death on her family from Heaven. Wahlberg wrapped up the year with the drama "The Fighter" (2009) starring Brad Pitt, which is a look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid '80s. Ending the year will be the action adventure film "The Brazilian Job" (2009) about Charlie Croker and his fellow crew of expert thieves head to Rio de Janeiro to pull off another heist in this follow up to The Italian Job.
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Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
had a
rocky start with the 1992 sequel "You Gotta Believe". Mark was also
criticized for his free speech defense, following a passionately homophobic
comment made by Shabba Ranks during a television appearance together. Worse yet, Wahlberg’s
new reputation did not appear to have helped his nasty flair ups, with the singer
receiving two beating charges during the year and serving more jail time. 
In 1999, Wahlberg
starred with 