The Life and Career of Mark Wahlberg: From Rap To Hollywood
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg grew up in a poor working class neighborhood, and dropped out of high school at the age of fourteen. Originally pursuing a life of drugs and petty crime, he was later convicted of assault. Emerging as a buff young man with the desire to improve his circumstances, he received help from his older brother Donnie, who had just made it big as a member of the 1980s' singing sensation “New Kids on The Block.” Despite his lack of singing talent, he formed “Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch”, and soon became the chief underwear model for Calvin Klein. However, after several scandals, he quickly fell from grace in the music world, and decided to try his hand at acting. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we take a look back at the life and career of Mark Wahlberg.
The Life and Career of Mark Wahlberg: From Rap To Hollywood
He’s a former rapper turned Hollywood actor and producer. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be taking a look at the career of Mark Wahlberg.
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was born on June 5th, 1971 in Boston, Massachusetts. The youngest of nine children, he grew up in a poor working class neighborhood, and his parents divorced when he was only eleven years old.
After dropping out of high school at the age of fourteen, he pursued a life of drugs and petty crime. Prone to violence, he was later convicted of assault and was sentenced to fifty days in prison. He passed the time by exercising and contemplating his life, and he emerged a buff young man with the desire to improve his circumstances.
As luck would have it, his older brother Donnie had just made it big as a member of the 1980s’ singing sensation “New Kids on The Block.” Donnie then helped his newly reformed brother land a recording contract.
Despite Mark’s lack of singing talent, promoters recognized that his good looks and ability to dance would attract a young female audience. After his brother provided him with easy songs to rap, he paired with a troupe of dancers to form “Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.”
Due to Wahlberg’s willingness to perform in his boxer-briefs on stage, he soon became the chief underwear model for Calvin Klein.
His bad boy image was boosted even further after several scandals, including a public fight and a book dedicated to his penis. However, this popularity quickly disappeared when he was arrested for assault, and accused of being racist and homophobic.
Humiliated and humbled by his sudden fall from grace in the music world, Wahlberg decided to abandon his “Marky Mark” persona and try his hand at acting.
His first major screen role came opposite Danny DeVito in 1994’s “Renaissance Man.” While the movie itself bombed, the new actor impressed critics in the role of a young and charming army recruit. Next, he continued to sway naysayers with his participation in the controversial picture “The Basketball Diaries,” and as a psychopath in the thriller “Fear.”
However, his biggest milestone came when he transformed from a shy young man into porn star Dirk Diggler in 1997’s “Boogie Nights.”
Finally proving himself to be a reputable actor, he landed parts in a string of high profile projects. He starred opposite George Clooney in “Three Kings” and “The Perfect Storm,” and then took the lead in Tim Burton’s remake of “Planet of The Apes.”
Following this, he lived the rock and roll lifestyle in “Rock Star,” appeared with an all-star cast in the crime caper “The Italian Job” and played an obsessive firefighter in the philosophical comedy “I Heart Huckabees.”
After experimenting with different types of roles throughout the years, he finally found himself a perfect fit for grittier crime thrillers. Among these movies were “Four Brothers,” and Martin Scorsese’s critically acclaimed hit “The Departed.” That film even earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting actor.
Coming off of that career high, Wahlberg appeared as a science teacher in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror tale “The Happening.” In this project, he fled from trees and grass as nature tried to wipeout mankind with a suicide-inducing toxin. Unfortunately, this and his video game adaptation of “Max Payne” both failed to generate positive buzz.
Unfazed, Wahlberg delved into drama with “The Lovely Bones,” showcased a newfound knack for comedy alongside Will Ferrell in “The Other Guys,” and stunned critics as boxer Mickey Ward in 2010’s “The Fighter.”
Not just successful as an actor, he has become a high profile producer. As well as producing “The Fighter,” he has worked on several other film and television projects, including the popular HBO series, “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire.”
Mark Wahlberg is a Hollywood heavyweight who continues to entertain and explore new film genres. While he is an action star to many fans, he will always be “Marky Mark” to us and those lucky enough to have experienced his earlier exploits as a rapper.
He’s a former rapper turned Hollywood actor and producer. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be taking a look at the career of Mark Wahlberg.
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was born on June 5th, 1971 in Boston, Massachusetts. The youngest of nine children, he grew up in a poor working class neighborhood, and his parents divorced when he was only eleven years old.
After dropping out of high school at the age of fourteen, he pursued a life of drugs and petty crime. Prone to violence, he was later convicted of assault and was sentenced to fifty days in prison. He passed the time by exercising and contemplating his life, and he emerged a buff young man with the desire to improve his circumstances.
As luck would have it, his older brother Donnie had just made it big as a member of the 1980s’ singing sensation “New Kids on The Block.” Donnie then helped his newly reformed brother land a recording contract.
Despite Mark’s lack of singing talent, promoters recognized that his good looks and ability to dance would attract a young female audience. After his brother provided him with easy songs to rap, he paired with a troupe of dancers to form “Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.”
Due to Wahlberg’s willingness to perform in his boxer-briefs on stage, he soon became the chief underwear model for Calvin Klein.
His bad boy image was boosted even further after several scandals, including a public fight and a book dedicated to his penis. However, this popularity quickly disappeared when he was arrested for assault, and accused of being racist and homophobic.
Humiliated and humbled by his sudden fall from grace in the music world, Wahlberg decided to abandon his “Marky Mark” persona and try his hand at acting.
His first major screen role came opposite Danny DeVito in 1994’s “Renaissance Man.” While the movie itself bombed, the new actor impressed critics in the role of a young and charming army recruit. Next, he continued to sway naysayers with his participation in the controversial picture “The Basketball Diaries,” and as a psychopath in the thriller “Fear.”
However, his biggest milestone came when he transformed from a shy young man into porn star Dirk Diggler in 1997’s “Boogie Nights.”
Finally proving himself to be a reputable actor, he landed parts in a string of high profile projects. He starred opposite George Clooney in “Three Kings” and “The Perfect Storm,” and then took the lead in Tim Burton’s remake of “Planet of The Apes.”
Following this, he lived the rock and roll lifestyle in “Rock Star,” appeared with an all-star cast in the crime caper “The Italian Job” and played an obsessive firefighter in the philosophical comedy “I Heart Huckabees.”
After experimenting with different types of roles throughout the years, he finally found himself a perfect fit for grittier crime thrillers. Among these movies were “Four Brothers,” and Martin Scorsese’s critically acclaimed hit “The Departed.” That film even earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting actor.
Coming off of that career high, Wahlberg appeared as a science teacher in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror tale “The Happening.” In this project, he fled from trees and grass as nature tried to wipeout mankind with a suicide-inducing toxin. Unfortunately, this and his video game adaptation of “Max Payne” both failed to generate positive buzz.
Unfazed, Wahlberg delved into drama with “The Lovely Bones,” showcased a newfound knack for comedy alongside Will Ferrell in “The Other Guys,” and stunned critics as boxer Mickey Ward in 2010’s “The Fighter.”
Not just successful as an actor, he has become a high profile producer. As well as producing “The Fighter,” he has worked on several other film and television projects, including the popular HBO series, “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire.”
Mark Wahlberg is a Hollywood heavyweight who continues to entertain and explore new film genres. While he is an action star to many fans, he will always be “Marky Mark” to us and those lucky enough to have experienced his earlier exploits as a rapper.
