Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg, born on June 5, 1971, is an American actor. He was once known by his stage name Marky Mark. Wahlberg has acted in many different types of movies, including comedies, dramas, and action films. He has won several awards, including a BAFTA Award, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, nine Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Wahlberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he was involved in several violent incidents. In the 1990s, he became famous as a member of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. The group released two albums: “Music for the People” (1991) and “You Gotta Believe” (1992). Wahlberg started acting in the movie “Renaissance Man” (1994) and got his first major role in “Fear” (1996). He received praise for his role as a porn actor in “Boogie Nights” (1997).
In the early 2000s, Wahlberg starred in big action movies like “The Perfect Storm” (2000), “Planet of the Apes” (2001), and “The Italian Job” (2003). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Departed” (2006) and a Golden Globe for Best Actor for “The Fighter” (2010). During the 2010s, he appeared in popular comedies like “The Other Guys” (2010), “Ted” (2012), “Ted 2” (2015), “Daddy’s Home” (2015), and “Daddy’s Home 2” (2017). He also starred in two “Transformers” movies. In 2017, he was the highest-paid actor in the world.
Wahlberg produced several TV series for HBO, including “Entourage,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “How to Make It in America,” “Ballers,” and “McMillions.” He co-owns the Wahlburgers restaurant chain and starred in a reality TV show about it. In 2010, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Mark Wahlberg was born on June 5, 1971, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He is the youngest of nine children. His mother, Alma, was a bank clerk and nurse’s aide, and his father, Donald, was a U.S. Army veteran. After his parents divorced in 1982, Mark split his time between them. Wahlberg has Swedish, Irish, English, and French-Canadian ancestry and is related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne on his mother’s side. He was raised Catholic and attended Copley Square High School in Boston.
As a teenager, Wahlberg was involved in racially motivated attacks in 1986 and 1988. In one incident, he and his friends harassed black children and in another, he assaulted Vietnamese men. He was charged with assault and served 45 days in jail. Over the years, Wahlberg has expressed regret for his actions and has sought to make amends.
Wahlberg first gained fame as part of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Their song “Good Vibrations” was a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The group released two albums, but their second was less successful. Wahlberg later collaborated with reggae singer Prince Ital Joe on the album “Life in the Streets.”
Wahlberg began acting in the early 1990s. He received praise for his role in “Boogie Nights” (1997) and continued to star in popular films such as “The Perfect Storm” (2000), “Planet of the Apes” (2001), and “The Italian Job” (2003). He received an Academy Award nomination for “The Departed” (2006) and starred in successful comedies and action films throughout the 2010s. Wahlberg also appeared in “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014) and “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017). He was the highest-paid actor in 2017.
Wahlberg co-owns the Wahlburgers restaurant chain and invested in various businesses, including a cricket team, a bottled water company, and a fitness franchise. He also owns several car dealerships in Ohio.
Wahlberg married Rhea Durham in 2009, and they have four children. He was booked to fly on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001, but changed his plans last minute. Wahlberg is a practicing Catholic and attends Mass regularly. He is involved in charity work and established the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in 2001. In 2023, he and his family moved from Hollywood to Las Vegas.