Mark Wahlberg Is Persecuted In Hollywood Because Of His Faith?
Mark Wahlberg is a devout Catholic, despite Hollywood's anti-religious tendencies.
According to Mark Wahlberg, Hollywood isn’t big on religion. But the film industry’s lack of faith won’t stop the actor from practicing his beliefs and sharing his religion with those who want to talk to him about it. Per Variety, The Fighter star claims that the discipline his Catholic faith taught him has helped him build a successful career, despite Hollywood’s lack of religious values.
Mark Wahlberg regrets taking the role that launched his acting career—Boogie Nights, directed by Thomas Anderson. In the film, Wahlberg plays a porn star, which did not align with his religious beliefs. Despite the fact that the part was Wahlberg’s breakout role and the catalyst to his now very successful career, Wahlberg wishes he never took the part and has been attempting to make up for that mistake with the projects he does now.
Last year, Mark Wahlberg spent “millions and millions” of his own money in order to make the biographical drama Father Stu. Having first heard of Stuart Long’s story while out to dinner with priests, Wahlberg said that he had to make the biographical film about the foul-mouthed boxer who went on a path of redemption and became a priest. After working with Rosalind Ross to pen the script, Wahlberg sent the write-up to a handful of producers who he thought would understand the inspirational story, and unfortunately, they did not.
At the end of the movie, the protagonist Stuart Long (played by Mark Wahlberg), gets inclusion body myositis, a disease that causes muscle weakness. The filmmakers to whom Wahlberg had sent the script thought the film was too depressing and didn’t see the inspirational message behind the story. This left Wahlberg to produce the film himself, putting in his own money even after the film went over budget.
Father Stu is not the only time Mark Wahlberg has used faith to guide his career. The Instant Family star says that the discipline he learned from being a Catholic helped guide him out of the music industry when he transitioned to acting. Wahlberg is so grateful to his religion that he practices his faith in everything he does, including fasting, working out, and spending a lot of time in prayer and reflection.
Mark Wahlberg says he’s had to find balance when pairing his religion with his career. While he doesn’t want to “jam it down anybody’s throat,” he doesn’t want to deny his faith either. Wahlberg says that he has friends who practice other spiritualities, and he respects them, but at the same time, he wants to share his religion with others as well.
Currently, Mark Wahlberg is working on several projects, including two that are in post-production. Arthur the King is the story of an adventure racer who adopts a dog to join him in an endurance race. Simon Cellan Jones directs the film, and Nathalie Emmanuel and Simu Liu join Wahlberg as leads.
Additionally, Mark Wahlberg will be joining Halle Berry in Our Man From Jersey. Directed by Julian Farino, the film is a story about a construction worker who is thrown into the world of spies when his high school ex-girlfriend recruits him for a mission.
