Mark Wahlberg is a big name in Hollywood. In recent years he has headlined the Transformers franchise for two films and taken drugs with a teddy bear on several occasions. His career might have looked very different if he hadn’t starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 masterpiece Boogie Nights.
Before Boogie Nights, Wahlberg was best known as Marky Mark in the music business, not to mention his modeling work for Calvin Klein. Boogie Nights marks the point at which he emerges as established serious actor in Hollywood. However, he initially didn’t want to accept the role, as Variety reports.
Boogie Nights: Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg was initially afraid of his best role
In an interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine, Wahlberg reveals that he was uneasy about the Boogie Nights casting. Although Paul Thomas Anderson is a gifted director, he feared being taken advantage of by the production. The role of Porn actor Dirk Diggler he wasn’t comfortable.
When I first heard of [Boogie Nights] heard, I didn’t like the topic. I was coming from the whole Marky Mark thing, pulling down my pants, Calvin Klein underwear – I didn’t know if that was just the next level, to take advantage of me. And now we suddenly have to lose our underwear.
You can watch the trailer for Boogie Nights here:
Boogie Nights – Trailer (German)
In Boogie Nights, Wahlberg embodies that High school dropout Eddie Adams, who makes ends meet with a low-paying job in a nightclub in the late 1970s. When he meets porn director Jack Horner, his life changes forever. Before he knows it, he’s making a career as porn star Dirk Diggler.
Over 25 years later, Boogie Nights still stands as that best film in Wahlberg’s filmography. Only his role in Departed, which was released in 2007, earned him comparably good reviews. At that time he was even nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
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