Mark Wahlberg is an American actor whose career in entertainment began as the lead member of the hip-hop music group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Since his acting career started in the early 1990s, he’s appeared in almost 60 movies.
As an actor, Wahlberg is known primarily for his roles in comedies like Ted, action flicks like those in the Transformers franchise, and movies that combine the two genres like The Other Guys.
However, attempting to pigeonhole Wahlberg as a limited actor is highly unfair – even movies like Ted prove his versatility, as he’s hilarious in it, shows a range of emotions, and can pretend he’s interacting with a talking bear.
Not only is Wahlberg Oscar-nominated but he’s also shown his more credible acting chops in several movies and been unfairly snubbed by the Academy. These are five movies that prove Wahlberg deserves more Oscar attention.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Mark Wahlberg’s breakout role was undoubtedly Boogie Nights. In the movie that made him a bona fide Hollywood star, he played the leading role of Eddie Adams, AKA Dirk Diggler, a young man working as a dishwasher who becomes an adult movie star with a reputation for being well-endowed. The film chronicles Diggler’s career highs in the 1970s and his fall in the 1980s, with Wahlberg impeccably depicting the ups and downs.
Wahlberg comes across as likable and appealing as the complex character, and it’s a mystery why he didn’t receive an Oscar nomination. His co-stars, Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore, received Best Supporting Actor and Actress nominations, respectively, and Wahlberg should undoubtedly have been up for Best Actor.
Streaming on Apple and Amazon Prime.
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Deepwater Horizon is the movie type that usually earns its cast members Oscar recognition. While it did get nominated for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects, its stars were ignored by the Academy. It chronicles the 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – one of the worst environmental disasters in recent times.
Wahlberg plays Michael “Mike” Williams, the chief electronics technician on the eponymous oil rig who barely got out alive. He gives an emotionally charged performance that brilliantly conveys how the everyman deals with disaster. Deepwater Horizon is gripping, gritty, and flawless from a technical point of view, with excellent performances from its all-star supporting cast, including Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and Kate Hudson.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Patriots Day (2016)
Another Mark Wahlberg movie that feels like the kind of film the Academy usually recognizes is Patriots Day. It brilliantly tells the story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and the subsequent terrorist manhunt. Although several real-life individuals are depicted in the film, Wahlberg plays the fictional Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders in the lead role.
The fact he’s not playing a real-life person may have been why he was snubbed because he’s genuinely superb in the role. Patriots Day is a heartfelt, slick, solidly crafted movie that avoids falling into the trap of feeling exploitative. The National Board of Review honored Wahlberg and director Peter Berg with their 2016 Spotlight Award for their admirable collaborations in this film and Deepwater Horizon.
Streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
The Fighter (2010)
The Fighter is one of the finest boxing movies ever. The eponymous character is the professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, and the film follows his career alongside his older half-brother, Dicky Eklund, a former boxer and Ward’s trainer, played by Christian Bale. It’s based on High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell, a 1995 documentary about the Ward-Eklund family.
Bale won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as Eklund, and Melissa Leo won the Actress equivalent for her portrayal of Ward and Eklund’s mother, Alice Eklund-Ward. Amy Adams received a Best Actress nomination for playing Charlene Fleming, Ward’s girlfriend. However, Wahlberg was overlooked by the Academy, which is crazy because his performance in the lead role is terrific and genuinely captivating. Ward is Wahlberg’s real-life friend, so the performance has a genuine heart. The Fighter is profoundly entertaining and a movie all viewers will become deeply invested in.
Streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s tremendous crime thriller, The Departed, received five Academy Award nominations and is the only movie for which Mark Wahlberg has received an acting nomination. Sadly, his nomination was the only one that didn’t result in a win – it won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing – because Alan Arkin beat him to Best Supporting Actor for his role in Little Miss Sunshine. However, it proved Wahlberg has what it takes to be considered.
It’s a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill Gang. The Departed is a fascinating masterpiece with great performances from its all-star cast, including Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, and Alec Baldwin. Wahlberg plays Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam, who goes undercover to infiltrate the mob and gives his career-best performance. He’s commanding, no-nonsense, and makes a significant impression on audiences.
Streaming on Apple and Amazon Prime.
