Mark Wahlberg is a name that incites respect and awe in the film industry today. However, the renowned actor’s humble beginnings were far from perfect. In fact, when he looks at it now, he regrets being the person he once was when he was young.
In 2013, Wahlberg worked in Michael Bay’s film Pain & Gain, a story that was inspired by the real-life crimes committed by the Sun Gym gang. Working on that movie caused the Transformers star to reflect on his past life.
Pain & Gain made Mark Wahlberg reminisce about his younger days
Mark Wahlberg has openly acknowledged his troubled past and expressed regret for his actions. During his teenage years, he was involved in various criminal activities.
Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain is a story about a group of bodybuilding ex-convicts, who committed heinous crimes in Miami in the mid-1990s. Wahlberg played Daniel Lugo, one of the convicts in the movie. The movie made him look back at his own history with law and order.
He said in an interview with Husam Asi:
I didn’t want to go back there. I had nothing and I saw people that had what I wanted, so I just go and try to take it. I made some very poor decisions as a young person trying to get it in the fast and easy way.
Wahlberg turned over a new leaf with his entry into the acting sphere. He has been very open about his own transformation and commitment to his religion. He has come a long way, from a former convict to raising a beautiful family with Rhea Durham and four kids.
Michael Bay made Mark Wahlberg spray tan every week
Pain & Gain wasn’t just a trip back to the memory lane for Mark Wahlberg, it was also physically taxing. Not only did he have to bulk up a lot to play a bodybuilder, but director Michael Bay made him look tanned for his role.
However, the process of tanning wasn’t really pleasing, as the actor recalled in an interview with Refinery 29:
I don’t do anything really weird, in respect to gym routines. But, the weirdest thing and the most uncomfortable thing I’ve done was for this movie, having to get a spray tan every week. I don’t like the sun, it’s not good for me, but Michael insisted I be as tan as possible.
So, he’d make me get a spray tan. I’d do it on my balcony of my hotel room which was on the 17th floor! You would think you’d be free from all the cameras and paparazzi, and there I was getting photographed in my underwear getting a spray tan. Not a good look.
Mark Wahlberg is known for his impressive physique and grueling workout sessions. Hence, the regular workout routine was a walk in the park for him. However, getting a tan every single week sounds definitely too much, even for someone as eccentric as Michael Bay!
As of August 18, 2024, Pain & Gain is available for streaming on Paramount+.
