Over the years, Mark Wahlberg has established a position in the entertainment industry with his prolific performance and great physicality. Quite obviously, a major portion of it came from his dedication to his stagecraft, which often led him to extreme lengths to prepare for his roles.
Mark Wahlberg often implemented method acting. However, after meeting his wife Rhea Durham, his career was significantly influenced by her and their kids, which forced the actor to stop doing a particular preparation because of Durham’s displeasure.
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Rhea Durham Influenced Mark Wahlberg’s Acting Career
Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg had initially made his way into the entertainment industry following great struggles in his personal life. Having a bad streak of luck and a list of crimes by his name, Wahlberg slowly ventured into Hollywood in search of a second chance. Thereafter, changing the landscape of cinema with his acclaimed projects like Boogie Nights and the Transformers franchise, Wahlberg became a household name.
Having done a myriad of movies spanning different genres, Mark Wahlberg cemented his position in the entertainment industry. But in order to do so, the actor had to completely dedicate himself to his role and even implement method acting. Preparing himself physically and mentally for his character, Wahlberg thus confessed to visiting different locations his character might go to.
However, all of this changed after Mark Wahlberg met his wife Rhea Durham at a press junket in 2001, via People. Dating for eight years before tying the knot in 2009, Durham had a significant influence on Wahlberg’s career. According to the actor, following his marriage, he became way more cautious about his shooting locations than before, because his wife and kids wanted him close to home.
Mark Wahlberg Had to Quit a Particular Type of Preparation
Unwilling to spend time apart from his wife and children, Mark Wahlberg became cautious about locations and schedules. Before his marriage and having kids, Wahlberg was able to film at various locations without concern. But after he became a husband and a father, the actor had to make sure he wasn’t far from his family for long.
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Apart from this, Mark Wahlberg’s wife Rhea Durham purposefully changed the way the actor prepared for his films. Forcing him to change his approach to method acting, Durham insisted Wahlberg to spend less time away from his family. Speaking with Total Film via Contact Music, the actor noted how he no longer has the luxury of visiting different locations, his character might visit.
“I love preparation. I do whatever the director wants me to do, but I no longer have the luxury to go someplace three weeks early and rent a place and go to places I think my character might go to. My wife would be like, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ But I certainly do what I have to do to prepare, whether it be physically or mentally,”
Although Mark Wahlberg had to quit his particular method of acting that made him wander off to places where his character might have gone; his career didn’t hit rock bottom. Instead, the actor witnessed prominent success, perhaps because of the sacrifice he made for his wife and children.