From beginning his career as a rapper to becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Mark Wahlberg’s journey to superstardom has been inspirational. While the actor has done a gamut of roles, his love for the action genre is well-documented over the years in films like Shooter, the Transformers series, Patriots Day, and many more.
Wahlberg has been a hardcore sports fan, especially when it comes to boxing and the UFC in which he has also invested in professionally. In 2010, the Oscar nominee went through rigorous training to play the role of a boxer in the sports biopic, The Fighter. Despite the celebrity continuing to maintain a ripped physique at age 52, he felt nailing this character now was a bit out of his reach.
Mark Wahlberg Gave His Heart And Soul For The Fighter
David O. Russel’s 2010 sports biopic The Fighter saw Mark Wahlberg playing the role of boxer Micky Ward who resurrects his failing career with the help of his half-brother played by Christian Bale, to become a contender for the world title. Apart from Bale earning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Wahlberg’s immersive and physical performance was lauded by critics.
The Departed star, who was also one of the producers of the film, revealed his single-minded obsession with making the movie a reality and doing justice to it. He also spoke about his own preparation of four years to be able to look the part.
In an interview with San Diego Tribune, Wahlberg elaborated on the rigorous schedule he went through every day to to ensure that he did complete justice to the legacy of boxer Micky Ward, right down to every characteristic that the legendary boxer possessed. He also revealed that his training was not for the faint-hearted.
“At one point, we were training eight, ten hours a day. First off, I’m a lefty, and Micky Ward’s a righty. I wanted to look like a boxer. That’s what I promised Micky I was going to do, and that’s what I had to do.”
To add even more intensity to his training regimen, the real-life Ward and his brother were part of the process from day one and lived with the Transformers actor during the filming.
Why Mark Wahlberg Believes He Cannot Play A Boxer Again
While there have been talks about a sequel to The Fighter since 2011, the film still hasn’t materialized to date. Wahlberg, for his part, has been vocal about wanting The Fighter 2 to be made.
In an interview with Screen Rant, the actor revealed why Micky Ward’s story lent itself seamlessly to a second film. Speaking of the legendary boxer’s inspiring legacy, he said,
“You always felt like you couldn’t make a movie about Micky Ward without showing the Arturo Gatti Trilogy, which were some of the greatest fights. One of them was Fight of the Century. So that would have been nice.”
But when asked about reprising his role in the film, the Boogie Nights star was surprisingly reluctant owing to his age, despite still being in the best shape of his life at 52 years old.
“I’m now probably aging out of that.”
While Wahlberg’s enthusiasm for a sequel is evident, it remains to be seen if the film sees the light of day sometime in the future. As of now, this possibility looks pretty bleak, judging by the lack of information about the project 12 years after its first announcement.
Mark Wahlberg’s Current Fitness Routine Proves His Passion for Sports and Health
It is a well-known fact that Mark Wahlberg is a sports enthusiast and fitness freak in real life. The actor is a self-confessed die-hard fan of boxing and MMA and has been seen attending many UFC events across the country. But the actor’s involvement goes beyond just his love for the sport.
According to a report in Sports Keeda, the Shooter star has even acquired a stake in the championship, which amounts to him owning $45 million worth of shares. The actor is also known to be good friends with many UFC stars, including Dana White and professional wrestler Ronda Rousey, whom he shared screen space with in Mile 22.
The Oscar nominee is continuing to invest more time in maintaining his chiseled physique through a dedicated and inspiring fitness regimen. Wahlberg spoke to Men’s Health about his daily mind-boggling ritual, which starts with a 2:30 am alarm followed by the first of his two workout routines at 4 am.
The actor believed that all that is needed is the willpower to get up and ensure that health was the priority each and every day for one’s family. Elaborating on his methods that worked for him on a daily basis and how mixing things could also be ideal, Wahlberg stated,
‘I am known for getting up at 4am, whether your 4am is actually at 4am, or it’s 8am or it’s 4pm. Sometimes I work nights, I’m on a night schedule I just get eight hours of sleep, I get up and I make sure that I do all the things that I need to do for myself to be the best version of myself before I’ve got to wake the kids up.’
While starting trouble is a real thing, Wahlberg encouraged all his fans to begin their fitness journey and follow it religiously to live a healthy and happy life.
The Fighter is streaming on Apple TV.
