The hit movie Mark Wahlberg turned down for two terrible projects: “I had already committed”
It’s hard to put Mark Wahlberg‘s career into words, as he has consistently fluctuated between some truly great films and some slightly more questionable choices. After finding his way into the industry after starring alongside a young Leonardo DiCaprio in The Basketball Diaries, he was soon cast in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, a film that has not only defined his career but that of the directors, remaining as a magnificently impressive feature debut.
However, the actor later expressed regret over his part in the film, describing how he ‘prayed for forgiveness’ over playing a porn star. Since then, he has been less bold with his creative choices, starring in commercial hits like Uncharted, Ted and Daddy’s Home, as well as a few rogue projects of more substance such as The Departed and The Lovely Bones.
Because of this, it’s safe to say that the actor has an equal number of hits and misses and perhaps has questionable judgment when it comes to picking parts. It was for this reason that he passed up on the opportunity to star in what might have been one of his most successful projects, instead choosing to star in two other films that he admits are terrible.
Steven Soderbergh is largely recognised as a master of two things – a good heist movie and possessing the unique ability to convince George Clooney to sign onto any project he does. In 2001, he escalated his fame and reputation in the business through Oceans Eleven, which might just be one of the best heist movies of all time. Starring Goerge Clooney and Brad Pitt, the film follows two down-on-their-luck criminals who decide to rob a casino, assembling a team of expert thieves to pull off their risky plan.
“At that point, I was still really trying to grow as an actor.”
Mark Wahlberg
All of the actors who participated in the franchise have spoken about how rewarding and entertaining the experience was, which is only made sweeter by the fact that it was hugely commercially successful and is widely beloved even today. Much to Wahlberg’s dismay, he turned down the chance to star in the films after signing on to work with two other directors, leading to comparably less successful films.
When describing this, Wahlberg said, “I was asked to do the movie, and what happened was, we asked if they would wait for me. But I had already committed to working with Tim Burton [for Planet of the Apes] and Jonathan Demme [for The Truth About Charlie], and for me, even though those movies did not turn out to be good, those experiences were great. And you know what? At that point, I was still really trying to grow as an actor.”
It is admirable that Wahlberg was intent on honing his craft and expanding the types of directors he was working with, as a collaborative experience with Burton would surely be entirely different to that of working with Demme.
However, while it is important to keep your word and expand your comfort zone, any actor would surely be kicking themselves after seeing just how much fun the cast had and the global acclaim the film received.
