When Jack Nicholson taught Mark Wahlberg a stern lesson about acting: “I said some unpleasantries to Jack”
Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to ruffling a few feathers. After a rocky journey into the industry with a number of explosive headlines and questionable decisions, the actor spent a significant time on the front pages of the tabloids after his brief rapping career, underwear modelling phase and book dedicated to his own genitals. However, despite rocking the boat at the beginning of his time in Hollywood, the multi-faceted entertainer went on to star in some of the most celebrated films of all time, such as Boogie Nights, The Departed and Basketball Diaries, despite later regretting the former after portraying an emotionally stunted porn star. But during his many years on the silver screen, there was one co-star that gave him a particularly memorable (and slightly sobering) acting lesson.
The Departed is one of the most revered films within Martin Scorsese’s body of work, charting the chase between an undercover agent and a criminal spy trying to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in Boston. Wahlberg was a perfect addition to the cast after growing up in Boston himself, playing Sergeant Dignam, who is known for his abrasive personality and ruthless approach to his work.
Wahlberg stars alongside the great Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, with the ensemble creating a blistering mood of pent-up aggression and masculinity that throttles towards destruction and paranoia. Thelma Schoonmaker is arguably at her best with an intricate editing style that still maintains a sense of freedom and fluidity, with a rhythm to the story that makes it one of the most re-watchable films in Scorsese’s filmography.
The cast is still asked about the film at current press junkets and interviews, with film lovers wanting to know every small detail about the construction of the story and any behind-the-scenes tidbits that enhance the viewing experience. But when reflecting on the film, Wahlberg has shared one story about a moment in which he went too far with his improvisation, leading to a firm warning from Scorsese and Nicholson himself, something that is sure to be a core memory for any actor.
Wahlberg’s character is known for being particularly coarse and unlikable, with a vocabulary of creative insults that he freely hurls at his colleagues. But there was one scene in which he decided to free-ball it and conjure his insults on the spot, going off script with and deciding to improvise during a conversation with Nicholson’s character. While many directors would encourage this, he took his improvisation slightly too far and it was not appreciated by anyone else, with Wahlberg saying, “I was improvising throughout the movie and my character, obviously, didn’t have nice things to say to anybody. So, I said some unpleasantries to Jack and he gave me a look that nobody else gave me”.
While some people would take this as a subtle sign to stop, Wahlberg kept going, with Scorsese intervening and advising him to stop. “And, of course, Marty, you know, I did one more, and then they both had a little chat and then they said, ‘Make sure that that’s the end of that.’”
It seems as though Wahlberg hit a nerve and went a bit too far, but alas, it’s the nature of the job, and sometimes in order to truly be creative in your performance, you have to take risks and cross a line to find out where it is. Wahlberg has never been one to play by the rules, but luckily, his performance tactic didn’t cause any long-term upset, and he has maintained that he and Nicholson are on excellent terms.
