“I tried to read the script”: the real reason why Mark Wahlberg rejected ‘Star Trek’
Mark Wahlberg, former underwear model and rapper, has famously been criticised by former costars for not being a ‘serious’ actor, with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio expressing doubt over the actor starring in the 1995 film The Basketball Diaries and Wahlberg himself saying that he regretted his performance in Boogie Nights due to its depiction of pornography, despite being arguably, his best piece of work. But, in another misjudged move from the actor, he passed on the opportunity to star in one of the most successful franchises of all time because he couldn’t wrap his head around the script.
The Star Trek series was originally created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, set on a spaceship in the Milky Way galaxy that is led by Captain Kirk. However, the science fiction franchise was later developed into a series of films, with JJ Abrams directing the most recent instalments starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldaña. The series became a global phenomenon that could only be compared to the likes of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, with a devoted fan base that obsess over every detail from the beginning of the series.
The first Star Trek film by JJ Abrams follows the space gang in the midst of a tumultuous time within the galaxy, with their lives resting on the union between James Kirk, a farm boy from Iowa and Spock, a Vulcan who was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. Despite the clash between them, they must pair together to lead their crews through the threat that faces them all.
The film exists as a vague prequel to the original series in an attempt to allow more freedom for the future of the franchise and rewrite the story. It performed well at the global box office and became the only Star Trek film to win an Academy Award, with the makeup team winning and the film also receiving nominations for Best Editing, Sound and Visual Effects.
While the dynamic between the characters has become as infamous as the series itself, the recent films were nearly changed by the presence of Wahlberg as Captain Kirk’s father, with the actor ultimately passing on the opportunity after saying, “I tried to read the script…I didn’t understand the words or the dialogue or anything. Then I saw the movie. I went ,’Holy sh**, [Abrams] did a great job.”
Some would kick themselves at the prospect of missing out on such a successful franchise, with Wahlberg admitting that he would not pass up on the opportunity to work with JJ. Abrams again, who also directed the 2016 Star Wars film The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
However, the actor was keeping busy in other ways, and around the same time, he signed on to star in the Ted series about a man whose childhood teddy bear comes to life, most recently starring in the Uncharted adaptation as Victor Sullivan alongside Tom Holland and Antonio Banderas.
