Mark Wahlberg has enjoyed a remarkable career so far, even becoming the world’s highest-paid actor in 2017. The Ted actor has explored almost every genre in Hollywood, ranging from romance and action to drama and disaster. A former rapper, Wahlberg made his movie debut in The Substitute and later got his first lead role in the 1996 film Fear.

Mark Wahlberg

However, the defining moment in his career came with the portrayal of Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film, Boogie Nights. The movie, which revolves around the rise and fall of a p*rn star in the 1970s-80s era, had an ensemble cast including Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Heather Graham.

Mark Wahlberg Regrets The Role That Launched His Successful Career

Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights

Surprisingly, Mark Wahlberg expressed regret over taking on the iconic Dirk Diggler role. A devout Christian, the Uncharted actor dropped this bombshell on his critically acclaimed movie during a talk at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago:

“I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past. ‘Boogie Nights’ is up there at the top of the list.”
However, Wahlberg later clarified his statement, explaining that he was addressing a group of youngsters about coming back to faith and that he was just admitting to his own past mistakes. This suggests that while the Italian Job actor may not necessarily regret the role, he might avoid Dirk Diggler-like character portrayals in his career again.

Mark Wahlberg Was Not The First Choice For The Role

Mark Wahlberg starred in The Basketball Diaries alongside Leonardo DiCaprio

Interestingly, the role in the 1997 movie was initially intended for Mark Wahlberg’s co-star from The Basketball Diaries, Leonardo DiCaprio. Paul Thomas Anderson was highly impressed by DiCaprio’s performance in the film when he saw it, but DiCaprio faced a tough decision between starring in the legendary James Cameron-directed Titanic and taking on Boogie Nights. The Revenant actor chose the former and everything turned out well for both DiCaprio and Andersen.

In an interview with People in 2017, Wahlberg shared that he could not imagine himself doing another movie like Boogie Nights now that he is a father. He hated the idea of explaining the movie or its context to his children.

As for the director, Anderson is reportedly working on his new film, featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Viggo Mortensen, and Regina Hall. Meanwhile, Mark Wahlberg’s next appearance will be in the movie Arthur the King.

Source: IndieWire