Known for his impressive performances in a wide range of films, Mark Wahlberg has established himself as an acclaimed actor and producer in the film industry.

And in his years-long career, there are some projects he was either unable to feature in or failed to get hold of them as a producer. However, there were also times when he himself rejected some offers that could have served as a changing point in his career.

Mark Wahlberg
The Uncharted star was offered one of the leads in the 2005 romantic drama Brokeback Mountain. He revealed in an interview that the director of the 2005 film offered him the movie, but he did not accept the offer after his priest allegedly advised him to reject it.

Mark Wahlberg Rejected the Offer For Brokeback Mountain

Directed by Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain is based on a short story of the same name by Annie Proulx. It follows the complex romantic relationship between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, portrayed by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, respectively. The film and the actor’s performance received praise and eight nominations, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture at the 78th Academy Awards.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
During an interview, Mark Wahlberg revealed that he met the director Ang Lee for the film. However, he did not find the story and script appropriate for him. He said that he read the script after meeting Lee, but he was a little “creeped out” with the graphic description of the events after reading “15 pages of the script.”

Wahlberg shared that he was thankful that the director did not want to talk about it more. The Fighter actor said that he was glad that the film was doing very well, but it’s not something he would prefer to do. “I didn’t rush to see Brokeback. It’s just not my deal,” he said.
Mark Wahlberg
Reports claimed Wahlberg was expected to star alongside Joaquin Phoenix. However, both of them were uncomfortable with some of the scenes and denied the offer. But there are also reports claiming that the Father Stu actor rejected the movie after his priest advised him to do so.

Mark Wahlberg’s Priest Advised Him to Turn Down the Movie

After Mark Wahlberg revealed that he rejected the film as he was not comfortable with its script, The National Enquirer reported that the reason for rejecting the role was something else. According to the report, the Transformers star’s Catholic priest convinced him to deny the offer.
Mark Wahlberg in Father Stu (2022)
It further revealed that Wahlberg has been practicing Catholicism and does not make a final decision on a starring role without his priest’s approval. Insiders also claimed that the actor owes his career to his priest, and this was the reason he rejected Brokeback Mountain, as the subject of the film clashed with his religious beliefs.