Known today as the muscly megastar with a string of hit movies under his belt, Mark Wahlberg seems to have it all.
Married to a former Victoria Secret model with four kids the Boston-born actor and producer recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
But his life wasn’t always glitz and glamour, in fact for a while he was headed down a dangerous path.
Growing up in Boston in the 70’s and 80’s, Wahlberg had a troubled youth committing multiple racially-charged assaults.
As the youngest son of nine children, Mark was raised Catholic – a faith he would later call on to help guide him through a difficult point in his life.
By the age of 13 Wahlberg was addicted to cocaine and had abandoned his education to join the group ‘New Kids on the Block’ with his brother Donnie.
He dropped out to pursue a solo music career and most of us can remember the pants-dropping performer that fronted the group ‘Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.’
At 16 years old he was convicted of assault and theft after a convenience store robbery.
While in jail Mark decided to turn his attention to his faith to help get him through and guide him onto a better path.
“I had to make the choice personally, and then I had to focus on my faith.” he told People.
“And my faith has really allowed me to overcome a lot of things. And hard work. You know, nothing comes easy especially when you’ve got your back against the wall and you’ve got a lot going against you. But I wanted to prove to people through my actions, and not my words, that I was going to change.”
But throughout his substance abuse and continued brushes with the law he somehow found his way to become the successful actor and devoted husband and father we see today.
While we associate Wahlberg with action movies such as Mile 22 or Transformers, a genre he says lets his imagination run wild, he also enjoys being creative in different ways starring in comedies and serious movies such as The Departed or Patriot Day.
As well as his devotion to his faith, he also credits his strong work ethic for building the life and career he has today.
“I tell my kids that there’s nothing they can’t accomplish if they’re willing to do the work. They see how hard I work and I’m not going to compromise on that; hopefully, it will be the example they need to achieve their own dreams.
“My mum was a great example. She would always make sure to show us – and me being the youngest of nine kids – what it was like to work hard,” he told SCMP.
He describes his daily routine as starting at 2.30 a.m. with prayers, followed by a 90-minute workout, breakfast and reading scripts and yet still finds the time to take his kids to school and pick them up.
But the discipline he shows every day he puts down to his faith giving him purpose in life.
“My faith has given me everything. It’s helped me find purpose and discipline and allowed me to succeed in my work. It’s also enabled me to lead a good family life and enjoy a wonderful marriage where I dedicate myself every day to their happiness and well-being,” he told SCMP.
“(Faith) has made me a better man in every respect. There’s nothing more important than faith and family. It helps me focus on making every moment of the day count.”
In March 2020, the actor did admit to taking days off from work but said he could never take days off from praying.
Praying for material things is “ridiculous,” the actor said. Instead, he recommends that people pray to be a good person and make up for past mistakes.
Mark Wahlberg’s daily prayer routine helps keep him on track, especially in his commitment to his family.
“I pray for the patience,” the devout Catholic said.
“I want to be an example, with my work ethic, with my commitment to my faith, with my commitment to my family.
“I’ve been put in this position for a reason, it’s not to forget about where I came from. I have to utilize these talents and gifts that have been given to me to help others.”
He credits his devout faith with being a better dad to his four children – Ella (17), Brendan (15), Michael (14), and Grace (11).
The 50-year-old says his faith also makes him a better husband to his wife, former Victoria’s Secret model Rhea Durham who he married in 2009.
“I owe a lot to my wife. She has helped me become the man that I am and created a beautiful life for me and our children”, Mark said.
“I also knew that she loved me for who I am and that she was someone I could trust. Until I met her, I wasn’t ready to have a family.”
His latest project is a movie which tells the story of boxer-turned-priest Father Stuart Long which he stars in and produces.
I’m glad that he found faith at such a poignant moment in his life. His devotion to Catholicism helped guide him away from a path which could have caused so much harm had he continued.
Please share if you agree.
