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Is there anything megastar Mark Wahlberg can't do? He's been in the best movies in the last two decades. He kicked it out of the park in Boogie Nights, which solidified his career as being an A-list actor. He has been nominated twice by the Academy Awards. You can't typecast Mark because his career in the movies is diverse. He can go from funny, as in Ted and its sequel, to frightening, as in Fear. He also works behind the scenes and has been executive producer for four hit HBO shows. His most indelible project is being an EP for the hit Entourage, which was loosely based on his life.

But he also has a past that follows him everywhere. As a young teen, he dropped out of school and spent the days doing pranks or using substances. He was a bully and targeted people who were different from him.

But getting in trouble with authority turned his life around and he became a rapper and frontman for the group The Funky Bunch. He had a #1 hit with Good Vibrations, but because he always performed shirtless, with his underwear hanging out of his jeans, he quickly became a Make Feet For Children's Stockings icon. Calvin Klein was quick to sign him up as an underwear model for his brand.

But there's a lot you may not know of him. He's a devout Catholic but he supports same-gender marriage. He went back to high school via online to get his degree. And he supports many charities, including his own. There's more, and if you keep reading you'll find 20 unusual things you would be surprised to know about Mark Wahlberg. Hooray!

Boxer Briefs Or Briefs: What Does Wahlberg Wear?

In a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Leno's guest,  Mark Wahlberg, showed up and Leno tried to embarrass him with good old fun by showing the once rapper  a clip that went viral, It was when Wahlberg was known as Marky Mark and he's dancing by himself wearing drooping jeans and boxer shorts.

We then learned--finally, as this is a big deal!--for the first time what underwear type that Mark wears. Boxer briefs? Absolutely not, as nothing shows because the briefs don't hug the body. Jockstraps? Those are too not really comfortable as it is just too revealing. When Mark was Marky Mark, it was all about the teasing, and if he actually wore the jock strap during some appearance, he'd be banned since you could basically see all of his junk. So what did he wear? Here's what he said to Jay Leno:

“I started wearin’ the longer shorts because … the regular brief underwear … get sweaty and tend to get stretched out. He's actually talking about trunks or boxer briefs, both of which he finds comfortable wearing when he raps and pulls down his pants. He also said, about wearing briefs, that “You don’t want nothin’ fallin’ out the side.” Jay Leno teased back: “Is that a big problem? Fallin’ out the side?”

And Mark quipped, "Not anymore." Well, he actually has a sense of humor! (Source: SheKnows)

He Is A Distant Relative of Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne, who died in 1804, is one of history's best-known author of arts and letters. The genius--he went to Bowdoin--was famous for the novel The House of Seven Gables. But his most definitive and iconic work was The Scarlet Letter, which most of us had to read in high school. The book is so popular, but there may be something you didn't know about: that Hollywood adapted the book and hired Demi Moore to play Hester Prynne. We know, right? It's so unholy, so disgusting! Hear what Anthony Lane said about the actress. In one of his many reviews that appeared in The New Yorker and which have been compiled in a book called Nobody's Perfect, he rightly said, "What's the point of Demi Moore?"

Okay, so this is not an entry about the Ghost star. What we are here to tell you is that Mark Wahlberg is actually related to Nathaniel Hawthorne! Wahlberg was born and bred in Boston and Hawthorne lived in New England for the most of his life. His mother, Alma Elaine, is a distant relative of Nathaniel Hawthorne. This makes Wahlberg the 5th cousin 7 times removed.

We're wondering what Nathaniel Hawthorne would have said if he spotted Wahlberg shirtless and wearing only his Calvins.

He Doesn't Like To Sing 80's Pop Music

Back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark, his mega-hit Good Vibrations made him an instant rap star. So we kind of know that Mark could sing, although of course singing and rapping are two different things. Here's something you didn't know. He's not that into singing anymore now that he's a megastar. But then Mark appeared in the 2011 movie Rock Star, where he actually had to sing.

"I studied with the vocal coach for six months, but we also had somebody else who sang the songs," he told Hollywood.com when the movie came out. "But whenever we performed, we performed live, so — I’d have to pay attention to [the songs to know when I was singing]. If I could hit them all [the notes], it would only be my voice."

If he couldn't hit the high notes, there was a singer helping him out, and when you watch the movie, even Mark couldn't tell the parts he was singing and the parts where he wasn't.

Wahlberg did a lot of research for his starring role in Rock Star, It was good enough that he knew Vince Neil from Motley Crue, who helped him turn into a rock star. He added:

“I just took a crash course. I went and hung out with all of these guys. I was researching the part pretty early on, actually in the middle of shooting Perfect Storm. I just went to as many concerts as I could and hung out with these guys.”

But here's the kicker. Mark doesn't take to singing 80s medleys, which is what he has to sing in Rock Star.  He said, "I had no interest in [the rock culture] at all." He just became immersed himself in that world "to see if [he] could pull it off." Not sure about that if you don't want to sing. (Source: Hollywood)

He's Not against rights, He's just Catholic

As many of us know, Mark Wahlberg turned down the role of Jack Twist in the movie Brokeback Mountain. But do you know why? Here's what Wahlberg said in a 2007 interview:

"I met with Ang Lee on that movie, I read 15 pages of the script and got a little creeped out. It was very graphic, descriptive - the spitting on the hand, getting ready to do the thing. I told Ang Lee, 'I like you, you're a talented guy, if you want to talk about it more...' Thankfully, he didn't...I didn't rush to see Brokeback, it's just not my deal... Obviously, it was done in taste - look how it was received."

Since then, it was revealed that Wahlberg turned down the role on the advice of his priest. The reformed bad boy's closest confidante and mentor is named Rev. James Flavin. As a source said, "Mark never makes a final decision on a starring role until Father Flavin gives his OK."

Mark says he owes his career to Father Flavin. "Father Flavin pushes Mark to honor his religious roots,' said the source. "Even though Mark was offered one of the leads in Brokeback Mountain, he passed because of the subject matter, which clashes with Catholic doctrine.'"

So he's not homophobic. He's Catholic. (Source: Datalounge)

He Had His Tattoos Removed

Here's something we didn't know. Wahlberg had four tattoos and then had them removed. On his ankle, he had the cartoon character Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth. On his upper right arm, he had a design of his initials "MW" along with his last name. On his upper left arm, he had a Bob Marley portrait along with his last name. And finally, around his neck, he had a rosary with a crucifix and the words "In God I Trust" that rested over his heart.

That's a lot of tattoos And each of them has some importance in his life. He said,“All the tattoos have meaning to me, but it’s both personal and professional.”

So why get them removed? He doesn't want any of his children having tattoos. He's being a role model to his kids so they don't make a semi-permanent mistake. To show his children the pain of getting and removing a tattoo, he said,

"[I took my] two older kids to the procedure so they see how painful it is and what I have to go through." He also said that he didn't want his children to grow up as actors, saying,

“I don’t want my kids to be in the entertainment business either, which is why I’m trying to build a lot of [separate] businesses. If they feel [passionate about acting], and that’s the decision they want to make, then I’ll support them. But I’ll do everything I can to point them in another direction.”

What a good father! (Source: BodyTattooDesign)

He Co-Owns a Burger Restaurant

Did you know that Mark Wahlberg co-owns a burger restaurant? It's true and its called  Walburgers. The Massachusetts-based burger chain was founded by Chef Paul Wahlberg and his celebrity musician/actor brothers Donnie and Mark Wahlberg. It's a casual dining experience, and the original location is in Hingham, which is just outside of Boston. From Alabama to Tennessee, there are a lot of franchises for the joint, and some of its famous ones are in Boston, Trumbull, Connecticut, the Upper East Side in Manhattan and even Las Vegas. Talk about prime locations! The company is doing so well that they just opened an outpost at the Mall of America and plan to open several more.

The restaurant is known for its Impossible Burger, which is plant-based with smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, chili-spiced tomatoes and a signature topping.

In early 2018, the restaurant introduced a vegan Impossible Burger. Founder Paul Wahlberg explained why,

“Our customers have been asking for a delicious, meatless option and we are always looking for new ways to boost the Wahlburgers experience for our guests."

Paul also added,

“We’re excited to announce our latest menu addition and can’t wait for guests to taste the popular Impossible Burger with our very own Wahlburgers twist, that follows our restaurant’s made-from-scratch philosophy and includes our signature Wahlsauce and the freshest ingredients possible.” (Source: LiveKindly)

Yum!

some more Catholic stuff

Today, Mark Wahlberg is a model citizen. In addition to being a Hollywood leading man, the 47-year-old is married, and a loving father to four young children. He's also box-office gold. In 2005, when he starred in the crime drama The Departed, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In the sports drama The Fighter where he played the lead, he achieved another Academy Award nomination, this time as Producer for Best Picture. He's also a producer and an executive producer for movies, as well as a savvy businessman who partnered up with his brothers to create a burger-centric restaurant that now has offshoots all over the U.S.

He has to be a model citizen because it's universally known that he's never going to repeat his past. He cares too much for kids who don't have resources to stay in school because he experienced the same thing. That's why he founded the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.  If that wasn't enough, he also supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children.

But you'd never guess how pious Mark is. Don't blink! Due to his Catholic faith, he once said he's so dedicated to his wife (who became Catholic before the two married) that he doesn't ever "spend time alone" if you know what we mean.

He Dedicated His Book To His Purple Headed Soldier Man

In 1990, Wahlberg formed the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Their single, Good Vibrations from their debut album Music For The People, hit number one upon release on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, Wildside was also a success. The band even had their own video game, which was titled Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video. It was a gigantic flop, as was their second album. 

By 1992, their fame kind of dissipated. One thing we want to tell you is that Marky Mark tried to stay in the spotlight, which is why he released a self-titled autobiographical picture book full of images of him. He's like the Kim Kardashian of the early 1990s! She released her own book, Selfish, a coffee table photo book full fo racy images of her. But unlike Marky Mark, Kim Kardashian's book was a huge success while Marky Mark found his book in the remainders bin. But it's not so much the images we're talking about when we talk about his picture book. We want to point out how, well, cocky, he can be when he made a statement to promote his book. He was quoted as saying, “I wanna dedicate this book to my hot dog." We wonder if the Wahlberg we know still has copies of the book to give to friends and families.

He Knocked Out Someone

Showing his distaste for anyone who wasn't white, while doing substances are things Mark Wahlberg had done in the past, in the late nineteen eighties. According to The Daily Beast, his worst offense was against a Vietnamese man. It was on April 8, 1988, and it was at night, at around nine. A man named Thanh Lam, who lived in Dorchester and is Vietnamese, was exiting his car when Wahlberg emerged carrying a large wooden stick that looked intended to strike someone. Wahlberg was 16 at the time.  According to court documents, Wahlberg didn't stop until the man was knocked out cold.

The now famous actor fled from the scene and bumped into a bystander, who was also Vietnamese and whose name was Hoa Trinh. Wahlberg said to him, “Police coming, police coming, let me hide.”

There was a cop car who passed by, oblivious to what Wahlberg had done. Thinking he was in the clear, he decided to also hurt Trinh, who ended up going partially blind. Here's his apology:

“I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage I may have caused the victims, Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.”

He Has A Third Nipple

Wahlberg turned from a troubled 16-year-old to a lead rapper in the group Funky Bunch at 17, where he was often seen showing off his buff bod when the group toured. He was also a model for Calvin Klein underwear, where he appeared shirtless and wearing only boxer briefs in billboards and in commercials. All these chiseled images of Marky Mark were so sexy! But here's something you didn't know about Mark. He has a third nipple. We mean, really? It has to be small because we've never seen it when he's shot nearly out of the woods. But it turns out that, in movies and commercials, his third nipple is concealed by the wonder of makeup artists.

According to research and Life and Style Magazine, "it's estimated that one in every 500 people have more than two nipples, and in most cases, they're actually mistaken for birthmarks."

Wahlberg only revealed that he had a third nipple in November 2017. While promoting his movie Daddy's Home 2 with co-star Will Ferrell, Ferrell just dropped his jaw at the revelation. According to the Daily Mail, the two appeared on Good Morning Britain and as part of a quiz testing how well the pair knew each other, it was revealed that Wahlberg indeed has a third nipple. Ferrell didn't know this at all. He said: “We never talked about that… I just assumed he had two of them.” Is that Ferrell being naturally stunned or the jokester we all know he can be?

He Agreed With a controversial statement

In December 1992, Wahlberg gave a performance on the British TV show The Word. According to People, during the show, the reggae singer Shabba Ranks denounced same gender love and said they should be "crucified." Mark defended Ranks and praised Ranks' candor. Then he performed a rap song with him. GLADD, was swift in demanding that Mark should make a public apology for his agreement with Ranks.

Mark claimed he was misunderstood. In the same People story, he said, “I wasn’t defending what Ranks said. . .  I was defending his right to say it.”

That doesn't sound like an apology to us. Donald Suggs, a representative of GLAAD, agreed, saying the response was “inappropriate.” He was just digging more holes and mystifying GLAAD that he could be so homophobic in this day and age. We mean, come on! After all, the young Mark, who was 21 at the time, rose to stardom as a Calvin Klein model and many of his fans were gay men. As Suggs added, “[Wahlberg] became famous [because of them] . . Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.” Mark ended up appearing in public service ads against defamation.

Did His Parents' Divorce Make Him this way?

Mark was devastated when his parents divorced when he was ten. As a result, he started acting out.  He told Fame 10, “I was climbing out the window and staying out all night when I was 12 or 13, and by the time I was 13 or 14, I stopped going to school. My older brothers taught me how to get high when I was 10, and gave me a couple of beers. They thought it was funny to see me stumbling around. When I was 13, 14, 15, I had a pretty serious problem."

In 1986, when Wahlberg was 15, a 12-year old black boy, as well as his older brother and sister, were walking home when the now-famous actor and his three friends followed them on bikes and kept shouting, that they wanted them out of the area, according to court documents released by The Smoking Gun. The kids indeed ran away, but while they did so Mark and his friends kept chanting and even got physical.

So here's the question: when Wahlberg and his friends were targeting the African-American kids, was this the result of the demise of his family, acting out, or was this just how Wahlberg was back then? You decide. But there's the scary possible conclusion that Wahlberg may still be those things at this time, but hides it so as to not get into trouble. Does he feel the same way now, and just keeps his comments to himself?

Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't stand him

Mark Wahlberg was trying to get into the movies since 1994. He succeeded. He went from music icon to actor in his very first role, the acclaimed Basketball Diaries. (He first appeared in Renaissance Man in a small part). Diaries debuted in 1995 and would make Mark a force to be reckoned with.

Basketball Diaries' lead was Leonardo DiCaprio. Apparently, DiCaprio didn't take to Wahlberg according to The Daily Mail. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wahlberg recalled: "Leonardo was like, 'Over my dead body." Mark's not going to be in this movie"

Wahlberg didn't realize DiCaprio had anything against him until he was asked to test for The Basketball Diaries opposite DiCaprio. The two came from two different worlds, but this was not the reason why they didn't hit it off. It was Mark's attitude (once again!) that threw off DiCaprio. He said,

"We'd had a thing - I didn't even realize it, [but] I was a bit of an a** at a charity basketball game. So he was like, "This is not going to be in this movie."'

However, after Leo was persuaded to read with Mark, they hit it off. As Dicaprio put it:

"I kind of look at him and he kind of looks at me, and then we do a scene, and they're like, 'Hmm, this dude is pretty good, right?" The next thing you know, boom, we're hanging out."

He's A Devout Catholic

Mark was sent away for two years at age 16 after he struck a Vietnamese man in the eye, but only served 45 days. It's such a cliche, but according to the now-reformed actor, he found belief in God and became a devout Catholic while in jail (he was born Catholic but did not practice it.]

After being released from jail he contacted his parish priest and asked for help. The priest mentored Wahlberg and helped him to return to a more spiritual life, to be a good man and a father. Mark credits him for turning around his life and told Catholic Online,

"I pray every day and try to go to church every day. My faith in God is what makes me a better man. It's the most important part of my life. I pray that I will live up to my intention to be the best husband and father than I can be."

He also added:

"I never would have been able to change my life and have the success and love that I have in my world today without my faith."

Ever since he reformed, he then began praying every morning, and went to daily mass. In fact, his wife Rhea was so impressed by his devotion that she converted to Catholicism.

time Put Him On The Right Path

As a teenager, Mark was taken in over 20 times, for various charges. When he was 21, Wahlberg didn't seem to learn from his past, as he fractured the jaw of a neighbor in an unprovoked attack.

According to Wahlberg, "As soon as I began that life of crime, there was always a voice in my head telling me I was going to end up in jail. Three of my brothers had done time. My sister went to prison so many times I lost count. Finally I was there, locked up with the kind of guys I'd always wanted to be like. Now I'd earned my stripes and I was just like them, and I realized it wasn't what I wanted at all. I'd ended up in the worst place I could possibly imagine and I never wanted to go back. First of all, I had to learn to stay on the straight and narrow." He told his street gang that he was leaving them and had 'some serious fights' with them over it.

In 2009, Mark Wahlberg talked about his life in crime: "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and I've done bad things, but I never blamed my upbringing for that. I never behaved like a victim so that I would have a convenient reason for victimizing others. Everything I did wrong was my own fault. I was taught the difference between right and wrong at an early age. I take full responsibility." (Source: Boomsbeat)

He Dropped Out Of School But Got His Degree In His 40s

Mark Wahlberg never made it to the ninth grade. The high school dropout, instead, grew up in a life of so many problems, no one has enough time to list them all. But the penitent Mark, nearly in middle age, wanted to correct that and go back to get his degree.

S0 September 2013 was a milestone for Mark.  According to E!, when the actor was 42, he announced that he had finished up his remaining credits and finally got his diploma.

Mark was candid when he wrote a blog post in the Huffington Post in 2013 about the importance of education. The article was titled Winning My Toughest Role Yet: High School Grad. He said,

"I was fortunate to find out I could attend high school online. For almost a year, I’ve been taking classes and studying any chance I could get - on the set, traveling for work and at home. It has been both humbling and challenging, but I’m happy to report that I am officially a high school graduate, having received my diploma this summer."

He added, "To those students struggling every day and - most importantly — to those who are looking for a second chance, I have a message for you: never give up. Keep believing in yourselves."

He ended his post by saying, "I am proud to re-introduce myself to you today as:  "Mark Wahlberg - High School Graduating Class of 2013." Great news!

He Acts In A Minimal Way--The Best Way

Wahlberg turned from troubled teen with a chip on his shoulder to an actor who succeeded in carrying a $100 million dollar movie, which was Planet of the Apes, a film that went on to gross $180,011,740 in North America. But what do directors think of him now that his acting credits are substantial? In a profile of Mark in Vanity Fair that we'll cover here, all of them had only good things to say about his actor. Scott Kalvert, the director The Basketball Diaries said, “When I met Marky, I’m like, ‘He’s gonna be a star.’ You could just tell. He just had an explosive charisma. I said, ‘You should act.’”

But it's Tim Burton, who directed Mark in Planet of the Apes, and James Foley, who directed him in Fear, that best gave us a portrait of Mark as an actor. Burton said, “I met Mark and thought he had a certain gravity to him, a kind of Steve McQueen simplicity where you don’t have to say much, I’ve always been fascinated by that type of acting where it’s minimal. But you have to have it; you can’t really tell somebody to do that.”

Foley said, “There was something in his eyes where you felt like it was the real deal—where you don’t have to act it out or pose it. . . This character had to be sexually attractive and dangerous. You know about his . . . potential for physical violence and all that energy has been sublimated into the focus on being an actor."

Well, coming to an industry that didn't want him, he succeeded in "[wiping] the sneer off people’s faces," as Foley said. "[A]nd convincing them he’s a serious actor. He’s kicked major ass.”

He Once Owned A House With A Gym To End All Gyms

It's no surprise that Mark Wahlberg likes to work out. To keep his muscles sculpted and toned, and to work on those washboard ads, Mark goes to the gym a lot and naturally eats right. But he doesn't have to travel far to get to a gym. He owns a home fitness center at his Beverly Hills home that he has now sold.

The gym that is located in his 1.41 acre estate is 2,500 square feet and has two-stories. The gym is so large that it's housed inside a real airport hangar. It contains a ton of free weights, literally hundreds of machines and equipment, as well as a high-cost sound system so Mark can listen to music to stay motivated.  It also holds a Boston Celtics-themed basketball court.  But that's not all. It even has a professional boxing ring, which is where Wahlberg trained for four years for his Oscar-winning film The Fighter.

The sprawling Mediterranean estate has 11,500 square feet of interior space. There are five bedrooms, eight baths, a theater and a billiards room with a wet bar. Out back is a grotto-style pool, a waterfall and a putting green.

Wahlberg now lives in gated Beverly Park. (Source: HauteLiving)

He Also Finds Success Behind The Scenes

Did you know that Wahlberg is not just an Academy Award nominee actor? That, while acting in films such as Transformers and Ted, he has a successful career behind the scenes?  He has been an executive producer for many TV shows and has succeeded, producing hits galore. In fact, ever since 2010, while starring in a film, he's also credited as being a producer. However, executive producer is much higher than a producer and Mark has the resume to prove it.

For four popular HBO shows, Wahlberg has served as executive producer, including the critically-acclaimed Boardwalk Empire, How To Make It In America and Ballers, which also stars Dwayne Johnson, whom Wahlberg worked with in the film Pain & Gain. But the most famous TV show that Wahlberg worked on as EP was the hit Entourage, which is loosely based on his experience of breaking into Hollywood and remaining there with the help of a kinetic and bombast agent. Wahlberg even used to guest star on the show as himself. And Entourage was such a hit on the small screen that it was made into a movie. In the movie, he was an EP and also guest starred. Is there anything Wahlberg can't do?

He Supports equal rights

Mark Wahlberg has been pretty vocal about his faith, Catholicism, because he believed it helped him find redemption. He has always said good things about Catholics and even his wife, Rhea Durham, converted to Catholicism in 2009 just before their wedding. But one belief that doesn't jive well with the religion is that he's openly supportive of same-gender marriage. Because of this, he has received a lot of wide-spread criticism from Catholics. Nevertheless, he accepts that Catholics aren't happy with his belief. He prays every morning, and routinely goes to Church.

The one thing that is surprising about his faith is that he's prayed to God for forgiveness for starring in the 1997 critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful movie, Boogie Nights, which really launched his career as a bonafide movie star.

He doesn't say it, but it has to be because the movie traffics in the funky bunch, where women routinely expose their bright headlights, and the department of the skin flix, M.D. is not in service. He said, "I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I've made some poor choices in my past." Are there other movies that he needs forgiveness? According to Mark, all he said was that "Boogie Nights' is up there at the top of the list." (Source: ChicagoTribune)