For anyone who grew up during the late 1980s and early 1990s, it’s impossible to look at Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg and not think “Marky Mark.” It’s been a long, strange journey for Wahlberg, who was involved in drugs and violence as a teenager, became a rap sensation and then, oddly, one of Hollywood’s most popular actors. He’s also a devout Catholic with a family he loves, according to this video interview with CBS. He also carries around a dictionary so he knows what the word “consubstantial” means. It’s interesting to see an actor casually drop his Catholic knowledge and experience during a national interview. Even Marky Mark was impacted by the Missal translation changes. In an interview with The Catholic Herald in 2010, Wahlberg offered this interesting insight into his life.
“Being a Catholic is the most important aspect of my life,” the A-list actor tells me firmly when we meet for tea in a posh hotel near his home in Beverly Hills. “The first thing I do when I start my day is, I get down on my hands and knees and give thanks to God. Whenever I go outside of my house, the first thing I do is stop at the church. The kids will be mad with me. ‘Daddy! It takes too long!’ I’m saying: ‘It’s only 10 minutes and this is something I really need to do.’ Because I do. If I can start my day out by saying my prayers and getting myself focused, then I know I’m doing the right thing. That 10 minutes helps me in every way throughout the day.”
Wahlberg stars in the R-rated “Contraband,” which opens in theaters this week.