As it turns out, Mark Wahlberg did two rather crazy things while preparing to play the lead role in Rupert Wyatt's The Gambler. As we've known about for the last couple weeks, the actor dropped a surprising and dangerous 60 pounds to play the part - but what you may not know is that he also took part in some very high stakes gambling and wound up losing a whole lot of money. We're talking $45,000.
Wahlberg was a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last night promoting the upcoming release of The Gambler, and during his interview the actor revealed that part of getting ready for his performance involved not only a bunch of his own cash, but also the money of some of his friends. As the story goes, Wahlberg decided to bypass the standard Las Vegas and Atlantic City trip, and instead he flew out for a stay at the Wynn Macau in China - which the star describes as more of a serious gambling establishment instead of a place where the casino will try and liquor you up and squeeze money out of you. At the time, he was traveling with a group of friends who are businessmen in Hong Kong, and he convinced them to give him all of their cash so that he could sit down at the blackjack table.
While this may sound like a recipe for disaster, the story actually started on a high note. After splitting three aces that he received from the dealer, Wahlberg was then dealt a king, a queen and a jack - meaning that he had gotten blackjack three times and won the aforementioned $45,000. Most people would choose this as a time to walk away - especially because Wahlberg was playing with his friends' money - but you mustn't forget that this trip was meant to be preparation for The Gambler. After getting his winnings, the actor took his chips, went over to the roulette wheel and - emulating his character - put it all on black. Unfortunately, he wound up having the same kind of luck as his counterpart in the movie too, and lost every cent. Wahlberg's reaction, though, was pretty priceless. The actor said on the show,
I was thrilled. I was like, 'Oh my god, it plays out just like the movie!' And these guys were like, 'What did you just do?!' $45,000 in cash!"
To watch the interview for yourself, head on over to Page Two, and to see The Gambler you'll only need to wait a couple more weeks, as it will be out on Christmas Day.
