Mark Wahlberg is well known as being a buffed-up dramatic actor with roles in Transformers, Shooter and The Italian Job. However, he’s kind of an underrated comedy actor, too. He has teamed up Will Ferrell for 2010’s The Other Guys and for the Daddy’s Home movies. Oh, and remember Ted? What a modern classic. Forming chemistry with a teddy bear isn’t an easy feat you know.
And as it turns out when Mark Wahlberg first signed on to Ted, his wife Rhea Durham was not impressed. The Spenser Confidential star shared her initial reaction with these words:
And then we’re driving to the Oscars and my wife is like, ‘What are you doing next?’ So, I’m sitting there trying to explain. It’s a hard movie to pitch and she’s like, ‘Well enjoy tonight because you’ll never be back to the Oscars again.’ And… I haven’t been nominated since.
Mark Wahlberg told his wife all about Ted, as the couple were all glammed up to go to the Oscars in 2011. They were invited to Hollywood’s biggest night because of his role in David O. Russell’s The Fighter. The drama had Wahlberg playing Boston boxer Micky Ward alongside Christian Bale and Amy Adams.
Bale and Melissa Leo scored Oscars for the movie that night, and Wahlberg’s name was up for Best Picture since he was a producer on the film. The King’s Speech won out instead, but that’s a pretty impressive last(?) hurrah at the award show, eh?
Mark Wahlberg joked that perhaps his wife was right during his interview with Today, but anyone following his career can see Ted was nowhere near a tipping point for the actor’s work. He has continued to make highly-acclaimed movies since, including Deepwater Horizon and Patriots Day. Plus, he continues to flex his comedy chops along the way.
Ted had Mark Wahlberg playing fellow Bostonian John Bennett, a man-child who still hangs around with his magical teddy bear into adulthood. Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane voiced Ted, and the film featured the talents of Mila Kunis and Joel McHale. In 2015, the pair returned for a sequel. The first movie was a much greater success, scoring $549.3 million globally in contrast to Ted 2’s $215.8 million earnings.
Mark Wahlberg’s most recent film is his fifth collaboration with director Peter Berg, Spenser Confidential. Created by Robert B. Parker and following the old television show, Spenser is a buddy movie that has Wahlberg and Black Panther’s Winston Duke teaming up and taking down some criminals. The Netflix action flick has proved to be very popular on the streaming site, currently holding at No. 4 in its U.S. top ten.
Next the actor will play Sully in the Uncharted movie with Tom Holland, which is currently expected to be released on March 5, 2021.
