Mark's Biography

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was raised in the poor working class district of Boston known as Dorchester. He was born on June 5th, 1971; the youngest of nine children. The large Wahlberg brood didn't have a lot growing up, especially after his parents divorced when he was eleven. The kids crammed into a three bedroom apartment, none of them having very much privacy.

Wahlberg dropped out of high school at age 14 (but later got GED) to pursue a life of petty crime and drugs. He'd spend his days scamming and stealing, working on the odd drug deal before treating himself to the substances himself. At age 16, he was convicted of assault against two Vietnamese men after he had tried to rob them. As a result of his assault conviction, he was sentenced to serve 50 days in prison at Deer Island penitentiary. While there he began working out to pass time, and when he emerged at the end of his sentence he had gone from being a scrawny young kid to a buff young man. Wahlberg also credits the jail time as being his motivation to improve his lifestyle and leave the crime behind him. Once he was released, Mark rejoined his family, who were now in the national spotlight. His older brother Donnie was a member of the 1980's singing sensation - The New Kids On the Block.

Mark himself had been an original member of the band but had backed out early on - uncomfortable with the squeaky clean image of the group. A precursor to the boyband craze, NKOTB were dominating the charts and were on top of their game. Donnie Wahlberg decided to help his little bro out and tried to get him on the straight and narrow. He pulled some strings and got Mark set up with a recording contract. Despite a lack of singing ability, promoters took to his dance moves and a physique they knew teenage girls would love. Donnie scripted some easy songs for Mark, who collected a troupe of dancers and a deejay to become his "Funky Bunch" and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was born. His debut album, Music for the People, was a smash hit which was propelled along by the rapper's willingness to disrobe down to boxer-briefs on stage - not to mention several catchy tunes.

After speaking to designer Calvin Klein, Marky Mark was set up as the designer's chief underwear model. His scantily clad figure soon adorned billboards across the nation. Ironically, while New Kids on the Block's fame was dwindling as audiences tired of their syrupy lyrics, Marky Mark's bad boy image was becoming even more of a commodity. He was constantly in the headlines (often of the tabloids) after multiple scandals. In 1992, he released a book dedicated to his penis. His second album, You Gotta Believe plummeted off the charts.

His first big screen role came in Penny Marshall's Renaissance Man. Despite the name change, many people snickered at the idea of the has-been rapper thinking he could make it as an actor. From the get-go he was proving them wrong. It seems as though Mark Wahlberg has finally put bad boy Marky Mark behind him. He is one of the few teen pop sensations to survive through it and come out on top.

He then began an acting career, making his debut in the 1993 TV movie The Substitute. He has earned positive reviews and appeared in a number of successful movies like Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, and The Italian Job.

Currently, Wahlberg is starring in the football drama, Invincible, based on the true story of Vince Papale. He is also the executive producer of the HBO series "Entourage" which is loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood.

Mark has come a long when since his days as a trouble-making teen. He is now in demand and has even had to turn down some good offers due to his commitments on other acting projects.

Contact Mark

Mark Wahlberg
c/o Endeavor Talent Agency, LLC
9701 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor
Beverly Hills, CA. 90212 USA

c/o Leverage Management
1610 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA, 90404 USA

Credit: imdb.com