Faith, golf and tequila: Mark Wahlberg lifts lid on living and filming in Sydney

Hollywood superstar Mark Wahlberg will call Sydney home for a few months. Here, he sits down with The Daily Telegraph to talk faith, golf and tequila while lifting the lid on the project that has brought him to Australia.

The tough part about calling Sydney home for a few months is missing his family for Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg.

The leading actor is based in the Harbour City for the coming months to film Shane Black directed Play Dirty alongside Tony Shalhoub, Rosa Salazar and LaKeith Stanfield.

Speaking exclusively to The Daily Telegraph, he said he had been keeping in touch with wife Rhea and their four kids on the phone.

“It has been cool,” he said.

American actor Mark Wahlberg in Sydney filming his new movie and launching his Flecha Azul Tequila. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The only difficult part is that I am that far away from my family. Other than that, it has been very pleasant.

“To see people who are super talented and really hard working, appreciating the fact they have a job in a time where we’ve had Covid, we’ve had strikes and many other things that have up-ended the business, it has been nothing but pleasant.

“The only difficulty or downside is being away and making that sacrifice to be a part of the film. Between Facetime and Zoom, it has helped us stay connected.”

Wahlberg sat down with the Telegraph at his temporary Sydney home for the Australian release of his premium tequila brand, Flecha Azul.

Hours earlier, he’d ducked into Bondi Junction to excitedly share footage of the liquor in store at Vintage Cellars.

Devout Catholic Mark Wahlberg outside St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney last Sunday. Photo: TikTok

Mark Wahlberg with wife Rhea. Instagram.

“Consumers know the difference between somebody who is endorsing a product and getting a pay cheque verses somebody who has created something or has real skin in the game and there is a very big difference,” Wahlberg said passionately.

“Everything we do has to be a natural extension of who we are and what we stand for. And in a crowded space where there is lots of celebrity brands, there is also brands that have been built on their own merits … and that is what this is.”

Nothing was off limits with the remarkably down-to-earth Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominated actor.

He is undoubtedly one of the biggest name stars globally thanks to film roles including Ted, The Fighter and The Departed.

Play Dirty, he explained, is “in the vein of gritty heist, a lot of comedy, a lot of action, one of the best scripts I’ve read in a really long time”.
While busy filming, Wahlberg has been seen out and about in the weeks since he touched down in Sydney. He is an avid golfer and recently took to social media to lament (jokingly) the fact he had to change his black socks to white due to the rules at the Elanora Country Club.

Mark Wahlberg as seen on Instagram.

“I just made mention, it was a misunderstanding which I was able to fix and they were very polite about it,” he explained.

“I do understand that lots of golf courses do have lots of different restrictions and rules, as does the game and that is part of the reason why I love the game so much.

“We make golf attire so we are also trying to change the game, broaden the game, open the game up to new people because golf has kind of been an older guys sport and it is now growing.”

Wahlberg, 52, is also a man of faith and has been frequenting weekend mass services while here. Last week fans were thrilled to see the devout Catholic attend a service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Rose Bay.

“That is the kind of foundation of my entire existence,” he said of his faith.

“I had a very challenging upbringing and when I started to really focus on my faith, good things started to happen. I am a creature of habit and I just continue to gravitate towards that. It is the thing that has helped me to balance my entire life and prioritise my life in a way that has helped me be successful both professionally and personally.”

Flecha Azul meanwhile is a business Wahlberg invested in. Founded by Mexican-American golfer Abraham Ancer and Mexican entrepreneur Aron Marquez, Wahlberg was introduced to the brand by a friend.

“We realised we had so many things in common, including we are self-made guys. We are all about our faith and our family and work has provided us all of the good fortune in our lives so we are very committed to doing things the good old fashioned way, by rolling up our sleeves and doing the work.”

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