Actor Mark Wahlberg on ageing, muscles and Calvins
JAILBIRD, rapper, model and acclaimed actor. Mark Wahlberg is all grown up, but he's still one funky guy - and still wears his Calvins.
JAILBIRD, rapper, model and acclaimed actor ... the former Marky Mark may be all grown up, but he's still one funky guy (and still wears his Calvins).
Playing a body builder in Pain &Gain required endless hours in the gym - it must have been pretty tedious.
Well, I try to keep the big picture in mind and know I'll have my life back as soon as the movie's over. I want to give it 110 per cent, because it'll be over before I know it but the movie will be there forever. I don't want to have any regrets about not putting my best foot forward.
Do the muscles also disappear before you know it?
I've been working out a lot, but I'm 42, so I definitely notice the metabolism has slowed down quite a bit.
How do you deal with ageing?
I just embrace it. Also, I make sure I eat right and exercise. Life is a beautiful thing, so you might as well try to make it last as long as possible. My wife [Rhea Durham] is always giving me a hard time about getting older, but I have to say I'm enjoying getting older; at least, I'm enjoying the age I am now.
Body builders or movie stars - who spends more time in front of the mirror?
[Laughs] Oh god! I'd say it's a tie. Thankfully, I have the mentality of an athlete and I'm also not a huge fan of the way I look, so I don't spend too much time looking at myself in the mirror. I've learned to accept how I look.
There are many people who do appreciate the way you look, some of whom would remember the billboard of you in your Calvin Kleins many years ago.
[Laughs] Oh, well, that's very nice. But I don't let it get to my head.
Are you still wearing your Calvins?
Yeah, and Lululemon. Thanks for asking.
Waxing seems to be an important factor in a body builder's life. Do you have much experience in that area?
I'm not very hairy and I've never waxed myself but, actually, for the movie I did learn how to do it on myself and on others.
You also do some impressive car manoeuvring in the film. How would you rate yourself as a driver?
I'm a very good driver.
I wonder if your wife would agree…
[Laughs] No! She would say I'm a horrible driver. I'm a bit aggressive, but I think I'm good.
What advice would you have given Mark Wahlberg if you had met him 20 years ago?
It doesn't matter, because he wouldn't have listened. He was such a hard-headed know-it-all. It's unfortunate, because I could have saved him from making a lot of mistakes, but that's just how it is. I look at all the stuff my mum used to tell me and, now, as a parent I try to tell my kids the same things, but you don't realise that stuff is valuable until you get to a certain age.
You turned your life around at a young age when you were getting into trouble and getting yourself thrown in jail for assault. Do you have regrets about those days or do you think you wouldn't be here now if you hadn't experienced those times?
Absolutely to both. There are certain things I would have liked to have avoided but, for the most part, it's those experiences that make me the man I am today - but you couldn't help but want to change a couple of things.
Do you have any hidden talents? Is the former Marky Mark a whiz in the kitchen, perhaps?
Oh, I made an amazing dinner last night for myself and a friend who
reads scripts with me. He asked me to get a roast chicken when I was at the supermarket, so I grilled up some vegetables and potatoes and it was quite good. But I always feel the food I make tastes good for me.
I don't know if buying a roast chicken and grilling vegetables counts as cooking…
Well, yeah [laughs]. Actually, I don't normally do anything other than barbecue things for my kids and my wife.
When was the last time you surprised yourself?
The last time I got out of bed; everything ached, from my heel to my knee to my left buttock. I think I'm just getting old.
Pain &Gain is in cinemas on August 8.
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