Mark Wahlberg says he stopped attending some churches as people keep pitching movie ideas during worship
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Mark Wahlberg left Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to be away from the Hollywood noise but turns out he is being pitched movie ideas even at the churches that he attends in his new residential city.
Wahlberg relocated with his wife, Rhea Durham, and their four children—Ella, 19, Michael, 16, Brendan, 14, and Grace, 12, in order to "start fresh." Earlier, the 52-year-old has 'moved locations' in other ways as well before he shifted cities. It appears the actor also changed churches at one point just to stop getting hounded by people who recognized him when he went in to pray.
'I would literally move around from church to church'
A devout Catholic, Wahlberg talked openly about the several occasions when people from his church would suggest movies to him, Insider reported. "I would literally move around from church to church because I would get pitched a lot," Wahlberg said, "I'm not at church looking to find material. I’m trying to find some peace and quiet to be able to worship."
However, his movie, 'Father Stu', which was released in theaters on April 13, 2022, was inspired by a priest. It was based on the story of a boxer-turned-priest Father Stuart Long. Wahlberg said his priest "was the least likely person" he thought would pitch him an idea. But after hearing the story from him a few times, it finally clicked with him, the actor claimed. "I realized, 'Wow, I have been looking for something like this'. It’s a fantastic role, a powerful and inspiring story. It felt different and original to get people’s attention."
'It’s not always about the paycheck'
Wahlberg stated that he hoped to expand his list of films with a religious theme and that he reportedly put together a production business to concentrate completely on it. "We are already in the works: film, television, across the board, but putting the emphasis on quality," he stated. "The hope is I can intrigue other high-caliber talent to come and do what I did with Father Stu: bet on themselves, take a chance. It’s not always about the paycheck."
Meanwhile, the actor has not given up on action films either. The actor will reprise his role as Sully in 'Uncharted 2', which also stars Tom Holland in the lead role. The film may release in 2025, although the precise release date has not yet been announced.
