
Faith and Prayer Are the Source of ‘Everything’ for Hollywood Star
By Movieguide® Contributor
FLIGHT RISK star Mark Wahlberg is crediting his faith and prayers for shaping his career.
“Everything derives from my prayer life and my pursuit of my faith and a relationship with God, of course, trying to live a purpose-filled life,” the actor told The Christian Post last week.
Wahlberg stars as a villain in director Mel Gibson’s new movie, FLIGHT RISK. He plays Daryl Booth, a hitman disguised as a pilot who accompanies a fugitive to trial.
“If I act like a crazy person for 12 hours out of the day, I come back, and I say another little prayer, and I ask for forgiveness,” Wahlberg said. “We are trying to entertain people. We want to break up the monotony of everyday difficulty.”
“A lot of people are having real struggles and hard times in life, and so to be able to give them something to escape and enjoy and laugh and cry and be at the edge of their seat with a movie like this, which is such a thrill ride,” he continued.
It’s not often that movie fans get to see Wahlberg in a villain role. This was a nice change for the actor.
“I’ve always loved great villains and roles in films like THE SHINING with Jack Nicholson and CAPE FEAR with Robert De Niro,” he said. “So to get an opportunity to play one of these parts, we’re really going to surprise the audience, especially after playing a hero for quite some time; it was such a nice change of pace.”
READ MORE: MEL GIBSON’S FLIGHT RISK SCORES NO. 1 SPOT AT BOX OFFICE
“I was locked into the part the whole time. So if we weren’t shooting, I was like either off in the corner by myself or I just would kind of go back to my little dressing room and just sit there,” he told PEOPLE.
FLIGHT RISK is rated R for violence and language, but it does have some moral themes.
“I didn’t really even pay attention to [the redemptive themes] until I saw the film yesterday because I was so caught up in being this character,” Wahlberg said.
“I wanted to stay in that headspace because you have to really commit if you’re playing a character like mine,” he continued. “But nobody, as we know, is beyond redemption, and to see those characters dealing with that and being there to support one another was nice…We’re not giving up on anybody.”
READ MORE: FLIGHT RISK REVIEW
Wahlberg is a fan of Gibson’s BRAVEHEART and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
“I’ve always wanted to work with Mel as a director,” said Wahlberg, who performed with Gibson in FATHER STU.
“He’s made so many movies that I think are right up there with the greatest films ever made,” Wahlberg said. “So to be able to work with a guy who’s so talented, both in front of and behind the camera, but as an actor, first, he creates an environment for you to be at your best, to feel free to try things and explore, just throw it all out there and you know you’re in good hands.”
When Wahlberg was a teen, he struggled with cocaine addiction and served a jail sentence for assaulting two men. Now, he runs a foundation that helps youth.
“All the real-life things that I have been through, I want to share, and I want to let people know that you know what, it’s OK,” he said in 2022. “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. So we’re trying to encourage people and let them know that we’re not giving up on them. Nobody’s beyond redemption.”
Last year, Wahlberg joined the Hallow app to help lead others in prayer.
“[Prayer] has been a big part of the way I start my day for decades now,” he said.
“It helps me get through everything, especially to remind me of what I’m trying to do on a daily basis. I’m away from home, I miss my family, so it’s got to start with gratitude. And then also, the guidance and the reminder to continue to do the things that He wants me to do and the path that He wants me to take because I’ll always have a plan, and He changes that quite often.”
Last June, Wahlberg said, “My faith, my faith and my family and just finding good balance. But I have to attribute all my success to my faith.”