'Lose the underwear?' Mark Wahlberg worried Boogie Nights would 'exploit' him
Actor Mark Wahlberg was worried 1997 movie 'Boogie Nights' would "exploit" him by forcing him to strip off to play rising porn star Dirk Diggler.
Mark Wahlberg was worried 'Boogie Nights' would "exploit" him by forcing him to strip off.
The 52-year-old actor wasn't convinced about signing onto play fictional rising porn star Dirk Diggler the 1997 movie after already made waves in a Calvin Klein underwear campaign.
Speaking to Cigar Aficionado, he said: "When I first heard about the film, the subject matter was not appealing to me.
“I came from the whole Marky Mark thing, pulling down my pants, Calvin Klein underwear — I didn’t know if this was just the next level of exploiting me and now all of a sudden we have to lose the underwear.”
His agents urged him to consider the role, and even after reading a chunk of the script, he couldn't decide if the movie would end up "great" or "terrible".
He added: "My agents kept pushing me. So I read the first 25, 30 pages, and I kind of put it down.
"I was like this could be something great, or this could be absolutely terrible.”
Back in 2017, the 'Father Stu' star - who is open about his faith - admitted he hoped God would forgive him for the role.
Speaking at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago at the time, he confessed: "I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past.
“‘Boogie Nights’ is up there at the top of the list.”
Earlier that year, he also explained that it was a role he wouldn't consider as a dad of four, even though he tries not to let his family life impact his career choices.
He said: "I have four kids, I’ve got two daughters, I’m married and I try not to let that affect what I do as an artist.
“But being a dad, it’d be tougher to make that decision now.”
