Wahlberg Toughs It Out
The Perfect Storm star
Mark Wahlberg has learned the hard way that being a fisherman isn't an easy life.
The actor tells TV Guide Online that he nearly drowned three times while filming the movie's intense water scenes. And that's not all ? he also lost his voice, suffered sea sickness and wound up with a nasty ear infection.
"I got a big piece of ear plug wax jammed in my ear," he recalls. "I assumed it just got pushed out, but two days later my head swelled up like a balloon. I went to the doctor and they wanted to surgically remove it, but I said, 'No, that will take too long.' They were talking about shutting the production down. I just said, 'Rip it out with a pair of pliers!' "
Wahlberg also had to reluctantly dredge up his old New England accent for the role. "I vowed to never play a guy from Boston and never get that accent back. I worked so hard to shake it. With this particular story, it was a must-do. I promised myself that I'd jump into (another film) right after."
Wahlberg next plays a rock star in Metal Gods with Jennifer Aniston. "I get these films in my head and it's all about that," he says. "I'm getting chased by fish in my dreams. Now, it's the rock dreams. Some crazy groupies chasing me around."
Still, with critically acclaimed roles in Boogie Nights and Three Kings, the former Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch pop star doesn't have any regrets about leaving his singing days behind for an acting career. "I definitely feel like I made the right decision," he says.