Actor Mark Wahlberg wants to start “a new chapter” of his career. “I definitely want to focus on making more. I wouldn’t say necessarily just faith-based content but things that will help people… to make more meaningful content,” he told “Entertainment Tonight” earlier this year. Wahlberg was referring to “Father Stu,” a passion project of sorts that told the story of Stuart Long, an agnostic boxer from Montana that converted to Catholicism and became a priest. Wahlberg revealed in an interview that he had financed the project himself. “It was also the best way to make the movie without any kind of interference,” Wahlberg said about his reasoning. Wahlberg described how Father Stu resonated with him as a flawed person in need of redemption. When asked what his kids thought about his project, Wahlberg joked that they thought he was crazy and boring. Joking aside, Wahlberg said, “But they know that dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass. And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate toward it on their own.”
Wahlberg’s move to “Father Stu” was very different from his usual headlining of action and comedy movies. Throughout the years, the actor has openly discussed his faith and the way that has impacted his life. In 2018, he revealed his daily routine, waking up at 2:30 in the morning and starting “prayer time” at 2:45. He referred back to his routine in 2020 on the podcast “Tuff Juice with Caron Butler” saying, “Faith is the most important thing … That’s how I start my day every day. By the time I open my eyes, before I turn the light on or do anything, I am kind of saying my prayers. I go into my prayer room and take that 15 or 20 minutes to express how grateful I am.”
Wahlberg also credited his faith for his work ethic. The actor currently has 6 upcoming projects listed on his IMDB page, with many of them having the actor listed as both an actor and producer. His upcoming project, “Arthur the King” will tell the inspiring story of Mikael Lindnord, an adventure racer, and his dog, Arthur. In 2014, Lindnord was competing in Ecuador when he met a stray dog who followed him through the course. Wahlberg will play Lindnord. It’s the sort of feel-good story the actor expressed he wants to focus more on, especially with the idea of never giving up. In an April interview with Faithwire, Wahlberg reflected on themes that are important to him. “[Father Stu] has a very clear message that we are not going to give up on people. You cannot give up on people. And people are so quick to turn their backs on people. And negativity as a whole has just been amplified in a way that it’s really hard to remind people of the importance of loving and supporting people. People can do incredible things.”