Happy Sad Confused - Mark Wahlberg

Episode Date: March 14, 2024

Mark Wahlberg's journey is a remarkable one and he's here to tell the tale, from music to movies, from BOOGIE NIGHTS to THE DEPARTED, from chaos to being a family man. He chats with Josh about it all here including his new film, ARTHUR THE KING. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! ZocDoc -- Go to ⁠⁠Zocdoc.com/HappySad⁠⁠ and download the Zocdoc app for FREE Factor -- Head to ⁠⁠⁠FactorMeals.com/HappySad50⁠⁠⁠ and use code happysad50 to get 50% off UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS Sydney Sweeney March 20th in NYC -- ⁠Get tickets here⁠ Merrily We Roll Along (Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez) March 28th in NYC -- ⁠Get tickets here⁠ Tom Hiddleston April 11th in Los Angeles -- Get tickets here Cabaret (Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin) May 20th in NYC -- ⁠Get tickets here⁠ Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of, video versions of the podcast, and more! To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

D.C. high volume, Batman. The Dark Nights definitive DC comic stories adapted directly for audio for the very first time. Fear, I have to make them afraid. He's got a motorcycle. Get after him or have you shot. What do you mean blow up the building? From this moment on,

none of you are safe. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts. Were you auditioning like crazy? Like, were you up for like all, like the Titanic's and everything? Met on Titanic. Wasn't really interested even in reading. I was like, you know, I really loved Jim Cameron.

I was so excited about Jim Cameron. I was like, yeah, is that your Hummer outside? He was like, yeah, we're supposed to be having a meeting. I was like, let's go for a ride. Can I drive it? It drove his Hummer around with him. And he was like, oh, this kid's not focused. Prepare your ears, humans.

Happy, sad, confused begins now. I'm Josh Horowitz, and today on Happy, SET, Confused, we have a guy that teaches me everything about workout advice, tequila, getting preyed up, and making good movies. Espresso, delivered by a man in municipal. And he's getting his caffeine just in time. It's the one and only Mark Wahlberg. Switch on the energy. How are you, buddy? Switch on the energy.

You've been up for 10 hours already. It's 9 a.m. Yeah, it's almost bedtime. It stays over. Exhausted. Packing. We're spreading the good word of your new film Arthur the King. Yes.

Brinks together all your loves, true life stories, dogs. It's just missing basically a golf course and Adele for it to be the perfect Mark Waldberg movie. I listened to Adele going to bed every night and we lived on the golf course for quite some time. Actually, I've got to start posting some of these videos ahead of me hitting biodegradable golf balls on the side of the highway every day. Yeah, we put down a little mat. I'd just be out there in my spandex hitting off balls. Yeah, that's going to haunt me tonight in my dreams. Yeah, it haunted me, trust me.

Never thought that would happen, me having to walk out of the trailer in spandex. This is your first time on the podcast. We have known each other for a very long time. Yes. We've had a lot of great times. I think of, honestly, the last 15 years of my career, a lot of my happiest memories are just silly, crazy things with you, sir. We have had lots of fun. I mean, I was just saying, I mean, we've done.

so many things for such a long time. It's all kind of blended together. Yeah. Remember you asked me to like spit water on you and. I think tequila even at some point. There was a tequila shoot. Yeah, there's been a lot. I have to say, lone survivor.

And Will and I, the funniest moments. The knife show with Will. Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. Here's my, my, my, my, I'm wondering though, so I met you about 15 years ago. If I met you like 25, 30 years ago, would we have jelled? Would that mark have vived with.

You know, you have, you're very, very likable. I mean, I might have stuck my hand in your pocket, you know, turn your, your, your, uh, your pockets inside out. Right. But no, I think, listen, Ed, you haven't, I'm just looking at your beautiful complexion and skin, you haven't aged a bit. Yeah. Really, you look great. I ignore all your advice.

You always, listen, I really, you know, not to blow smoke, but, you know, you're super cool funny, kind, very talented. But I appreciate it. You were square, you're a little square. But, you know. That's why I keep coming back to you. Me and Roste, everybody, would have made you the bookkeeper. We made you the bookkeeper.

We're going to tell right away, this guy's good with numbers. Count the cash. I'm surprisingly not. Weight of weed. I wish. You got to scale. The ledger. You were way better with the cash than I am.

Yeah. Congratulations. Let's talk a little bit about this movie because I become a dog dad the last couple I wasn't saying you were going to make the cast. You're not even letting me touch it. Well, yeah, you can count it. I'm a dog dead. I've become obsessed the last few years.

How many do you have? I've only one. That's cool. One is better than none. She's a pit mix rescue. I'm obsessed with her. Oh, God, here we go. That's going to be politically correct.

No, no, I mean, whatever. I'm just saying. You got four. Has she ever bit you? No. Are you scared of pits? What do you think? No, I'm not.

Not at all. Let's not spread that disinformation. Not at all, but, you know, I just. just listen I think it was always for me early on it was about you know having a really masculine dog like a big dangerous intimidating dog I like little sweet kind fluffy dogs even though they're meaner than the big ones they are they actually are mine are anyway do you treat your dogs better than your children who who gets the love from mark at the house well I would have to say that right now at this stage

of my children's teenage years. I'm probably giving the dogs more affection. I try with the kids, but they turn me down and reject me. Yeah, you can only go back to them so many times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, go to have, come up. And they just wait for me to say something. If the Boston accent slips, I'm just trashed for the rest of the day.

The rest of the day, yeah. Yeah. And you know, it's good karma. You think so? Definitely, yes. You deserve everything that's coming back at you? Yeah, I've always been very sarcastic. Obviously, I know where I, so I know where it comes from, but to get it that much, that often from the ones that I, like, love and I work so hard for, do everything I can to provide for them and be an example to them.

And, like, man. And you probably see the glimmers of, like, the mark that was in them, like, the little, the, the, the, the, the, uh, yes. Well, my youngest, she's got it in droves. I mean, the work ethic is off the chart. Yeah. You know, she's, uh, she's super. disciplined super committed to what she's doing couldn't have picked a more expensive uh hobby more than hobby yeah passion uh and and you know hoping it's going to be a profession she actually she compete

so she's you know she's she's been in the winter circle before she's got some checks i don't get none of my money back but but um but she you know she's just so passionate and committed and i think everybody else my son uh my oldest son super discipline now and training and all that stuff you know he's uh during more Thai jiu-jitsu um my other son is you know he's looks the most like me he got the attitude but he's not dangerous he hasn't popped into the work mode yet but i didn't really get super disciplined until i was really till i became a dad i mean with work i was i mean when i found my passion in making films and acting you know i was like super i was all about it you know i knew i had an uphill battle to be taken seriously it was like

let me really just focus on the work. I mean, I focused on the work so much that I was always just like super prepared, knew everybody's lines. I realized some other people who were like very successful. What I do didn't know their lines at all. I was like, oh my God, why? You know, but, you know, I was blessed.

And that kind of, you know, it just became the thing, the go-to thing. You know, once it starts working, why would I do anything else? That was a good formula. Yeah. So what was the, yeah, what was Mark like on those first film sets?

So you obviously had all the success. music, you're getting into trouble, and then you kind of like find this new path. I was just thinking about it the other day, and I just, somebody asked me kind of where it started and how I got into it. I met Penny Marshall here in New York. I had met a couple of other filmmakers who were like not really thinking I would have a lengthy career, but maybe good for these couple of silly parts that I was offered. Right. So didn't want to do that, you know, and when I didn't really want to work on the movie with her either, but I was, I just grew up loving her, you know, in the Vernon Shirley and Daddy DeVito and Taxi. So I really wanted to

meet them. It was a bit starstruck. And then when I met them, I don't know, they were just, A, they were so relatable. And then, and down to earth. And, you know, she really, she asked me about my love for film. And it was something that I shared with my dad from a very early age. And so, I don't know, just 20 minutes. And she told me I was a terrible rapper. And I definitely was acting like a rapper more than I was a rapper. So she said, give it a shot with me. And, you know, I read for four different parts that day. 30 years, by the way. This is the 30, 30 year anniversary of your film career.

I mean, my God, it goes by so fast. And then it was like, all right, I flew myself out to L.A. and I found myself screen testing and really campaigning for the part. But I just, I wanted to suck it up like a sponge. I was on the set all the time, whether I was working or not. Instead of getting in the van with the other guys, I would like beg Gregory Heinz to let me ride with him to and from work, like, all the time. right you know um and so you know after that experience it's like i didn't want to do anything else and then of course auditioning for basketball diaries and having that experience and then the jimmy

foley experience on fear and and how that all unfolded uh it's pretty crazy were you auditioning like crazy like were you up for like all like the titanics and everything met on titanic wasn't really interested even in in reading i was like you know i really loved jim camera and i was so excited about Jim Cameron. I was like, yeah, is that your Hummer outside? He was like, yeah, we're supposed to be having a meeting. So I was like, let's go for a ride. Can I drive it? And drove his Hummer around with him. And he was like, oh, this kid's not focused. Did you scream I'm king of the world in the Hummer? I didn't. You know, you didn't even get to the script. You didn't even get to read the script at that point, you know. But I mean, I was walking the door. Jared Leder

was walking out. Obviously, Leo was there. So it was one of those things where, yeah, I was kind of meeting for stuff um you know there was lots of times that we were going up for stuff um but you know i kind of i kind of got lucky in that the people that i was working with for whatever reason they were starting to recommend me to friends and for things and so that kind of you know made it a little easy for me but i didn't mind going an audition and i only i only got the roles that i think that i was actually right for which is good do you remember your last audition must have been a long time ago now uh i don't know It may have been for, it may have been for,

it was a movie that De Niro, the Good Shepherd? Good Shepherd, yeah. Good Shepherd, yeah. I went in for, I think it was Alec Baldwin, ended up playing the part. Obviously, you guys rose up for the same roles. Yeah, I was like, but, you know, I know Bob from, you know,

we were going to do Out of My Feet and through Penny. Right. So, you know, but that out of my feet never happened. So I'm curious, you know, We mentioned Titanic and Leo and so much of the early career basketball diaries, obviously, and then the connection between Boogie Knights. Like, you guys obviously were close at the time, your contemporaries. Was there competition, friendship back in the 90s?

No, you know what? I think, you know, obviously there was a lot of skepticism going from him with me going to play this part. But Scott Calvert had directed all my music videos. So he was a big advocate for me. and then I auditioned with A.V. Kaufman and, you know, Chris Blackwell, who owned Island Pictures, literally came to watch me audition. It became a thing where I, like, read like seven times, and it was like an audience would start coming in. I was acting out the scenes a little more aggressively and really becoming that part. And then finally, Leo agreed, I think he's

getting a lot of pressure from a lot of different people, but he only knew me as Marky Mark. And so, and I think we played, we met before. We played. We played. at the MTV Rock and Jock. Sure. We're all great friendships, our forums. That didn't make a good impression. Between me on the basketball and then my halftime show, I was a torrent.

I was like... A terror. Yeah, it was a tornado of prickness. Gonna ask MTV to dig that out of the archives. Yeah, yeah. So when I finally had the audition, it was supposed to be on like a Monday. And then on the Thursday,

you know, we're sitting in New York and bored I'm like, yo, let's do something. I'm like, what are we going to do? I'm like, you know, with all my boys, we're like, and I've been to Puerto Rico, let's go to Puerto Rico. Went to Puerto Rico, flew down there, went to Dorado Beach, hung out, and then all of a sudden we're getting back on the flight, and the flight is canceled, there's snowstorm in New York,

and cut to we're eight hours late for the reading. I walk in, everybody's pissed, right? He's sitting there, like, you know, they've been waiting and waiting. Oh, my God. I got an earful from Calvert on the way in. And then we sat down, we started reading. And it was like, I was kind of like, because I was also, I had never seen him really acting anything.

I knew he had Gilbert Grape coming out, but I'd never really seen anything. And, you know, being a guy from the street, basketball player, I was probably just as skeptical as he was about me as an actor. So I was like, oh, shit, it was pretty good, man. And all of a sudden, next thing you know, we're reading the scenes. We read the scenes an hour later. we're out in the club, we're hanging out. And, yeah, so, yeah, a friendship was, was, was born.

And, you know, we became fast friends. And then, you know, to the point where he was recommending me to Foley for fear. And Foley was like, what? He was like, I know it sounds crazy. But you know the guy Marky, Mark? He's like, yeah. He's like, we just did this movie together. And he's like, what?

You out of your mind? Yeah. And he's like, no, no, he'd be really good for this part. So anyway, cut to me and Foley hang out for eight hours. He calls him. He was like, I never gave you this part. But, you know, I really had a great time. with you is okay we'd still be friends like dude I only hung out with you because I liked you

I mean the formality of the meeting was over within 45 minutes and then we just decided to go and hang out and so all good is your movie do your thing and he felt bad he wanted to give me an audition for one of the smaller roles right but there wasn't really enough lines to see what somebody could do so he just told me to read the scene with the lead and next thing was like whoa he's like he calls the studio he goes listen if you don't give mark wellberg this part I'm not doing the movie and I had never been in a movie before cut to Brian Rayser

Ron Howard are like oh my God well we never hired anybody I mean Tom Hanks this one that one you know without at least meeting so it was subject I got the offer subject to a meeting and I was in Germany performing cut to my road manager leaves our passport

in the safe this is no bullshit leaves the passports in the safe we missed the flight we missed the reading oh my God we're supposed to do like just a table read at Grazier's house and then it was like finally I was able to smooth that over and because basketball diaries renaissance man had yet to come out right and then when I met Bill Paxson I just told them you know that I and I think no boogie nights was was first I met uh Paul right we kind of hit it off and he said you know you got the part but then

want you to meet the guys and next thing you know here comes to the audition right so john c riley thomas jane film seymour hoffman yeah and we start reading the scenes you know goodbye summer movies hello fall i'm anthony devaney and i'm his twin brother james we host raiders of the lost podcast the ultimate movie podcast and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases we have leonard Caprio leading a revolution in one battle after another. Timothy Salome playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and Jorgos Lanthamos' Bagonia.

Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar in The Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about, too. Tron Ares looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar writes, The Running Man starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. I'm Amy Nicholson, the film critic for the LA Times. And I'm Paul Shear, an actor, writer, and director.

You might know me from The League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters. We come together to host Unspool, a podcast where we talk about good movies, critical hits. Fan favorites, must-season, and case you miss them. We're talking Parasite the Home Alone. From Greece to the Dark Night. So if you love movies like we do, come along on our cinematic adventure. Listen to Unspooled wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to hit the follow button.

So I want to ask about pretty nice, because there's so much lore about this one, and it's been, you know, known that Bert Reynolds was more than not into what Paul was dishing out. Paul was a young, and I kind of get it to a degree. Paul was coming. It wasn't so much that it was what Paul was dishing out. Bert wasn't in a good way at that time.

He wasn't. Well, he wasn't that he was also. He wasn't in a good. in a good way. He was, you know, he's the biggest movie star in the world for over a decade. And then all of a sudden he's saying, excuse my language, but, you know, come on our dads. And he just felt like it was so beneath him. Right. You know, he didn't really understand the potential of this movie. Yeah. And that, you know, it was, you know, obviously set in the world of pornography, but it was about some very interesting characters. And that, you know,

had a lot of potential to be something special. And that Paul was, was a real talent and and so he just blew his top a couple of times I remember the first day he comes in and uh paul comes to me we're about to shoot the scene where we meet in the in the dishwashing in the back of the kitchen yeah and uh paul goes um you know bird came to me and uh he he doesn't really understand my rhythm of writing so he wants to um he wants to use an irish accent i was like what he was like yeah he thinks this is to be more helpful to kind of you know find the character and let's just just just go with it i thought he's just pulling my right i'm like okay here's some actory smack three he's just you know

maybe they're trying to keep me on my toes or whatever all of a sudden he was oh you're done aren't you and like what the fuck i started laughing don't you ever laugh at me kid oh shit what the fuck well cut to we shot the scene and then and then and then I of course at the end of the movie hey we're going to take another stab at that uh oh so you shot the yeah the introduction scene so we so we re-shot the scene that he has the irish accent that was the only scene he shot with an irish accent yeah he got him off the accent after that okay but uh but we went back and shot that scene over you've been on a couple sets that have kind of a notorious like tensions i obviously three kings there's again all the stuff

with david or russell and george um i mean i don't know what wasn't that much tension what well that's their version of tension it was Very tense. For you, that's just another day. Cuba and I'm just playing football like, well, what's going on over there? Sounds like the one to kill each other. No? Well, listen.

Do you like tension on set? Is that a little tension okay? I don't like tension on set. I think if you need tension on set, you can create that. Look, I mean, everybody's different, right? There was a big misunderstanding, you know, it was like, you know, back then, I've worked with him for a while, but I've worked with him since then on a number of occasions. And, you know, it was very difficult.

under those circumstances of that location, where we were, what we were trying to accomplish in the short amount of time that we had. And so they had their thing and then they kind of figured it out and fixed it. It's interesting because then I think

of The Departed... I really only talk about my own beef, so I'm not going to really say too much about it. Well, I'm going to bring it to your stuff now. The Departed... Oh, you are. You brought the aggression on the set of The Departed, it sounds like.

You were kind of in character and decided, for whatever reason, that's the headspace you wanted to be in. Because I would imagine most folks are like cowtow to Marty and like whatever you say, boss. But it sounds like your attitude was a little bit stronger than that on that set.

Well, I was a little pissed about a couple of things, but look, it all worked out in the end. I think... Well, you pissed that. You don't know. Well, originally, I was supposed to play another part. Originally, I was supposed to get paid, and originally I was supposed to be, you know, and then even when we kind of

agreed that I would play Dingham and I saw the advantages of playing that part and how I would approach the situation with everybody else playing opposite me. I then had another movie after. So I just finished Four Brothers and I was going into Invincible After. I was trying to grow my hair out,

which is why I had that weird hair. You know, everybody's like, what was that wig about? I was like, I was not a wig. I was just trying to grow my hair for the next film. Right. And then, but he had to deal.

I completely understand when Martin's coming from. He had to deal with Jack. He had to deal with Matt and Leo and Alec and everything in the studio and everybody else who was in the cast. I was supposed to be in and out in five weeks. And so I went off to go and shoot Invincible, got my hair extensions, came back,

and then they were like, oh, you got to take out the extensions. I was like, shit took eight hours. I'm not taking this out. So we had a couple of issues, but, you know, ultimately, I think when I read that particular role, I was like, okay, this is a good role. This is an opportunity for me to really kind of go off and have some fun. For me, originally, I was just thinking, okay, we got to make this as realistic incredible as possible. It's Boston. It's gangster shit. You don't see too many of that,

those movies. And I was thinking kind of broad, big picture, not necessarily my own individual goals or even the opportunity for me as an actor. And then when I read the part again, I was like, okay, there's, there's something here. It says something to be the guy that steals scenes from the likes of Nicholson and Damon, Leo. And your role is, your performance is remarkable. Oscar nominated for the performance. be acting Oscar nomination do you feel well do you care about that kind of stuff does it does it matter to you to a certain extent I mean yeah you look you want the movie to be recognized you want to be recognized you want to it helps the you know the ultimate success of the film I think it enhances

the box office quite a bit especially if you have a movie coming out of that time a year but it's not as high on the priority list as it used to be let's just say that okay would you rather a movie make a billion dollars or win an academy award if I have a nice back end I would rather Let me see the deal points. Let me see it. But that being said, look, I mean, you know, I'm a competitive guy. I like, you know, to be, I work really hard, and I try to make the best movies possible. Yeah.

I always want to be the best. I approach it as very much as an athlete, as a fighter, all of those things. So I only want to win. I'm going to be one of the few guys that's not going to lie to you right now. I know. A lot of guys are like, yeah, I'd love to see somebody to win this over me, you know. Yeah, come on. What did your parents and childhood friends think of, like, the trajectory of, like, where you ended up after the path you were on at the start?

Were they shocked? Did they always see? Did they give up on you at a certain point in the teen years? Well, certain people did. I mean, you have to ask whoever is still around. But, you know, I think, you know, my parents always believed him. My dad was, you know, he was glad that I had turned my life around, was glad that I was doing something positive when I started making music and that I was successful. But he was really proud when I became.

an actor and even more proud when I was getting that kind of recognition. You know, he wasn't so much impressed with the paycheck as he was the recognition. And my dad grew up always watching the Oscars. So he was really proud about that and, you know, thought that was a huge accomplishment and said that that was when I could call myself an actor. Yeah. You know, when I got that kind of acknowledgement. And, you know, look, my mom just wanted me to be happy and to be successful.

And whether I was working a construction job or whatever I was doing, as long as I was doing something positive and productive. She was going to be proud of me. Okay, let's set the record straight on some roles that supposedly you almost did or turned down or said it didn't work out. Oceans 11? I was asked to do the movie,

and what happened was we asked if they would wait for me, but I had already committed to working with Tim Burton and Jonathan Demi. And for me, it was, even though those movies did not turn out to be good, those experiences, were great. You don't say no to those guys. No, and you know what?

At that point, I was still really trying to grow as an actor. I also realized the importance of also because when I talked to Tim, I was thrilled that the opportunity to work with Tim, wasn't thrilled at the idea of doing that remake, but it was worth going to take that risk to work with Tim Burton. Same thing with Jonathan Demi. When I read the script, I'm thinking, oh, my God, is this Philadelphia? Is this, you know, Silence of the Lamps? No, it was a kind of a remake of Sharad.

So, no, I was not, like, thrilled when I was in the beret and the scarf, the baguette, but had great, one of the great times of my career, my life, you know, offset. And had a great time working on that movie. We've really learned a lot, worked with some hugely talented people. I mean, Dandy Newton's amazing. You know, Tim Robbins, I mean, the cast was Ted Levine. It was an amazing cast. Juno and Pak.

It was like, it was really, really a great experience in many ways. The movie didn't turn out good. But so they didn't, you know, kind of want to wait. And then, you know, I was able to do my own thing with a giant job, which was good. Did, um, I know you're not a comic book guy. We've talked about this in the past. It's not for everybody. It's all good.

But like, did Schumacher come to you about playing Robin in Batman forever? No, we met. We met quite a few times. Uh, we talked about it. I never got the official offer. But he tried to, well, he, he was interested and there were conversations. You didn't have to get in the suit. No.

I can't imagine Mark Wahlberg in a robin costume. I'm going to be honest. No, I'm glad I didn't get that offer. That would have been hard to say no to a big franchise, big, or no? Well, I could easily, in hindsight, just be like, no, why would I ever do that? I mean, everything, everything would tell you that that's okay to say right now. That would be expected, but I really don't know, you know, looking back, just to be honest, possible. And I will in some

situations on this conversation sometimes. Sometimes I won't. I'm going to fucking lie right too. So let's just be frank about that. Let's see if this is a lie or truth. It's said that I don't know if it was Zach Snyder or Chuck Roven. Someone wanted you for Green Lantern. Was there ever a conversation? No.

No. It was the watchman. Oh, Zach's Watchman movie. Yeah. And I never got to a place where I had meetings with him and nothing. Chuck Rovon and I've worked together on a number of occasions. I love Chuck. Chuck and I have a great relationship since Three Kings.

But I never got that offer. Did he direct Greenlander? No, he didn't. But Green Lantern could have, never really did get involved in his DC films as it progressed. I know you'd watch them all. But it was not the one that they made. I don't like the Ryan Reynolds one. Who knows?

No. No. So do you remember even what part it wasn't in Watchman? Was it the comedian, the Jeffrey Dean Morgan? roll or? I don't remember. Yeah. All good. And I never saw the film. I've seen parts of the film, but I know it's not the film. So do you, I'm curious, like,

are your kids into those movies? Like, have they ever influenced your decisions? I mean, like, Dad, you should do, like, one of those, like, Marvel or DC movies, or is it sort of like your thing? Like, ultimately your decision. What did the kids really wanted me to do? Well, my

wife was really influential in me doing the lovely bones. Okay. Because I had just finished a movie and I just gotten home and then all of a sudden I get the call that was a crazy circumstance like hey you got to read this script I'm like I know I'll read it he's like no you got to read it tonight I'm like what yeah say yeah you got to make a decision by Monday I'm like it's Friday dude I'm like I just got home there's no way and then he told me what it was and what had happened and I called I told my wife she's go oh my god I read that book as much as I don't want you to leave you got

you got to do it if you if you got an opportunity to do it it's a great part and it's a great great book so and get to work with peter jackson yeah and the kids kids with transformers was oh gotcha yeah that was that was one for the kiddos two for the kiddos hey michael hey tom well big news to share it right yes huge monumental earth shaking heartbeat sound effect big rink is back that's right after a brief snack nap we're coming back we're coming We're picking snacks? We're eating snacks. We're raiding snacks.

Like the snackologist we were born to be. Mates is back. Mike and Tom, eat snacks. Wherever you get your podcast. Unless you get them from a snack machine, in which case, call us. Call us. How does love work exactly? What makes something funny?

How does noise affect your health? These are just a sample of the fascinating topic. we discuss on my podcast, Something You Should Know. We bring you leading experts on topics important to you, things you can use in your life and that will fascinate you. We deliver three episodes a week and have over a thousand episodes available to listen. So get listening to Something You Should Know, wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, it's official.

We are very much in the final sprint to election day. And face it, between debates, polling releases, even court appearances, it can feel exhausting, even impossible to keep up with. I'm Brad Milkey, I'm the host of Start Here, the Daily podcast from ABC News, and every morning my team and I get you caught up on the day's news in a quick, straightforward way that's easy to understand, with just enough context so you can listen, get it, and go on with your day. So, kickstart your morning. Start Smart with Start Here and ABC News because staying informed shouldn't feel overwhelming. So where are you at right now? Like you've remade your life a lot in the recent years. You moved to Vegas, partially for the kids, partially for career stuff, et cetera.

I mean, all the business ventures couldn't be going better seemingly. You're so like you're doing a thousand different things. Look, some better than others, but, you know, look, if something is not working, we've got to figure out how to fix it and correct it. You know, we're not giving up on stuff. These are things that not only we're passionate about, we believe in, we got real skin in the game, you know, sometimes you're going to hit grand slams. Sometimes you're going to hit some singles and doubles, you know, we've got to make sure that we stay the course and we feel like with the right people, first of all, getting involved in something for the right reasons, building something the right way. way, putting the first, second and third emphasis on quality, you always have a chance to succeed, but you got to have luck, you got to keep climbing and digging yourself out of holes

and, you know, grinding away. And, you know, it's, it's tough. I mean, for me, it's like, I'm actually, I put the work in. You definitely do. And then I also know, like, a lot of the films you have the most pride and were the passion projects. Yeah. We're the, you know, the fighter, which took, like, a decade to get made. And in a different way, it's where it's like, I know like $6 billion man is kind of a passion project. It's like it keeps coming back and you haven't given up on it. It's come back again. Why are you not giving?

I mean, I love $6 million man growing up, but why do you feel like this is worth all the time? I just think, especially like where superhero movies are now, you know, I think it's the perfect time because people still want something that, you know, you get the kind of wish for fulfillment, but it's still grounded and real, you know, and it's very possible. I mean, this is where our future looks like. Right. Right around the corner, you know, with AI and everything else. So, yeah, I just think it can make for a great movie. Is it as close as it's been or where were we out on the? I think now it's actually closer just because of who's going to be involved.

Yeah. And, you know, they don't piss about. Let's say these guys get stuff done. Yes. So having, you know, now finding the right writer, clearing up all these rights issues, getting the right writer and I think there is definitely a ticking clock

because I'm not getting any younger but I think the fact that they take the old guy because he's disposable if there's a good way in that makes it believable as opposed to like you know make me look young

we don't want to do that I do like the idea of playing parts that are age appropriate yeah I'm honestly fascinated by what the career is going to be in 1015 what is Mark's career in his 60s

and 70s like as you kind of like do you do like Tom Cruise where he's like jumping off a building until he can't or do you move into character role I like more character driven stuff yeah you know I think um I like the idea of having a stunt double I admire Tom Cruise I got you know as much as I've been you know

maybe a little sarcastic recovery in the past he's the biggest movie star that's walked the earth he's the best at what he does nobody does it better nobody's more committed to doing it yeah and as he lives it i don't think he does anything else i don't know what else he does but he is the best of the best of the best well no as a guy that has the best work ethic you must have respect another guy that's got the work oh 100% are you i multitask i do lots of different things but he's just one thing he is a man who makes movies and makes his movies and he's really good shame i was i was thrilled when i when i saw um

The last mission. Maverick. Oh, Maverick was amazing. Yeah, and of course, you know, Miles Teller, who I love. I'm a big, big fan of his, but it was like, that works. This is why this guy's the biggest star in the world. Are you working with Shane Black? Yes.

I'm excited for that combo. I start in about a week and a half. That guy's a hell of a writer, a character. I'm sure your paths have crossed at some point, but to finally say his words. We have. We've met, we talked. I mean, we never, I don't think we ever really talked about the Predator remake, But we definitely, he and I had a general meeting before,

always a big fan of his work. And, you know, I've been watching all of his movies lately and, you know, getting ready. But one of those guys, like, you know, he's a true visionary. So as a writer-director, you kind of go in with the idea of, okay, I'm going to go and service his vision and it would be fun. Are we getting another uncharted? Where are we at? I'm surprised this is.

I don't know. That's kind of bizarre. I don't know. I think they had a script. I haven't seen it. You know, it's a, that's a Chuck, Josh, Rothman, Tom, Holland, sort of thing. You know, I mean, look, had a lot of fun making that movie. It was tough because it was COVID and lots of stuff going on there.

But, you know, ultimately, it was cool, and people really enjoyed it. So now I can rock the mustache. You definitely can. Last two minutes, rapid fire. Happy, second, fuse profoundly random questions. Dogs are cats. Arthur the King, you have to answer this correctly. Dogs.

Obviously. I'm not a cat guy. You see me just getting more allergies now, just thinking about it. Wallpaper on your phone? What's the wallpaper on your phone? My wife and kids have been the same since. And they're all little. Let's see.

Adele, do you like set fire to the rain or rolling in the deep? Well, I got to say fire and rain. Only because I think that's like the sixth track on the, fifth or sixth track on the album. It always, the album obviously starts with Rolling in the Deep, but they're in a bad song. there, bro. And go see the show. I mean, I'll do respect to everybody else in Vegas. And I've seen some good shows and some okay shows. She's the best. What's the worst note of director has ever given you? Um, I don't know. I really, I think, you know, I was just reading that thing about, um, Brad Pitt and Edswick. I was I could imagine what he said to him to try to get

I'm going, but, you know, everybody's been... I mean, you've worked with every different kind of director. It seems like you are malleable for, like, the Pete Berg's and the Adam McKay's, they couldn't be more different, and yet it's... The worst piece of direction I got the other day from Lev, we're doing a commercial for Fletchen. I'm like, I'm off camera, well, basically the camera's behind me, but, you know, I'm only waiting for my close-up, right, and turn the camera around.

And the first take, I'm like, I'm walking into the restaurant and the bar, and then all of a sudden, like, cut, the guy's doing his line and he's not really an actor. He comes back, and he's like, wants to talk to me, but he's like, you got to go slower. Slower. I'm like, what? Fuck you. What the fuck you're talking about? The fuck out of here, man. I'm not even fucking, we're not even there yet.

I'm like, what do you want me crawling on the ground? Because I was looking in the desert for a bottle. You got to be committed to my touch and all that. But I'm like, yeah, let me wait until I get on the turn around. I'll crawl for you. I'll sell that tequila. But, you know, look, I mean, he's somebody who I worked with for 30, some of a year, so he can say that to me, and I can say whatever I want to him.

Okay. That's my real part. Happy, second, fused. Actor that makes you happy. Many, many, many, you know what? Will Farrell makes me probably happiest. Kevin Hart truly just genuinely makes me happy. I just saw him recently, and I just talked to Will not too long.

long ago and seeing him and Barbie was like such a treat I love that guy movie that makes you sad oh many movies ah babe um some of the favorite movies that I've seen over the last I'll be a babe the help um Octavia yeah you know I she's just there you know and finally Fyola they're incredible food that makes you confused you don't get it well there's some foods that rock my belly the wrong away that should come with a modium let's just say that and i don't want to say i don't want to offend nobody well it's happened you know what i'm very particular i mean look i started the first time i ever traveled to london i had really only eaten my mom's cooking the sub shop on the corner my neighborhood

and school lunches and i was like complete culture shock i was like i will never ever come back here again and i realized i've got some of the best food in the world so i needed to expand and grow and evolution this is the theme of mark walberg's life and career uh congratulations man i'm sorry we didn't get to spend enough time on arthur the king but it's a really a great story an amazing true story if you're a dog lover if you love to see look it does blend everything these are these amazing adventurers these extreme athletes uh and you got a cute dog in the mix too what's not to love and the dog does not die i can promise you that no marley i apologize did the dog die i never mind i uh it's gonna be okay

That was David Frankel. That's right. Directed Entourage Pilot. So the reason why we didn't get into everything else was because I was late. I apologize. I woke up at four. I'm congested allergies.

I got in the cold plunge. I went to the gym. I had to repack. Read my script, the Shane Black script. Read my prayer book. Was conversating a lot with my guys from Hallow because the app is number one in the world.

Get prayed up. The world. Yeah. See, get prayed up. Everybody says it wrong. I'm on brand. Yeah. Look, dude, you weren't...

But I was late, I apologize. No, no, it's all good. There's no one that's been better to me over the years, and I truly value our friendship professionally and personally. You're the best man. Congratulations on the film. Everybody check out Arthur the King. And thanks for the time, buddy.

Oh, thank you, but it was good to see. I appreciate it. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't pressure to do this by Josh This message comes from BetterHelp

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That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com. American history is full of infamous tales that continue to captivate audiences, decades or even hundreds of years after they happened. On the infamous America podcast, you'll hear the true stories of the Salem Witch Trials and the escape attempts from Alcatraz, of bank robbers like John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd, of killers like Lizzie Borden and Charles Starkweather, of mysteries like the Black Dahlia and D.B. Cooper, and of events that inspired movies like Goodfellas, Killers of a Flower Moon, Zodiac, Eight Men Out, and many more.

I'm Chris Wimmer. Join me as we crisscross the country from the Miami Drug Wars and Dixie Mafia in the South, to mobsters in Chicago and New York, to arsonists, kidnappers, and killers in California, to unsolved mysteries in the heartland and in remote corners of Alaska. Every episode features narrative writing and cinematic music, and there are hundreds of episodes available to binge. Find Infamous America, wherever you get your podcasts.