Not everyone can make the transition from early '90s rapper/underwear model to Academy Award-nominated actor. Over the years, Mark Wahlberg proved he could break the mold, and he's hoping to do that again with Michael Bay for "Pain and Gain," the director's small true-life passion project about Miami bodybuilders turned kidnappers.
Wahlberg spoke with MTV News while promoting his new crime thriller "Contraband" and opened up about making the move to comedy with Bay at the helm.
"We're talking about ['Pain and Gain']," Wahlberg said. "We've got to figure it out, scheduling and all that stuff. It's a possibility. It's a great script. [Bay has] got a great take on it and how he wants to do it."
Bay has never exactly been known for smaller-scale work, but his potential star knows exactly what it's like to go against type.
"It's a scary thing, but [Bay is] so talented. I don't think there's anything he can't do," Wahlberg said. "He was just so good at doing that. It just took on a life of its own with all the fleet of planes and homes and everything that he has, 'But wait. Let me go back and show people how talented I am.'"
And Wahlberg can relate. After playing a vulnerable porn star in "Boogie Nights," the tough guy roles he'd become known for dried up.
"It's a risk. Anytime you do something people don't expect or it's not your comfort zone or sweet spot, then people might question it at first. I'm faced with that every time out," he said, recalling his "Boogie Nights" experience. "I was getting the script, and I was like, I should play this part. The guy is like, 'We need a guy like Marky Mark. The guy's tough.' I'm looking at this guy, like are you serious? I had just done 'Boogie Nights' and he had just seen that and was like, 'We need a guy who is really edgy and street tough.' I was like, 'Give me a shot.'"
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