Why Mark Wahlberg Claims He Won’t Be Acting ‘That Much Longer’
Mark Wahlberg doesn't know exactly when he'll stop working as an actor, but he doesn't plan to continue his on-screen career for "that much longer."
When ET Online reporters asked about his plans to stop acting, the 52-year-old responded, "sooner rather than later, probably."
"Certain businesses, you kind of build them, pass them on, or you exit," he said, hinting that maybe one of his four kids–daughters Ella Rae, 20, and Grace, 13; and sons Michael, 17, and Brendan, 15–have plans to follow in his footsteps.
"I don’t think that I’ll be acting that much longer at the pace I am now," Wahlberg continued, "That’s for sure. Because that’s the most difficult thing."
Going forward, the types of acting jobs he accepts will be ones that speak to him on a deeper level. "It's gotta be something special to really bring me, you know, to leave home, to leave those guys behind," he said, referring to his wife of 14 years, Rhea Durham, and the couple's children. "Because it's the biggest sacrifice... for sure."
So, if he's already thinking about exiting from his career of acting, does that mean Wahlberg is ready to retire? Not quite. The Uncharted star explained that while he plans to slow down the number of on-screen roles he accepts, he's not entirely done working.
As for what's next, he said he would like to direct as he's inspired by the possibility of "Working with some of the other great talents" and "Working with the next batch of great talent."
Elsewhere in the conversation, Wahlberg discussed how his career plans have always been meticulously thought out ahead of any steps he takes to act on them (pun intended).
Speaking of his professional life as a whole, he recalled the only reason he decided to dip his toes into producing was so that he would eventually be able to advance his career even further.
"I started becoming a producer out of necessity," Wahlberg told the outlet. "I didn’t want to sit around waiting for Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise or whoever was already established before me and were the guys at the time, and Leo [DiCaprio], to go and pass on a movie until I could get my hands on it."
"I was always proactive in trying to find material and things that I could produce," he added. "That I knew was right for me, [to] create my own destiny."
Next: Mark Wahlberg's Grueling Daily Schedule Is a Challenge to Others
