This Is Mark Wahlberg's Best Role, According To 21% Of Fans We Polled
Mark Wahlberg got his start as an early 90s rapper, but it wasn't long before he dipped his toe in the acting pool. 1994's "Renaissance Man" marked his first feature film, and slowly but surely, Wahlberg made a name for himself in the movie business. The actor generally sticks to action flicks but proved later in his career he has comedic chops. Wahlberg can also deliver a strong emotional performance, as demonstrated in "The Lovely Bones" and "All the Money in the World."
With over 70 acting credits to his name, Wahlberg has appeared in some of the most recognizable films of the last 30 years. We wanted to see which of his performances his fans thought were the best, so we put it to a vote. Looper polled our audience, giving them six of Wahlberg's most loved and well-received movies to select as their favorite performance from the actor. You might be surprised by the results.
Mark Wahlberg fans favor The Italian Job
With 21% of the vote, Charlie from "The Italian Job" lands at the top of our poll as fans' favorite Mark Wahlberg character. The 2003 flick was a successful American remake of the 1969 British film of the same name. With only a few references to the original "The Italian Job" throughout, Wahlberg's film was a great standalone. The film worked so well due to the stellar ensemble cast, including Charlize Theron, Mos Def, Jason Statham, Edward Norton, and Seth Green. Charlie is charismatic, intelligent, determined, and kept a cool head, unlike so many other Wahlberg characters we've seen over the years.
Landing second in our Wahlberg poll is Sean Dignam from "The Departed," with just over 18% of the vote. To say Wahlberg is a scene stealer in this movie would be an understatement. He's certainly a supporting character, but the Bostonian nailed the role and has some of the most quotable lines in the film. Dignam is a staff sergeant for the Massachusetts State Police and worked in the undercover unit in the SIU. Dignam kills Sullivan (Matt Damon) out of revenge for the deaths of Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Queenan (Martin Sheen). While no one in the movie can be considered a hero, Wahlberg's character comes closest.
Falling at number three with 17% of the vote is Micky Ward from "The Fighter." While most of the critical acclaim in the film was directed toward Christian Bale and Melissa Leo (both earned supporting actor Oscars), there is no "The Fighter" without Wahlberg. The actor plays welterweight boxer Micky Ward, whose journey to success is often overshadowed by his half-brother Dicky's (Bale) crack cocaine addiction.
Fans haven't forgotten about Boogie Nights
In a close fourth place for Mark Wahlberg's best character is Dirk Diggler from "Boogie Nights," with a little over 16% of the vote. The 1997 film had a remarkable cast, including Burt Reynolds, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Don Cheadle, to name a few. Dirk is an unassuming dishwasher lured into the porn industry by Jack Horner (Reynolds), leading to a cocaine-addicted lifestyle. Dirk eventually gets out of the business and tries to start a music career but fails due to his love of cocaine. He returns to the porn industry, always looking for fame and fortune.
According to fans, Wahlberg's fifth best performance is as Terry in "The Other Guys," with just over 12% of the vote. The 2010 film garners more acclaim as the years tick on, but it was an underappreciated gem just after its debut. Wahlberg's Detective Terry Hoitz partners with Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell), and the duo investigates a scaffolding permit violation that turns into a bigger crime plot they couldn't have anticipated. Wahlberg really shows his comedic chops in the film, which is only emphasized by his tremendous chemistry with Ferrell.
Falling last in our poll is Marcus Luttrell from "Lone Survivor," with just over 12% of respondents choosing it as their favorite Wahlberg role. The incredible true story is based on Operation Red Wings, a failed Navy SEALs counter-insurgent mission in 2005. Luttrell is the only survivor of the foursome team, and Wahlberg nails his performance.