Mark Wahlberg is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable actors who is currently busy juggling multiple projects. He was paid nearly $30 million by Netflix for Spenser Confidential and will soon be seen alongside Kevin Hart in the upcoming 2022 film Me Time. Wahlberg has appeared in several movies over the decades, many of which are now streaming on Netflix.
The 1997 film Boogie Nights, which catapulted Wahlberg’s career into superstardom, was directed by acclaimed auteur Paul Thomas Anderson.
Starring Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly and other talented actors, this masterpiece is a period piece revolving around the character Eddie Adam’s notorious entry into the porn industry under the alias of Dirk Diggler.
The film chronicles his drug-fuelled journey into hedonism and a carefree lifestyle, which soon causes him to spiral towards his downfall.
Loosely based on ionic porn star John Holmes and serving as a continuation of PTA’s mockumentary about a well-endowed porn star, titled The Dirk Diggler Story, the film is a brilliant critique of the porn industry. It is also a searing exposé of the trade and the fierce competition.
The incredible ensemble cast delivered magnetic performances, and PTA’s creative vision culminated into a brilliant masterpiece via magnificent visuals and surreal long takes.
However, the film had a lot of behind-the-scenes secrets that were recently exposed.
Wahlberg, who played the role of the rising pornstar Diggler in the film, was initially not a part of the film. After Leonardo DiCaprio refused to do the film due to scheduling conflicts with Titanic, the film went to Wahlberg. Anderson discovered Wahlberg through The Basketball Diaries and Wahlberg’s history as an underwear model.
Initially, Wahlberg refused to do the film due to the failure of Showgirls. However, after he read the much-hyped script, he was intrigued.
Wahlberg revealed, “I got 35 pages into it [the Boogie Nights script], I put it down, I said, ‘I’ve got to meet the director.’ I said, ‘This guy either finally wants me to take the Calvin Kleins off, or he wants to make a really serious movie.'”
While the film was an epic success with three Oscar nominations and worldwide acclaim, Wahlberg recently revealed that he still has Diggler’s well-endowed on-screen prosthetic penis.
Diggler was known for his well-endowed self, and Wahlberg had to don a prosthetic penis for the shots. Wahlberg said, “It’s [the penis] actually the only prop that I’ve ever kept from a movie. I didn’t think there would be that much interest in it. But maybe at some point, I can sell it at auction for charity.”
He shared with Seth Meyers how awkward it was to get the prosthetic made, which he had to wear all day- they took measurements, imagined what Holmes’ appendage would be like, and Wahlberg had to come on set to show the crew what it looked like.
Later, he also talked to Ellen DeGeneres on her show about how the penis is “in a safe, locked away”. He said, “It’s not something I could leave out. All of a sudden my kids are looking for a spare phone charger and pull that thing out and go, ‘What the heck is this?!’ It wouldn’t be a good look.”
Watch Boogie Nights on Netflix today.
