Mark Wahlberg turned producer to land roles before Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise – Insider

• Mark Wahlberg told Cigar Aficionado magazine that he became a producer “out of necessity.”
• He said that as a producer, he doesn’t need to wait for stars like Brad Pitt to reject the roles he wants.
• Wahlberg also wondered how much longer he would continue acting “at the pace I’m doing it now.”

Mark Wahlberg said he became a producer so he wouldn’t have to wait for stars like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise to pass on coveted roles to him before he was considered for the part.

Over the past 20 years, the actor has turned his attention to producing television series and films such as “Father Stu”, “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire”, while remaining in front of the screen.

In a new interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine for its September/October issue, Wahlberg said he started producing “out of necessity.”

“The reason I started producing was because I didn’t want to sit around waiting for Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise or whoever was already established before me and who the guys were at the time, and that Leo “Go pass on a film until I can get my hands on it,” Wahlberg explained. “So I was always proactive in trying to find materials and things that I could produce, that I knew were good for me, to create my own destiny.”

Wahlberg added that he also wanted to have more creative control over the films in which he is a lead actor.

“If I have to be in this position, I’d rather be behind the wheel,” he said. “You’re going 100 miles an hour on the highway, do you want to be in the back seat without a seat belt or do you want to be behind the wheel?”

Elsewhere in the interview, Wahlberg said he is currently working hard to leave a viable business for his four children with Rhea Durham – Ella, Michael, Brendan and Grace – to one day inherit.

However, the actor also wondered how long he would continue to star in multiple projects back to back.

“Well, I’m certainly working harder than ever,” Wahlberg said (via The Hollywood Reporter). “Some businesses, you build them, pass them on or you leave them. I hope my children, we will see what their interests are, but I don’t think I will act for much longer at the pace I am at now. It’s is sure. Because it’s the hardest thing.

Wahlberg first suggested finding opportunities outside of Hollywood “sooner rather than later” in an interview with Entertainment Tonight last year. At the time, the actor had moved with his family from Hollywood to Las Vegas.

Wahlberg told Fox News in March that he decided to move to provide a better life for his children.

“It really gives kids a chance to thrive,” the “Uncharted” star said. “There’s a lot of opportunity here for me, too. We’re trying to build a studio. We’re trying to build a shoe factory. We want to create a lot of jobs here.”