Actor Mark Wahlberg believes his fellow celebrities should stick to entertaining Americans and stop trying to push their politics on the country.
“A lot of celebrities did, do, and shouldn’t [talk about politics], Wahlberg told Task & Purpose, a news and analysis outlet geared toward American service veterans.
During a press event for his upcoming thriller Patriots Day, about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Wahlberg was asked about the seemingly endless number of celebrities who bashed President-elect Donald Trump before the election.
“You know, it just goes to show you that people aren’t listening to that anyway,” the actor told the outlet. “They might buy your CD or watch your movie, but you don’t put food on their table. You don’t pay their bills.”
“A lot of Hollywood is living in a bubble,” says Wahlberg, who has acting credits that date back to the early 90’s and has produced and starred in some of the most successful TV shows and blockbusters of the last to decades.
“They’re pretty out of touch with the common person, the everyday guy out there providing for their family,” he said. “Me, I’m very aware of the real world. I come from the real world and I exist in the real world. And although I can navigate Hollywood and I love the business and the opportunities it’s afforded me, I also understand what it’s like not to have all that.”
Wahlberg is certainly no stranger to politically-charge movie roles. He played former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell in Lone Survivor (2013), and Mike Williams, an oil rig worker and survivor of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, in Deepwater Horizon (2016).
Wahlberg says Patriots Day, much like the aforementioned roles, will remind people how special and great America’s people, police and military members truly are.
“I definitely think the film is going to bring people together,” Wahlberg said. “It will give people an added boost and a reminder of what a great country we do have and how amazing people are. People really dedicated their lives to serving our country and our communities, and we need to honor that. The overall purpose of police and military is protect us. It’s an amazing thing, and every chance I get I want to thank them for their service.”
Patriots Day opens in theaters on January 17. The film is directed by Peter Berg and stars Melissa Benoist, Mark Wahlberg, and Michelle Monaghan.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.