Mark Wahlberg Feared ‘Boogie Nights’ Would Exploit Him and Be ‘Absolutely Terrible’: Playing a Porn Star ‘Was Not Appealing to Me’ at First
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Mark Wahlberg was better known for his Calvin Klein underwear ads and his Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch music career than for his acting (“Fear”) when he accepted the role of aspiring porn star Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.” The 1997 drama made Wahlberg a bonafide movie star, but he wasn’t immediately sold on the role. Speaking to Cigar Aficionado magazine, Wahlberg admitted he feared “Boogie Nights” might exploit him.