|
|
|
MARK WAHLBERG on 'INVINCIBLE'
Contributed by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
August 13, 2006
Set in 1976's Philadelphia, Invincible is the dramatized story of Vince Papale, a bartender who, at the age of 30, overcame enormous odds to make the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles. Answering the team's promotion of an open tryout willing to see all comers, he accomplished the improbable by breaking into the ranks of the NFL in spite of being considered too old and having no college football experience. This inspirational sports movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, Elizabeth Banks as his love interest Janet, and Greg Kinnear as Eagles coach Dick Vermeil.
In this interview, Mark Wahlberg talks about working on the project and collaborating with the real Vince Papale.
|
The Interview
|
MEDIA: You had to take a few hits in the movie. How did you approach those physical aspects of filming?
MARK: You know, it was the only way, in my opinion, to make the rest of the movie work, from my point of view as a guy. I mean, if the football didn't work, I would be out the window--I'd walk out of the theater. So I had to go in there and make it real. And when I went in, I told the guys, "I want to make it real and I basically want to approach it like a guy trying to make a team and trying to earn their respect." [And it] took a while. [jokes] It took some barbecues and beers after practice to really with them over.
Did you sustain any injuries?
Banged up everywhere, but they did a good job of piecing me back together. Whatever they had to do--ice, ibuprofen, a little spit and glue. Because obviously, they wanted you back out there on the field. Shutting down the production for a day gets very expensive.
Did you have a stuntman do the scene where you character gets hammered on the sideline?
No, that was me. But that particular hit actually fixed my bad back. It did. I was hurting from shooting and taking a lot of hits. The guy just cleaned me--you know, he cleaned my closet. It was like everything kind of popped back into place. They were so worried they ran in and everybody was dead silent.
Is it true you had to get out of shape, to some degree, to play this part?
Yeah, I was just too heavy. I had just done [The Departed], and I put on a lot of weight for that role. [Director Martin Scorsese] wanted me to get as much bulk as was possible. So by the time I showed up, I didn't look like a lean wide receiver from the '70s. Obviously football players look a lot different now. Vince was very lean. He was a track guy. He didn't lift weights, and he wasn't a college football player or anything. It took a lot of running. But in that heat...I just stopped eating. But it took a lot. I ran and ran and ran and ran.
With this movie coming out around the start of the school year, would you say this is a motivational movie for kids?
I didn't choose the release date, but it certainly is a very inspirational story. See, I'm fortunate to have really gotten to know [Vince] away from his football accomplishments. And I look up to Vince the man as much as I do Vince the football player. I mean, he's just a great guy. He's got an amazing family, amazing kids. And just everything about him is good and positive, and I like that a lot.
Had you heard of him before you joined this project?
No. And I'm a big football buff, [but] I didn't know the Vince Papale story until I was sent the script and I saw a 90-second piece that a friend of his [put together for] NFL films. And I was blown away. It's an amazing story.
So how did you get the role?
[jokes] I lied. I said I played college football. Obviously I had never gone to college, I never played high school football. But I played football in the neighborhood. I played every sport, but we didn't play with equipment. The first time I ever put on equipment was in an NFL uniform, which was pretty cool.
|
|
How did Elizabeth Banks get involved in the film?
There was some people auditioning and stuff, and she was just in a whole other league. I think she's going to have a really big career ahead of her. She's got a lot of talent and we were lucky to have her. But they did a great job casting. Like Greg Kinnear--I couldn't imagine anybody else playing Dick Vermeil. And when I thought about it, he was the first and really only face that came up in my mind.
Did you have any input on the soundtrack?
Once we were done with the movie, storywise, we were always kind of in there trying to find interesting ways to place the [film]...During the process of shooting the movie, I was extremely involved in everything. But once they went to the editing room, I was home in bed recuperating. [laughs] But we had talked about what [director Ericson Core] was going to do. I knew he was going to hit the right notes as far as the music was concerned. He played with some different things.
What was your first meeting with Vince like?
When I first met Vince, we met at a restaurant in New York, and [his wife] wanted to know a lot about Boogie Nights. She wasn't shy. We had a couple drinks and she's like, "You're basically my husband now. You're playing him, so I can play with you all I want." It was one of those deals.
Did you have any trouble putting on a Philadelphia accent?
No. It would have been tougher if I still had the really heavy Boston accent. I actually had to have the Boston accent again [for The Departed]. And we jumped right from that movie into this one. But no, I like doing my homework and getting ready. I made my driver, who's got the best Philly accent, hang out with me all the time. So like when we were off, I'd make him take me to play golf. We actually became good friends. [I also hung out] with Vince all the time.
When will we see you working on a film with your brother Donnie?
Soon. You know, we've been talking about doing some stuff. It's just a matter of finding the right project. And I think waiting is helping us instead of hurting us. Both of us have really kind of developed as actors and grown. So it's just a matter of finding the right thing. [jokes] And making sure I'm the star and he's got a smaller trailer.
Thanks for your time.
Thanks, guys.
|
|
|
