'Contraband' actor tells MTV News he'd like to 'do something that's a little more on the comedic side.'
By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Mark Wahlberg
Photo: MTV News
When making a remake, living up to the previous actor's performance can be tough. It's even more difficult when that actor is now your director.
In "Contraband," Mark Wahlberg takes on the role of a reformed smuggler drawn back into the game to protect his family, a role originated by Baltasar Kormákur in the Icelandic version of the film.
When Wahlberg spoke with MTV News' Josh Horowitz, he said that the actor-director dynamic was a little odd. "It was, but he made it cool. I didn't want him comparing what he did to what I'm doing, and he wanted me to make it my own," he said. "He's such a talented director. He's a better actor than he is a director, so all the choices he was making were only enhancing my performance and everybody else's."
Kormákur, who has almost exclusively worked on Icelandic productions, never had a comparable to "Contraband," something Wahlberg said he relished. "He never had all the bells and whistles, so he's moving lights and doing all this stuff. He makes all these little independent European movies, but he's such a talented guy," he said. "I got him a big, fat Hollywood movie now."
In recent years, Wahlberg has become increasingly involved behind the scenes, picking up many producers' credits along the way. It seems directing is the only natural progression for the actor. He admitted that directing is something he's been thinking about, but he knows that the two jobs need to be separate for now.
"I've definitely been thinking about it a lot. I don't want to cross the line, either, because I see myself saying, 'Hey, no, what about this? That's not going to work,' " he said. "I would do that with the script, and there are scenes that you know just aren't going to make it into the movie, so it's like, why are we shooting this? I've got to remind myself to allow the director to direct."
As for what Wahlberg would like to direct, he's thinking about something on the lighter side. "There was a time when I was thinking about directing 'Fighter,' " he said. "But I think I want to do something that's a little more on the comedic side."
How do you think Wahlberg would be as a director? Sound off below!
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