Mark Wahlberg Stormed off the Set of ‘Lone Survivor’ After Threatening to Knock out the Director
The Mark Wahlberg film Lone Survivor was one of many that turned Wahlberg into a household name. But it also served as a lesson in growth for the actor, who admittedly lost his temper after an accident on set.
Mark Wahlberg once shared he had a selfish response to being offered ‘Lone Survivor’
Lone Survivor was a 2013 film adaptation of the memoir written by former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. The memoir focused on the harrowing experiences Luttrell and his team faced while in Afghanistan. Filmmaker Peter Berg would translate those experiences onto the big screen. Wahlberg would end up playing Luttrell in the film that featured an ensemble cast which included Eric Bana and Taylor Kitsch.
The Spenser Confidential star admitted that he initially only thought of what the film would do for his career. But it wasn’t until he delved deeper into Luttrell’s story that he realized Lone Survivor could serve a larger purpose.
“When I first heard about the idea and Pete asked me to do it, I thought, selfishly as an actor, what a great opportunity to play a kind of showy part,” Wahlberg once opened up to Collider. “And then, when I read it, I realized what it really entailed and what it was about, my perspective changed. It never was about me after that again. It was really about the guys that we were portraying and every single person both in front of and behind the camera who felt that same thing.”
Mark Wahlberg stormed off the set of ‘Lone Survivor’ after threatening to knock out Peter Berg
Wahlberg once confided that his temper got the better of him while shooting the movie. The actor was already putting in effort during the film’s action scenes when a mishap almost severely injured him. The mistake caused The Departed actor’s stress at the time to speak.
“There [was] a mortar that was supposed to go in three…two…one and I move out of the way and after two takes, Pete told the guy – unbeknownst to me – fire it on two, so I couldn’t get out of the way and it exploded in my face and I was not happy about that,” Wahlberg once recalled to Parade. “It was the first time I ever lost my cool on set and broke things and threw things and, you know, profanity-laced rant and Pete said it was my fault and I said, ‘Well, I’ll knock you out, too.’”
Wahlberg would eventually calm down, but only after taking some much needed time to himself.
“I stormed off the set and went to my trailer and it took me about an hour to cool down. Pete was waiting outside my trailer the whole time and finally I said, ‘Come on in.’ He apologized and I explained to him why I’m hyper sensitive about my eyes because I had a bad accident before and he said, ‘Well, just go home and relax,’” he said.
But Wahlberg didn’t go home, and instead apologized to everyone on set.
Mark Wahlberg wanted to be a better man after meeting Marcus Luttrell
Wahlberg asserted that he was deeply moved by the experience he gained from shooting the film. But the Me Time actor also felt honored by Luttrell himself, who he personally admired.
“For me, obviously, I had the good fortune of meeting the guy I was playing and spending time with him, having him kind of be there throughout the entire process and helping me with anything that I wanted or needed,” Wahlberg once told Den of Geek. “He’s a very special individual. I wanted to know him and see the kind of man that he is. I’m certainly inspired to be a better man because of him.”
