ACTOR · BORN 1971
Mark Wahlberg
- Born
- 5 June 1971
57 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
13 Facts About Mark Wahlberg's Life and Family
- #002
Wahlberg's sister Debbie died on September 2, 2003, leaving behind a young son. She died on the day his first child, Ella Rae Wahlberg, was born.
- #007
Wahlberg dropped out of school at age 13.
- #009
Wahlberg bought a $5 million mansion in Beverly Hills, California, and moved his mother there.
- #012
Wahlberg has named the title role in Max Payne (2008) as his favorite role.
- #017
His father, Donald E. Wahlberg Sr., a Korean War veteran, died on February 14, 2008.
- #022
One of the ingredients in the cheeseburgers served at his family restaurant is "government cheese," which was provided to people on welfare during his childhood. Wahlberg has said he wanted the burgers to honestly and accurately reflect the working-class food he and his siblings grew up on.
- #024
On August 1, 2009, he married his longtime partner Rhea Durham in a private Catholic ceremony in Beverly Hills, California.
- #030
His older siblings are Arthur Wahlberg, James Wahlberg, Debbie Wahlberg, Michelle Wahlberg, Paul Wahlberg, Tracey Wahlberg, Robert Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg. Robert, Donnie and Mark come from their mother's third marriage, to Donald Wahlberg. The family's half-siblings on their father's side are Scott Wahlberg, Buddy Wahlberg and Donna Wahlberg.
- #035
His favorite film is Hard Times (1975), in which he appeared alongside Charles Bronson.
- #038
He is the brother-in-law of Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and the cousin of Melissa McCarthy.
- #039
Mark Wahlberg's father was of half Swedish and half Irish descent, while his mother's ancestry was 11/16 Irish, one-eighth French-Canadian, one-eighth English and one-sixteenth Scottish. Wahlberg's paternal grandfather, Axel Simon Wahlberg, was the son of Swedish immigrants Axel Gustaf Wahlberg and Ida Albertina Nordstrom.
- #040
Mark Wahlberg is very close to his mother, Alma Wahlberg.
- #048
Mark Wahlberg is the younger brother of Arthur Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg and Robert Wahlberg.
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