Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg was born June 5, 1971, the youngest member of a large family living in working-class Dorchester, Massachusetts. In 1984, Mark was recruited by Maurice Starr, the founder of New Edition, to form a white version of the group with his brother Donnie.

New Kids On The Block went on to enjoy phenomenal success worldwide, but did so without the rebellious Mark.

While Donnie was enthusiastic about joining the group, Mark preferred being a teenager rather than spending his time on tour or in the studio. After a brief stint with the group, Mark quit and veered into a life of crime. When the young Wahlberg went to jail on an assault charge, Donnie promised to work with him on a rap album after his release.

Under the guidance of his famous brother, Mark formed the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and recorded the album Music For The People, with Donnie as producer. It achieved platinum status thanks to the first single "Good Vibrations," which was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1991. Played was now a celebrity.

"Good Vibrations" would be used as the theme for the film The Mighty Ducks and for a series of Calvin Klein commercials featuring Wahlberg in designer underwear.

In 1993, Wahlberg accepted a small role in the film The Substitute. Although it went straight to video, his performance did not go unnoticed. He scored parts in Renaissance Man starring Danny DeVito and The Basketball Diaries with Leonardo DiCaprio. Wahlberg's dramatic turn as a tough troubled hood in the latter earned him praise from critics.

In 1996, he gained his first starring role in the thriller Fear, where he played a psychopathic boyfriend stalking Reese Witherspoon. It was in 1997, however, when Wahlberg became a bona fide star as porn star Dirk Diggler in the film Boogie Nights. The film garnered attention for its frank depiction of the pornographic movie industry as well as for the honest performances of Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds Don Cheadle and Julianne Moore

In the wake of the success of Boogie Nights, Mark has been able to write his own ticket in Hollywood. He has since starred in acclaimed features such as Three Kings and The Perfect Storm, as well as hyped blockbusters such as Planet of the Apes and Rock Star.

Wahlberg is now on the short list of every producer and casting director in the business and has had the luxury of turning down projects to pursue other commitments.

Although he's known for keeping his romantic life private, his relationship with actress Jordana Brewster was revealed, and there were even rumors that the two were married. Wahlberg is allegedly presently dating Swedish model Frida Andersson.

Wahlberg can be see in the film The Truth About Charlie, co-starring Thandie Newton In the future, he has expressed an interest in directing and starting his own recording label.