(CP) Mark Wahlberg's latest project, the Mel Gibson-directed "Flight Risk," is an adrenaline-fuelled thriller that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats behind the high-stakes action and intense performances. Faith remains at the centre of the actor's life and career even as he takes on the challenge of playing the villain.
"Everything derives from my prayer life and my pursuit of my faith and a relationship with God, of course, trying to live a purpose-filled life," the 53-year-old Academy Award nominee and devout Catholic told The Christian Post.
Wahlberg plays Daryl Booth in the Lionsgate film, a hitman disguised as a Texan pilot accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness along with Deputy U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem.
"If I act like a crazy person for 12 hours out of the day, I come back, and I say another little prayer, and I ask for forgiveness," Wahlberg said. "We are trying to entertain people. We want to break up the monotony of everyday difficulty. A lot of people are having real struggles and hard times in life, and so to be able to give them something to escape and enjoy and laugh and cry and be at the edge of their seat with a movie like this, which is such a thrill ride."
Playing a villain, Wahlberg said, was a "nice change of pace" from his usual role as the hero: "I've always loved great villains and roles in films like 'The Shining' with Jack Nicholson and 'Cape Fear' with Robert De Niro," he said. "So to get an opportunity to play one of these parts, we're really going to surprise the audience, especially after playing a hero for quite some time; it was such a nice change of pace."
Despite "Flight Risk" being a pulse-pounding action film (it's not a faith-based film, rated R for violence and language), Wahlberg highlighted the deeper moral undertones woven into the story. Redemption and second chances — recurring themes in his work — find their way into the film's narrative through Grace and Dockery's characters.
"I didn't really even pay attention to [the redemptive themes] until I saw the film yesterday because I was so caught up in being this character," Wahlberg said.
"I wanted to stay in that headspace because you have to really commit if you're playing a character like mine. But nobody, as we know, is beyond redemption, and to see those characters dealing with that and being there to support one another was nice. ... We're not giving up on anybody."
The film also reunites Wahlberg with Gibson, who directs the movie and was recently named a "special ambassador" to Hollywood by President Donald Trump, along with Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight.
Gibson starred in Wahlberg's 2022 film "Father Stu," a film based on the true story of Stuart Long, a bad-boy boxer-turned-priest who lived out God's calling on his life despite tremendous obstacles, including opposition from his family, the Catholic Church and even his own health.
"I've always wanted to work with Mel as a director," Wahlberg said, adding he was inspired by "Braveheart" and Gibson's 2004 hit "The Passion of the Christ," which was nominated for three Academy Awards and had a worldwide box office gross of $610 million.
Working with Gibson on "Flight Risk," Wahlberg said, gave him the long-awaited opportunity to hear him call "action" and "cut" from the director's chair, something he had been hoping for since their collaboration on "Father Stu."
"He's made so many movies that I think are right up there with the greatest films ever made," Wahlberg said. "So to be able to work with a guy who's so talented, both in front of and behind the camera, but as an actor, first, he creates an environment for you to be at your best, to feel free to try things and explore, just throw it all out there and you know you're in good hands."
Before becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors, husband and devoted father-of-four, Wahlberg was a troubled teen who served 45 days in jail for assaulting two Asian men in an attempted robbery turned hate crime. The Boston native struggled with a cocaine addiction and was, in his own words, "an absolute trainwreck."
The actor, who today runs a foundation that helps troubled youth, often credits his faith with helping him turn his life around.
"All the real-life things that I have been through, I want to share, and I want to let people know that you know what, it's OK," he told The Christian Post in 2022. "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. So we're trying to encourage people and let them know that we're not giving up on them. Nobody's beyond redemption."
Wahlberg previously shared with CP how he begins every day with prayer, asking for God's guidance over his day. He is among several actors (including "The Chosen" lead Jonathan Roumie) who lead others in prayer through the Hallow app.
"[Prayer] has been a big part of the way I start my day for decades now," Wahlberg told CP in a 2024 interview.
"It helps me get through everything, especially to remind me of what I'm trying to do on a daily basis. I'm away from home, I miss my family, so it's got to start with gratitude. And then also, the guidance and the reminder to continue to do the things that He wants me to do and the path that He wants me to take because I'll always have a plan, and He changes that quite often."
"Flight Risk" is now in theatres.
