Mark Wahlberg

Born: 5 June 1971 Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts Best Known As: Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights Mark Wahlberg was briefly one of the original New Kids On The Block, a band of Boston city kids whose factory-made pop dance tunes overwhelmed the charts in the 1980s. He then formed Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch and became a pop idol in his own right, famous for innocuous dance tunes and oft-exposed briefs. (His penchant for dropping his trousers got him a job as a Calvin Klein underwear model). He turned to acting, debuting in TV's The Substitute in 1993, and earning nods from critics for his portrayal of Dirk Diggler in 1997's Boogie Nights (co-starring Don Cheadle). Late in the decade he starred with chum George Clooney in two more hits, Three Kings (1999) and The Perfect Storm (2000, also with Diane Lane). In 2001 he starred with Estella Warren in the Tim Burton remake of the sci-fi film The Planet of the Apes, in 2002 he appeared in The Truth About Charlie with Tim Robbins, and in 2003 he starred in the re-make of The Italian Job (with Mos Def). His other films include Rock Star (2001, with Jennifer Aniston) and I Heart Huckabees (2004, with Dustin Hoffman). Wahlberg's brother Donnie was a longtime member of The New Kids On The Block, a forerunner to boy bands like The Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync... Wahlberg contemporaries with Boston roots include Matt Damon and Eliza Dushku.