Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. 

Mark Wahlberg reveals tensions with Martin Scorsese on The Departed set: ‘We had a couple of issues’

The ‘Ted’ star reflected on his hair hang-ups, which were a sticking point while making the 2006 crime film

Jethro Robathan
Monday 25 March 2024 15:28 GMT
Comments
The Departed - trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Mark Wahlberg has admitted that he had several disagreements with Martin Scorsese while filming The Departed.

Wahlberg, 52, best known for starring in Ted and Boogie Nights, has reflected on making the 2006 film, including several “issues” he experienced concerning his hair.

“I was a little pissed about a couple things,” Wahlberg said of his time on set.

“I was trying to grow my hair out, which is why I had that weird hair. You know, everybody’s like, what was that wig about,” the actor told Josh Horowitz, the host of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

“It was not a wig, I was just trying to grow my hair for the next film”.

Wahlberg was in the process of making Invincible, which also came out in 2006. After shooting the film, the actor returned to Scorsese’s set, this time with hair extensions, but was told he had to remove them.

“They were like, ‘oh you gotta take out the extensions’. [This] s*** took eight hours. I’m not gonna take this out. We had a couple of issues,” he explained.

It echoes an earlier 2018 interview with GQ, in which the star first revealed he and the director butted heads.

Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio at the New York permiere of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed
Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio at the New York permiere of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (Getty Images)

Looking back on the disagreements they had, however, Wahlberg said he understood where Scorsese was coming from.

“He [Scorsese] had to deal with Jack [Nicholson], he had to deal with Matt [Damon] and Leo [DiCaprio] and Alec [Baldwin] and everything in the studio. And then I was supposed to be in and out in five weeks”.

Wahlberg played Sergeant Dignam in The Departed, an officer in the Massachusetts State Police Department, and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

The actor starred alongside Hollywood mainstays Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

The Departed went on to collect four Academy Awards including a win for Scorsese in the category of Best Director. While making the film, Scorsese said that he resisted film studio pressure to change the film’s ending.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in