I first heard word about a boxing film in the works called “The Fighter” a little while ago when they attached Mark Wahlberg as the lead to play the central character boxing legend Mickey ‘Irish’ Ward. The don’t even start shooting this movie for like another 8 months, but from the sounds of it, Wahlberg is already into a heavy work out schedule to prepare for the part. IMDB give us this:
Wahlberg has been getting up at four o’clock every morning for the last 12 months to get in top physical condition for the part. The actor trains for hours each day despite the fact he’s currently filming another movie, The Happening. He tells MTV, “It will be a year, on October 13, that I have been training. We’re running, we’re watching fights… I’ve got a full ring set up at my house. I am up at four in the morning. We go to the gym at five when it opens. I’m jumping rope, hitting the speed bag, the double-end bag, the mitts, and we’re sparring a little bit.”
Mark Wahlberg is one of those guys I just sort of find myself cheering for. No, he’s not a GREAT actor… but he’s turned himself into a solid one who pretty much delivers on what you expect from him each and every time. One of the few music stars who did things the right way in transitioning to the big screen and clearly is pretty physically committed to his profession. I think if I had $10 million in my bank, I’d sit on my ass all day, eating cookie dough brownie ice cream and eating lasagna off hooker stomachs… this guy is working out at 4am. Good for him.
