Wahlberg on bond with Berry over ‘humble beginnings’
Mark Wahlberg explained why he and Halle Berry, his costar in the upcoming film "The Union," get along so well because of their shared backgrounds.
Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry star in a new movie together, but their bond goes back years.
"We’re super close. We both [have] really humble beginnings, worked very hard to get to where we are, we have a lot in common, and we enjoy each other’s company," Wahlberg told Fox News Digital.
Behind the scenes, Wahlberg added that Berry is "so funny" and "very approachable," which he admitted surprised him.
"I would say I think the thing people would appreciate most is that she’s very much who she appears to be," he said. "She can do anything, she’s done anything as a force of nature and talent, an actor, director, producer. But the person that you see, whether on social media or in interviews, she’s sweet, she’s funny, she’s feisty, but she is who she appears to be and very approachable, which I wouldn’t expect, because she’s stunning but sweet as they come. It’s amazing."
Mark Wahlberg told Fox News Digital his "stunning" co-star Halle Berry is "as sweet as they come." (Laura Radford/Netflix)
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Wahlberg and Berry both struggled in their early careers before becoming A-list stars.
Berry started in pageants in Ohio, telling Vogue in 2021 that she wore her prom dress when she won Miss World because she "couldn’t afford a real one."
WATCH: Mark Wahlberg on bond with Halle Berry over ‘humble beginnings’
"That dress got me far. I became Miss Ohio. I became Miss Teen America and Miss USA in the world pageant in this dress," she added.
The "X-Men" star also spent some time in a homeless shelter after moving to New York to pursue acting after running out of money.
Berry told Vogue in 2021 she wore her prom dress when she won Miss World because she "couldn’t afford a real one." (PA Images via Getty Images)
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"I mean, three months later, I was out of my cash," Berry said, per People in 2017. "I called my mother and asked her to send me some money, and she said no, and that subsequently led to a year of not speaking to her because I was so upset that she wouldn’t help me."
"But again, that's probably one of the best things she did for me," Berry added. "She said, ‘If you want to be there, then you be there, you work it out,’ and I had to work it out," the actress added.
"We both [have] really humble beginnings, worked very hard to get to where we are, we have a lot in common, and we enjoy each other’s company."
Wahlberg grew up in the working-class Dorchester neighborhood in Boston, the youngest of nine children, struggling with substances and police trouble after several violent acts.
"I do think the one thing I have to my advantage is that I have all this real-life experience that I can apply to my work," he told The Guardian in 2020. "I think audiences can definitely sense authenticity. But that came with a real price."
Wahlberg told The Guardian, "I think audiences can definitely sense authenticity. But that came with a real price." (Paul Natkin/WireImage)
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Both stars ended up finding success in acting and have awards and accolades to their names, including Berry’s history-making best actress Oscar win.
Wahlberg previously told Fox News Digital the pair have "know each other for such a long time" that their mutual understanding made the chemistry they needed for their new film, "The Union," easy to create.
Wahlberg said he and Berry's bond helped with their chemistry in the film. (Laura Radford/Netflix © 2024/Getty Images)
"It just came naturally," he said. "But guys and gals both would really feel like there’s nobody better than Halle Berry, or more believable for a guy to wait 25 years to hopefully get a second chance with her."
In the film, Wahlberg plays Mike, a construction worker who reconnects with his high school ex-girlfriend, Roxanne. But Roxanne has more in store for Mike than reminiscing: She ends up pulling him into her action-packed world of secret agents and espionage.
Wahlberg has said his character is like a "blue-collar James Bond." (Laura Radford/Netflix)
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Wahlberg has described his character as a "blue-collar James Bond" and that concept was "the genesis for this film."
"[I’m] probably not ever going to get to play James Bond, which is fine, right? Completely understand. We can do our own version," he told Entertainment Weekly. "And we came up with this idea, and then, next thing you know, we pitched it to Netflix … and they loved the idea, and here we are."
"The Union" premieres on Netflix on Aug. 16.
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