LOS ANGELES?Finally, the movie that took Mark Wahlberg nearly five years to make (and only 33 days to shoot), is ready to be shown this month. Mark has been telling us about ?The Fighter? for quite some time now, including how he observed Filipino boxing champ, Manny Pacquiao, whenever he was training at the Wild Card Gym in LA.
And the result? Mark?s blood, sweat and tears to bring the true story of unlikely boxing champ, ?Irish? Micky Ward (whom the actor plays) and his half-brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), to the screen are definitely worth it.
As directed by David O. Russell, ?The Fighter? is a gritty drama and an affectionate portrait of the brothers and their dysfunctional family. There isn?t a single boring moment in this biopic as it narrates Micky and his surprising, Rocky-like rise to the world light welterweight title in the mid-1980s.
The cast, which includes Amy Adams as Micky?s tough girlfriend, is uniformly excellent. But, Christian and Melissa Leo (as the family matriarch and the brothers? manager), both virtually unrecognizable, are terrific. The actresses who play the brothers? seven shrill sisters (the film?s Greek chorus, if you will) are a bonus attraction.
Mark was in a buoyant mood during our interview, glad that the movie project that took so long to get off the ground was already set to be shown in theaters. While waiting for financing and casting to fall into place, he trained himself physically for the role, lugging boxing equipment and bringing two trainers (at his own expense) to movie sets.
Mark, who is one of the film?s coproducers, even hired the same HBO crew that shoots the cable network?s fight coverage (including the recent Pacquiao-Margarito bout) to lens some of ?The Fighter?s? boxing footage. Boxing legend, Sugar Ray Leonard, who fought Dicky in a memorable bout, plays himself in a cameo.
With a smile, Mark continued, ?Then, I had an opportunity to become friends with the best fighter ever in the history of the sport, Manny Pacquiao. And, he?s proven that by winning his eighth title in eight weight classes. I really take my hat off to all boxers?what they have to do and the sacrifices they make day in and out, with no guarantee of success.? Earlier, when he arrived for this interview at a hotel meeting room, he made a hand signal and exclaimed about Manny, ?Number one!? He told us that he invited the congressman-boxer to the film?s premiere in LA.
In his journey to make the film, Mark saw Darren Aronofsky drop out as director to do ?The Wrestler,? and several actors, including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, in the role that eventually went to Christian. ?There were times when I was so desperate to make the movie that I would?ve made it with whomever they said was okay at the time,? Mark revealed. ?It?s a miracle that I was able to make this movie with this group of people, and it turned out the way it did. These things don?t happen that often.?
Training schedule
Mark?s relief is understandable, considering the punishing daily training schedule he put himself through, especially when they were close to finally making the movie. The devout Catholic shared, ?We started in the morning. We went to church, then we ran eight miles uphill. We had a big breakfast. Then, we went in the ring and did 30 rounds; 10 rounds with each fighter, then another 15 rounds of jumping rope, hitting the mitts and the speed bag. Then, we ate lunch.
?It was fun for the first couple of months. Then, the movie would fall apart again! We went through that a number of times, but again, it was worth it.
?I met Micky the first time when I was 18 and was just starting my rap career,? said the actor who used to be known as Marky Mark. ?I was very familiar with his story. His mother is a lot like my mom. They?re just trying to do the best they can in the situation they?re in. They don?t know anything else. The bottom line is, there was a lot of love. That?s why we didn?t want to be judgmental in any way. I always thought they were very heroic, considering the circumstances in which they lived. It?s pretty amazing what they were able to accomplish.?
?I was a big fan of Micky,? Mark added. ?Back then, he hadn?t had the great fights yet that he?s famous for. But, every time he fought, he did it in a way that a lot of other people didn?t. When I started acting, we talked again. At one point, I was like, ?We should try to do this movie.?? Micky and Dicky stayed in Mark?s LA house for some time to help him prepare for the role.
Friction
The bond and the occasional friction between Micky and Dicky resonated with Mark, whose brother, Donnie, is also an actor and a singer. ?He?s very successful. He does his thing and does it very well,? Mark said of Donnie. ?I was the one who was always getting into trouble. My mother will hate me for saying this, but he was the favorite. He was named after my dad. He became successful, and I went to prison. Yes, I could identify with Micky and Dicky?s stories in so many ways. That was why I had to be the one to do this movie, and they trusted me! When Micky found out that I was going to play him, he was relieved.?
Playing a boxer is a vicarious thrill for Mark. ?I?ve always wanted to be a professional athlete,? he disclosed. ?That has always been my dream, so being able to fulfill some of my childhood fantasies through acting?playing a boxer, a hockey player and a basketball player?has been amazing. Sports are always a great outlet. That?s why the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and organizations like those are great, because they give inner city kids something to do to keep them out of trouble.?
?With my kids, my goal is to raise them right, instill the values that they?re going to need because they face a different set of problems,? explained Mark. ?They?re not growing up in a neighborhood where they have to worry about getting home safely to and from school. They have to worry about being influenced by a lot of things that go with money and privilege. That?s a whole other world of trouble I need to make sure they stay away from.?
Smiling, Mark commented, ?If somebody said to me, ?You get to play a welterweight champion, but you have to train for four and a half years to do it,? I?d be like, ?You?re out of your mind! I don?t have four and a half years.? ? He added, ?Now, I can eat, sleep and enjoy my family again. It was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders when I was able to make this movie and tell the brothers? story!?
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