Mark Wahlberg Makes A Surprising Claim About When He'll Leave Hollywood

Mark Wahlberg is looking toward the future. The 50-year-old actor first got his claim to fame in the 1980s as rapper Marky Mark after he was released from prison for committing a brutal assault on a Vietnamese man, according to Biography. Wahlberg later told The Guardian that he had "paid for" his mistakes during his prison sentence. Wahlberg achieved moderate success in the music industry and then transitioned into a successful film and television actor during his early 20s.

Since then, Wahlberg has worked steadily and starred in popular films like "The Departed," "Ted," and "Uncharted." He also executive produced fan-favorite shows like "Entourage" and "Boardwalk Empire," per IMDb. As evident by his filmography, Wahlberg is still one of the most in-demand actors with several film projects in post-production. However, all the years of filming and promoting films may have taken a toll on him, as he has just made a surprising claim about when he plans to retire.

Speaking to ET while promoting his new film "Father Stu," Mark Wahlberg indicated he's closer to retirement than most people think. "Sooner rather than later, probably," Wahlberg said, noting that it has become increasingly difficult for him to leave his four teenage children — and wife Rhea Durham — to film in different locations. He adds that his future projects would have to be really enticing for him to consider leaving his family to film.

"It's gotta be something special to really bring me, you know, to leave home, to leave those guys behind," Wahlberg explained, "because it's the biggest sacrifice in the making for sure." Elsewhere in the interview, Wahlberg paid tribute to his mother, Alma, who died last April after suffering from dementia, according to People, saying she was "so strong even in her most difficult and vulnerable times."

It's obvious from his comments that Wahlberg is a family man. He previously told Risen Magazine that he takes his daddy duties seriously. "The most effective thing is being engaged in every aspect of their life, but then also leading by example," he said of his parenting strategies. "It's important to be involved and communicate with them and make sure they can trust you, and share with you, and rely on you. They need to count on you to be there." Looks like Wahlberg will be doing just that when he retires.