FEATURE: LAST MAN STANDING: Mark Wahlberg

In an industry that can often seem like a revolving door, with stars that fall out of favor just as quickly as they fell in, Mark Wahlberg has staying power.

Perhaps it’s his laundry list of awards and nominations such as his two Oscar nominations, one for producing The Fighter and one for The Departed. Perhaps it’s his penchant for choosing well thought out scripts in lieu of cheap Hollywood comedies. Or it could be his talent for producing – Wahlberg is the executive producer of hit HBO shows Entourage and Boardwalk Empire.

In 2010, Wahlberg reaffirmed his fame as the star and producer of critically acclaimed film The Fighter, which earned seven Academy Award nominations. Wahlberg himself earned an Oscar nomination as producer, a Golden Globe nomination, an AFI Award for Movie of the Year award, a Boston Society of Film Critics Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, a PGA Award, the list goes on.

[highlight_text] “Exercise is a big part of my life, so the gym is a great space where I can really push myself.” [/highlight_text]

“I always thought the movie would be successful, which is why I pushed for so many years to get it made,” he said. “It definitely changed my career as a film producer and made it possible to set up the project I’m shooting now, Broken City.” In Broken City, Wahlberg will play a former police officer turned private investigator in the midst of scandal. Contraband, his next movie to hit theaters, comes out in January.

For Wahlberg, The Fighter became a personal project, an obsession. Wahlberg invited Haute Living into his Beverly Hills home, which houses a full-sized boxing ring, the site of his transformation into Micky Ward.

A perennial family man, he currently resides in the home with his wife, gorgeous fashion model Rhea Wahlberg and their four children. To him, this was truly his family’s first home.

“It’s the first house I’ve ever owned and I put a ton of work into making it a home for our family,” Wahlberg said. “It has a very warm, inviting feeling and it’s also perfect for entertaining.”

The Mediterranean-style home boasts a master suite with separate his and hers bathrooms, towering ceilings, a gourmet chef’s kitchen, living and dining rooms perfect for hosting guests, a movie screening room– Wahlberg’s favorite room in the house– and a guest house with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. The rooms are inviting, sun drenched and comfortably decorated. The outdoor space is equally impressive, boasting a sports court, a putting green, an outdoor pool complete with a waterfall, cabanas, even a grotto. The entire package is completed with breathtaking canyon views.

“You really feel secluded and the view looks out across the canyon–I’ve been known to hit golf balls into it from my putting green,” Wahlberg said. “It’s remarkably peaceful and relaxing, but still convenient to the city. And the sunsets are amazing.”

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of the estate is the 2,500-square foot detached gym, complete with a full-size boxing ring.

“Exercise is a big part of my life, so the gym is a great space where I can really push myself,” Wahlberg said. “It has every piece of equipment you’d find in a regular gym but completely private.”

It’s the gym where Wahlberg put in four years of a grueling training schedule for The Fighter, in the ring for 8-10 hours a day. He was accompanied by some unexpected trainers.

“Micky and Dicky, the brothers portrayed in the movie, stayed in my guest house and helped train me in that ring,” Wahlberg said. An impressive training regimen, considering the film’s production status was up in the air for quite some time.

And nearly a year after the film’s well-received release, Wahlberg still hits the ring.

“I love to box and still do it as often as I can find one of my friends willing to get in the ring with me,” Wahlberg joked. Given his extensive training history, we’d say the odds of that are slim.

While the Wahlbergs are currently building a new home, they are a bit nostalgic to leave this one behind.

“My wife and I are building a new house together – with four growing kids, you need a lot of space,” Wahlberg said. “I’ll definitely miss this house, though. I’ve lived here for over a decade and my kids have grown up in the house. It holds a lot of great memories for all of us.”

The 1.41-acre Beverly Hills estate is priced at $13,995,000, listed with Hillel Sanowicz of Keller Williams and Felix Pena of Hilton & Hyland.

Ever the family man, Wahlberg sounds off on just what keeps his brood close.

“If I’m not working, I’m at home with my family,” he said. “We have dinner together every night and go to church on Sundays. Growing up, my parents worked multiple jobs to put food on our table and I’m grateful now that I’m able to spend a lot of time with my kids and really be a part of their lives.”

It’s hard to imagine a superstar actor, producer and entrepreneur as such a grounded individual, but to Wahlberg, the answer to his down to earth attitude is simple.

“My faith, definitely. And a humble upbringing with eight brothers and sisters,” he said of what keeps him in check. “Besides, to my kids, I’m just ‘Daddy,’ which is more important to me than any professional success.”

And those professional successes are many. Aside from his acting and producing accolades, Wahlberg is also an entrepreneur. He recently became a partner in a high-performance water company AquaHydrate, and has a new culinary venture, Wahlburgers. To Wahlberg, the transition into business was natural.

“I’ve always been interested in business,” he said. “The entertainment industry can be fickle and I wanted to build something that would provide some stability and security for my family. Becoming a producer was a natural extension of acting, and the water and restaurants also reflect my interests.”

Training for The Fighter was actually the driving force behind Wahlberg’s involvement with AquaHydrate.

“[AquaHydrate] helped my workouts and recovery so much, I wanted to be involved in the business,” he said. Ron Burkle and Sean Combs are also a partners in this venture.

Wahlberg’s restaurant, Wahlburgers, wasn’t actually his first foray into the culinary world.

“My brother Paul is a fantastic chef,” he said. “We opened up a restaurant in Boston three years ago called Alma Nove that serves great Italian food. Paul’s favorite food is burgers, though, so it was a no-brainer to make our second venture a burger joint. There have been lines out the door since we opened.”

As far as his personal favorite at the burger joint, it’s the Thanksgiving burger– a succulent combination of ground turkey, topped with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

It’s no surprise that when asked what his favorite project to date is, Wahlberg cites both The Fighter and his Oscar nomination for The Departed.

“I would have to say The Fighter, although getting an Oscar nomination for The Departed was certainly a career highlight,” Wahlberg said. “I got to call my dad and tell him, he was so excited.  For many years, the Wahlberg name was mostly heard in the courthouses around Boston because my brothers and I were so often in trouble.  Today, it’s gratifying to see that we have really turned things around.”