The Sole Reason Mark Wahlberg Didn't Accept the Ocean's Eleven Role
The actor was invited to star in one of the most successful films of the 2000s.
Summary
- Ocean's Eleven has a star-studded cast, full of A-listers.
- Mark Wahlberg wanted to be in the movie, but his suggestion wasn't accepted.
- The actor is content with the choices he has made in his career.
When it premiered in 2001, Steven Soderbergh's heist comedy Ocean's Eleven became an instant hit and one of the most popular films of the early twenty-first century. Centering on the titular group of con artists on an elaborate heist of $160 million from a casino owner, the film grossed a staggering $450 million at the box office against an $85 million budget.
There were many reasons for the success of Ocean's Eleven – from the gripping story, to the likable and charismatic characters, and of course the stellar cast. A-listers like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia lured millions of viewers to theaters. And apparently, the movie could have been even more star-studded, as Mark Wahlberg was also invited to star in it. But the actor didn't accept the role for one simple reason.
A Busy Bee
At the time Ocean's Eleven went into production, Mark Wahlberg was already booked for two other films. Although the actor was tempted by the role, he was reluctant to leave his previous commitments. And since there's no spoiling a wedding for one that's missing, the hit heist comedy was filmed without the actor.
'I was asked to do the movie and what happened was we asked if they would wait for me, but I had already committed to working with Tim Burton and Jonathan Demme,' Mark Wahlberg said in a recent interview, referring to his involvement in Planet of the Apes and The Truth About Charlie, respectively. 'They didn't wanna wait, and I was able to do my own thing with The Italian Job which was good.'
No Regrets
With Ocean's Eleven becoming a popular franchise that has spawned three more installments and grossed a staggering $1.4 billion at the box office, you might think that Mark Wahlberg would be bitter about turning down the role. But even though Tim Burton and Jonathan Demme's films received mostly negative reviews and the actor himself didn't really like them, he doesn't regret choosing them over Soderbergh's hit.
'For me, it was even though those movies did not turn out to be good, those experiences were great,' Wahlberg said.
As for Planet of the Apes, the positives of working with Tim Burton outweighed any negatives the actor saw in rebooting a beloved film. The same was true with Jonathan Demme, with whom Whalberg admittedly had one of the best times of his career, learning from real professionals on the set. So it seems that for the actor, every cloud has a silver lining.
Source: YouTube.