Sync
October 2005

DONNIE WAHLBERG
Hollywood's most underrated Wahlberg talks about battling 'manorexia,' being a late-night air hankie,
and losing half a tongue while dancing in New Kids on the Block.

By Andrew Vontz


How do you feel about the character on Entourage that's based on you?
Kevin Dillon ain't playing me on that show! Just this week four people have asked me if that part is supposed to be me. There's a real Johnny Drama. But I was never part of Mark's entourage—he was part of mine.

Did Marky Mark bat leadoff for you with the ladies?
He never went first, but by now he's surpassed me by far. I'm an old married piece of shit.

What creeped you out the most when you were shooting Saw II?
The puppet from the first Saw is scary. I don't like puppets, man. But after I got to meet him I grew to like him. He was actually a very friendly puppet. He's just really good at being scary.

Were you afraid of the supernatural as a youth?
No. I was mostly scared of my brother Bob. He just did bad stuff. When we were little, the three of us—me, Mark and Bob—had to share two beds. So we'd rotate who got their own bed each night. The worst was when you had to share with Bob. One time he woke me up and said, "Hey man, you've got something in your hair." I touched my head and there was a pile of snot on it. He had blown his nose in my hair.

Is Bob the toughest Wahlberg?
He once fought five guys at Fenway Park. I guess one of them said something to his wife. They were Yankees fans and it was at a Red Sox game. He beat the crap out of all five of them. I couldn't believe it.

How are the Wahlbergs at handling weaponry?
I once took a .25 caliber to a club and hid it in my pants. All I could think about was how I was either going to drop it, or it was going to fire off in my pants and I'd lose a ball for sure.

What's the toughest physical challenge you've had to meet to prepare for a role?
Starving for my role in the Sixth Sense. I lost 40 pounds for one day of work. Twice a day I'd have some beet juice and maybe a serving of steamed broccoli and then do cardio. Sometimes I'd splurge with half a protein shake before bed. I may have overdone it for such a little part.

So, what does "manorexia" feel like?
Most mornings I felt like I was going to faint. I'd tell myself I could have a Hershey's bar if I fasted for two more days, but after two days I wouldn't feel right about having the Hershey's bar. It was bad.

Did you buy anything silly while on the NKOTB gravy train?
My sister was my assistant, and she'd go down to the mall on the first of the month and buy me 31 brand-new Gap T-shirts. That was stupid.

What was the dumbest outfit you ever wore in New Kids?
The one that haunts me the most was from Hangin' Tough Live. We had a $5 million budget to do this concert video. I slapped on some ripped jeans, a leather jacket, shiny shoes and a shirt that said "homeboy" on it. I felt like such an asshole. And I looked like one too.

Was being a New Kid ever dangerous?
I jumped from a platform that was 13 feet high and landed on a trapdoor that collapsed. I bit off half my tongue and split open my chest and chin. Even though I probably should have died, it wasn't necessary to have 25 news crews outside the hospital. Who deserves that much press coverage for being a singer and a dancer?