Actor Mark Wahlberg shared his strong commitment to faith as his new film, Father Stu, is set to be released this spring. According to Christian Headlines, Wahlberg, a devout Catholic, is passionate about the faith-based film that he believes was made at the perfect time.
The film “is based on the true story of boxer-turned-priest Father Stuart Long,” played by Wahlberg who hopes Long’s story will inspire others to change their lives. Wahlberg, who is also a producer of the film, explains that he relates to Long’s struggles as he too made a commitment to “turn his life around” after making mistakes in his youth. Wahlberg shared that he knew he needed to make this movie because he believes many people need to hear Long’s story.
According to Christian Headlines, “Father Stu, who passed away in 2014, found early success as a boxer while in college. According to Denver Catholic, Long’s boxing career was cut short due to health issues. This led him to have a brief career in filmmaking. Later, he worked as a bouncer at nightclubs and comedy clubs. While Long was initially agnostic in his beliefs, he would later turn to faith after suffering a near-death experience in a motorcycle accident. From then on, he became a Roman Catholic and, later, a priest.”
Wahlberg shared that he feels blessed and wants to continue building the skills that allow him to articulate the message God wants him to share. Wahlberg hopes that through this film, the audience will receive the message that it is never too late to “redeem yourself” and turn your life around. According to Wahlberg, encouraging people to have hope and faith is what makes this film so special.