Father Stu star Mark Wahlberg wants to be a part of more uplifting content.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he spoke about his filming and how the inspirational message behind the film opened a new door in his career and stepped out of the Hollywood limelight.
“I feel like this is the beginning of a new chapter for me to do things like this [with] Real substance can help people. I definitely want to focus on making more. I wouldn’t necessarily say just faith-based content, but things that help people. Hopefully this film opens the door not only for me but also for many other people in Hollywood to make more meaningful content.”
Perhaps Wahlberg wants to make films that are seen as inspirational (like Father Stu) as opposed to his more violent action cinema like Infinite and Mile 22 or escapist films like Uncharted.
Father Stu follows Stuart Long (Wahlberg) as he makes his way as a supermarket clerk when he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a Catholic Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic goes to church to impress her. But after surviving a horrific motorcycle accident, he wonders if he can use his second chance to help others find their way, leading to the surprising realization that he’s meant to be a Catholic priest. Despite a devastating health crisis and skepticism from church officials and his estranged parents (Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver), Stu pursues his calling with courage and compassion, inspiring not only those closest to him but countless others in the process.
Rosalind Ross wrote and directed the film, and Wahlberg produced with Stephen Levinson and Jordon Foss. Executive producers included Ross, Miky Lee, Colleen Camp, Patrick Peach and Tony Grazia.