“Or it’s going to be awful.” Because of a bizarre plot, Mark Wahlberg didn't want to star in a $549M movie until he remembered Boogie Nights
Mark Wahlberg almost didn't star in the comedy, which earned $549 million. The actor was categorically against it until he remembered Boogie Nights and talked to the director.
Mark Wahlberg and a foul-mouthed teddy bear are already a comedy duo well known to movie goers. Yet it could have looked different, as Wahlberg was not convinced to appear in a film with such a bizarre plot as Ted. When he heard about the idea for the project, he didn't think it would make sense, so when he was offered the role, he wasn't interested in it, he told Collider during an interview.
When you hear about it, for the first time, it sounds absurd. There’s no good way to pitch it. It’s ridiculous. So, I was like, “Absolutely not!” It was one of those things where I was getting pressure from every angle.
Categorically opposed to appearing in Ted, the actor softened only after a closer look at the script, which reminded him of Boogie Nights. He realized then that this was one of those films that would either fail or be incredibly good. But it wasn't until a conversation with the director, Seth McFarlane, and a look at the teddy bear that was to be Ted's second star that Wahlberg changed his mind and decided to accept a role in the crazy comedy.
And then, when I talked to another agent about another project that I was producing and looking at one of their clients, they were like, “I heard you’re doing Ted.” I was like, “What is this thing!” So, I read the first 35 pages of the script and put it down. It was the same experience that I had with Boogie Nights, where I said, “This is either going to be brilliant, or it’s going to be awful.” So then, it was a matter of sitting down with Seth [MacFarlane] and hearing what his vision was for it. And then, from that point, I saw the test and saw how the bear looked. I thought, “You know, this could be good. Take a chance.”
And the decision turned out to be a good one, as Ted was a success. The comedy appealed to audiences (via Rotten Tomatoes) and attracted crowds of them to theaters, so the production grossed $589 million at the box office. In turn, the film's budget was $50 million, so it paid for itself, and on top of that Ted earned a lot (via Box Office Mojo).