Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are truly the most in-demand actors of this generation, and there’s no wonder why Mark Wahlberg dreams of collaborating with them. The Transformers actor once revealed that he considered Affleck a rival in the industry and that he tried to outdo the Batman star.
Wahlberg announced in the past that he gets very competitive around fellow actors who share the same Massachusetts upbringing. Damon and Affleck grew up in Cambridge, while Wahlberg was raised in Dorchester.
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Mark Wahlberg Spills The Tea On Rivalry With Ben Affleck And Matt Damon
In an interview with Boston Herald, Uncharted star Mark Wahlberg admitted the tension between him and fellow Boston boys Ben Affleck and Matt Damon:
“I don’t throw the compliments around when it comes to other Boston guys. I’ll be the first to admit that the three of us are all very competitive; we want to outdo each other.”
Despite the striking comment, Wahlberg paid the actor his respect and admitted that he wants to work with Affleck someday:
“But I am very impressed by [Ben’s] abilities behind the camera. I am a fan, and he’s proven himself to be a force of nature. He’s got the goods, and I want to work with him.”
In another interview with OK Magazine, the Mile 22 star said that he considers them as “close friends”:
“They are obviously close friends. I definitely root for them to be successful, but I also want to beat them at everything we do, I want to be a little bit better.”
Well, it seems like a healthy competition is happening, and fans also root for this trio!
Mark Wahlberg Talks About Collaboration With Fellow Boston Boys
In 2020, Wahlberg told On Air With Ryan Seacrest that he’s joining forces with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in making a movie adaptation of HBO’s McMillions:
“It’s one of those things that if a writer wrote it down, you wouldn’t believe it. I mean, it’s absolutely fascinating. We found the story, and we were just like we have to make this.”
Damon and Affleck found the story and purchased rights to an article reflecting the real-life account of how $24 million was stolen from the McDonald’s Monopoly game, which also interested Wahlberg. The Fighter actor added:
“It was a competing project. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck actually bought the rights to an article about it to make a feature film, but I’m hoping now maybe we can combine forces and go and make the movie together because it’s such an amazing story.”
Until now, the planned film adaptation under the title McScam: How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions is still under development. Even Affleck was not sure if this project that would bring him, Damon, and Wahlberg, together would get off the ground. He told Collider in 2020:
“There’s these moments where things sort themselves out, and you sort of see, ‘Is this still a priority, or are they really interested in different kinds of movies?’ And I’m not sure whether or not, McScam, what kind of priority it is. We really like it. We’re still developing the script.”
While the project might take some time to unfold, fans can stream McMillions TV series on HBO, produced by Mark Wahlberg.
Sources: Boston Herald, OK Magazine, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, Collider
