Believe it or not, actors aren't dumb. Sure, they sometimes decide to make bad movies and smile and nod through promotion, but that's just because they are contractually obligated. Once removed from the whole circus, though, they are free to express themselves all they want and let their true opinion be heard. That's exactly what Mark Wahlberg did this weekend.
This past Saturday I attended the press conference for The Fighter, Wahlberg's newest film that will likely be a heavy contender (no pun intended) come Oscar season. But when asked about what it was like to work with co-star Amy Adams, the actor mentioned that he had actually met with her before for "a bad movie that [he] did" that she eventually decided not to do. At first he was hesitant to say what the title of the movie was, but then quickly blurted out "The Happening with M. Night Shyamalan." As the room erupted - seriously erupted - in laughter, Wahlberg continued, saying "Fucking trees, man, the plants. Fuck it. You can't blame me for wanting to try to play a science teacher, you know? I wasn't playing a cop or a crook."
I'm wondering if Shyamalan's year could seriously get any worse at this point. First he was responsible for one of this summer's worst films in The Last Airbender, then theaters across the country cackled when his name showed up during the trailer for Devil. I actually kind of respect actors more when they make this kind of admission. Sure, it's not like they're giving their paycheck back or anything, but it demonstrates a healthy mind and a lack of ego when they can say that one of their previous projects was bad. Lord knows you're not going to find Shyamalan admitting it any time soon.
