{{Short description|American film producer (born 1965)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Jim Wahlberg | birth_name = James M. Wahlberg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|8|19}} | birth_place = Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Producer|writer}} | years_active = 2012–present | spouse = {{marriage|Bernarda Wahlberg|1988}} | children = 3, including Jeff Wahlberg | relatives = {{unbulleted list | Donnie Wahlberg (brother) | Mark Wahlberg (brother)|Rhea Durham (sister-in-law)| Robert Wahlberg (brother) | Paul Wahlberg (brother) | Jenny McCarthy (sister-in-law) }} | website = {{URL|jimwahlberg.com}} }} '''James M. Wahlberg''' (born August 19, 1965)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/11/02/interview-jim-wahlberg-catholic-recovery-filmmaking-prayer|title=Interview: Jim Wahlberg talks recovery, filmmaking and prayer|date=November 6, 2020|website=America Magazine}}</ref> is an American film producer and screenwriter.
==Early life== Wahlberg was born in Dorchester, a neighborhood of Boston, to Donald (1930–2008) and Alma Elaine Wahlberg (née Donnelly; 1942–2021). He is the fifth of nine children, with siblings Arthur, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie, Donnie, and Mark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/hustled-by-the-spirit/|title=Hustled by the Spirit|first=Debbie|last=Cramsie|date=October 17, 2020}}</ref> As a young person, Jim was in-and-out of juvenile detention centers and became briefly homeless when he was twelve years old.<ref name="auto" /> Throughout his teens, Wahlberg struggled with drug and alcohol addiction every day of his life and he lived essentially on his own.<ref name="auto" /> Wahlberg's criminal record grew to include arrests for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct which then led to two jail sentences before the age of twenty-two.<ref name=":0" /> While in prison after being convicted of armed robbery, Wahlberg found faith in God, and began to end his addiction to alcohol (which he had regularly consumed since he was eight) and drugs (which he had regularly consumed since he was ten).<ref name=":0" /> After exiting prison, he became an advocate for individuals suffering from addiction and hoped to help addicts escape the cycle of addiction.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://osvnews.com/2020/08/21/i-dont-think-i-would-have-lived-much-longer-in-the-streets-how-faith-saved-jim-wahlberg/|title='I don't think I would have lived much longer in the streets': How faith saved Jim Wahlberg|date=August 21, 2020|website=Our Sunday Visitor}}</ref>
==Career==
===Film and television=== Wahlberg followed in the footsteps of his brothers Mark and Donnie and entered the film industry through the creation of Wahl St. Productions, a film, television, and web content production company.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.whataboutthekidsfilm.com/about|title=About|website=What About the Kids?}}</ref> Wahl St. Productions is credited for films such as ''The Circle of Addiction: A Different Kind of Tears'' (2018), ''If Only'' (2015), and ''What About the Kids?'' (2020). <ref name="films"/><ref name="kids"/><ref name="circle"/> The films showcase the harsh realities of addiction and have featured family members of people who have died of an accidental overdose as extras and actors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jim Wahlberg filming follow up film to prevent opioid addiction|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/jim-wahlberg-filming-film-prevent-000900982.html|website=WMUR-TV|date=February 11, 2018 |via=Yahoo News}}</ref> ''What About the Kids?'' showed the effects of addiction through the lens of a child.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news|last=Muñiz|first=Sheli|date=September 22, 2020|title=South Florida Short Film Shows the Effects of the Opioid Epidemic Through the Lens of a Child|work=NBC Miami|url=https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/south-florida-short-film-shows-shows-the-effects-of-the-opioid-epidemic-through-the-lens-of-a-child/2296633/}}</ref> Wahlberg's films and documentaries aim to dissolve the stigma of addiction and substance abuse.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
Walhberg is also known for being a personality on the A&E show ''Wahlburgers'' which took a deep dive into the lives and families behind the successful restaurant chain.<ref name="auto2" /> A special episode featured Wahlberg as he successfully ran the Boston Marathon in tribute to those that lost their lives in the Boston Marathon Bombing a year prior.<ref name="marathon">{{Cite web |title= SEASON 1:10 4th of July Special |url= https://www.aetv.com/shows/wahlburgers/season-1/episode-10 |website= aetv.com |access-date=5 April 2026}}</ref> In 2015, an exclusive ''Wahlburgers'' episode, aired the Festival of Families celebration in Philadelphia, where Jim and brothers Donnie and Mark met with Pope Francis, thus furthering Wahlberg's relationship with his faith.<ref name="pope">{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/star-studded-line-up-at-catholic-meeting-with-pope-in-philadelphia_n_55f70e1fe4b077ca094fdc39 |title= Mark Wahlberg, Aretha Franklin To Attend Pope Event In Philadelphia|first=Antonia|last=Blumberg|date=September 14, 2015|website=HuffPost}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2021}}
Wahlberg is an executive producer of ''The Lookalike'', starring Justin Long. He is credited as an executive producer on ''Wahl Street'', a docu-series that aired in 2021 on HBO Max that followed his brother Mark Wahlberg's business interests.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite news|url=https://bostonmanmagazine.com/stopping-the-cycle/|title=Stopping the Cycle | Jim Wahlberg and America's War on Addiction|newspaper=Bostonman Magazine |date=January 10, 2019|last1=Broderick |first1=Matt }}</ref> Jim was featured on the long-running Christian Broadcasting Network ''The 700 Club'' twice.<ref name="auto6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3847452/|title="Wahlburgers" 4th of July Special (TV Episode 2014) – IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14208364/|title="The 700 Club" Episode dated 9 March 2021 (TV Episode 2021) – IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}}
===Writing=== Wahlberg wrote his first book in August 2020, debuting his memoir ''The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid's Story of Addiction and Redemption''.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Big-Hustle-Boston-Addiction-Redemption-ebook/dp/B08CHL1M95/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8|title=The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid's Story of Addiction and Redemption|first=Jim|last=Wahlberg|date=June 25, 2020|publisher=Our Sunday Visitor|via=Amazon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lisahendey.com/the-big-hustle-3-minutes-with-jim-wahlberg/|title=The Big Hustle: 3 Minutes with Jim Wahlberg|date=November 4, 2020|website=LisaHendey.com}}</ref> The book summarizes the struggles of his drug addiction and the redemption story of his faith.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-big-hustle-3-minutes-with-jim-wahlberg |first= Lisa M. |last= Hendey |title= The Big Hustle: 3 Minutes with Jim Wahlberg |date= 11 November 2020 |access-date= 5 April 2026 |website= catholicmom.com}}</ref> The memoir debuted to praise from critics for its brutal honesty and transparent storytelling and was sold out on Amazon in the first week.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Author and Producer Jim Wahlberg Shares Journey to Sobriety Through Faith With New Book and Film|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Gw9WdWPpk|website=Currents News| date=September 24, 2020 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} Jim Caviezel wrote the foreword to the book.<ref name="auto5" />
==Personal life== Wahlberg married long-time girlfriend Bernarda aka Bennie in 1988.<ref name="auto4" /> The couple live in South Florida and have three children: son Daniel Wahlberg (b. 1997) and fraternal twins Jeff and Kyra (b. 1996). His son Jeff is an actor and has appeared in films such as ''Dora and the Lost City of Gold'' (2019), ''Cherry'' (2021), and ''Future World'' (2018).{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
Wahlberg is a devout Catholic; in an interview on ''The Catholic Talk Show'', he gave all praise and credit to Jesus Christ, and the Catholic Church for his life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catholictalkshow.com/the-powerful-catholic-conversion-story-of-jim-wahlberg/|title=The Powerful Catholic Conversion Story of Jim Wahlberg|date=June 1, 2020|website=The Catholic Talk Show}}</ref>
Wahlberg is also the host of ''The Bottom Line'', a podcast that highlights the stories of individuals and their struggles and eventual breakthroughs with addiction.<ref name="auto" /> The show featured athletes and entertainers such as Darryl Strawberry, Chris Mullin, and Brandon Novak.<ref name="auto4" />
Wahlberg has been outspoken about the need for additional recovery and 12 step options during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, he wrote an opinion piece in ''USA Today'' about the dangers of isolation and addiction amid the pandemic.<ref name="auto1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wfla.com/bloom/jim-wahlberg-premieres-movie-about-opioid-crisis/|title=Jim Wahlberg offers help to those suffering from substance abuse|work=WFLA|date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> In an interview with Raymond Arroyo for Eternal Word Television Network, Wahlberg opens up about his history of crime, abuse, and meeting Mother Teresa while in prison; he states "It was the absolute most defining moment in my life, it's the moment that everything changed for me."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74VokhY-QVo|title=World Over – 2020-09-17 – Full Episode with Raymond Arroyo|date=September 18, 2020|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
Wahlberg currently serves as the executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation (MWYF) which was created to improve the quality of life for inner-city kids.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=https://jimwahlberg.com/|title=Home|website=jimwahlberg.com}}</ref>
==Credits==
===Filmography=== {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 2012 || ''A Feeling from Within'' || Producer || Film || {{cn|date= April 2026}} |- | 2014 || ''The Lookalike'' || Producer || Feature film || <ref name="lookalike">{{cite web|url= https://www.yellowbrickfilms.net/portfolio_page/the-lookalike/ |title= The Lookalike |website= yellowbrickfilms.net |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|2015 || ''Instant Gratification'' || Executive producer || Short film || {{cn|date= April 2026}} |- | ''If Only'' || Writer / Producer || Short film || <ref name="films">{{cite web|url= https://www.jimwahlberg.com/films |title= Films |website= jimwahlberg.com |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="wahlburgers"/> |- | 2015–2019 || ''Wahlburgers'' || Producer / Cast member || Reality TV series || <ref name="wahlburgers">{{cite web|url= https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/a-fourth-wahlberg-brother-comes-to-the-fore-in-new-book/ |first= Mark |last= Pattison |title= A fourth Wahlberg brother comes to the fore in new book |website= angelusnews.com |date= 4 November 2020 |access-date= 5 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="marathon"/><ref name="pope"/> |- | 2016 || ''Toyed'' || Executive producer || Short film || {{cn|date= April 2026}} |- | 2018 || ''The Circle of Addiction: A Different Kind of Tears'' || Director / Producer / Writer || Short film || <ref name="circle">{{cite web|url= https://wwfilmfest.com/films/a-circle-of-addiction-a-different-kind-of-tears/ |title= The Circle of Addiction: A Different Kind of Tears |website= wwfilmfest.com |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="wahlburgers"/> |- | rowspan="2"|2019 || ''I Played the Giants on a Monday Night'' || Executive producer || Short film || {{cn|date= April 2026}} |- | ''In Their Shoes: Unheard Stories of Reentry & Recovery'' || Executive Producer || Documentary film || <ref name="shoes">{{cite web|url= https://film-authority.com/2022/07/01/in-their-shoes/ |title= In Their Shoes |website= film-authority.com |access-date= 5 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="wahlburgers"/> |- | 2020 || ''What About the Kids?'' || Director / Producer / Writer || Short film || <ref name="films"/><ref name="kids">{{cite web|url= https://www.whataboutthekidsfilm.com |title= What About the Kids? |website= whataboutthekidsfilm.com |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="wahlburgers"/> |- | 2021 || ''Wahl Street'' || Executive producer || Docuseries, 6 episodes || <ref name="auto3"/> |- | 2022 || ''Mother Theresa: No Greater Love'' || Executive producer || Short film || <ref name="films"/> |- | 2023 || ''Breaking the Chains: Jim Wahlberg's Journey to Faith'' || Himself || Short film || <ref name="chains">{{cite web|url= https://heedthecall.org/breakingchains/ |title= Breaking the Chains: Jim Wahlberg's Journey to Faith |website= heedthecall.org |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|2024 || ''Out of the Ashes'' || Director / Producer || Film || <ref name="films"/><ref name="ashes">{{cite web|url= https://andre-castillo-ebr2.squarespace.com/events/out-of-the-ashes |title= Out of the Ashes |website= Interfaith Broadcasting Commission |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist'' || Producer || Documentary film || <ref name="films"/><ref name="jesus">{{cite web|url= https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/jim-wahlberg-on-new-film-and-powerful-conversion-mother-teresa-was-sent-there-for-me |first= Francesca |last= Pollio Fenton |title= Jim Wahlberg on new film and powerful conversion: Mother Teresa ‘was sent there for me’ |website= ewtnnews.com |date= 20 May 2024 |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref> |- | 2025 || ''Wired for Holiness: The Life of Blessed Carlo Acutis'' (aka ''Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality'') || Producer || Documentary film || <ref name="films"/><ref name="wired">{{cite web|url= https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/carlo-acutis-film-2025/ |first= Francesca |last= Pollio Fenton |title= New film on the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis to hit theaters in 2025 |website= angelusnews.com |date= 5 July 2024 |access-date= 4 April 2026}}</ref> |}
===Podcast=== {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Ref. |- | || ''The Bottom Line''|| Host || <ref name="auto" /> |}
===Bibliography=== {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Ref. |- | 2020 || ''The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid's Story of Addiction and Redemption'' || Author || <ref name="auto5"/> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm5966510}}
{{Wahlberg family}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahlberg, Jim}} Category:1965 births Category:20th-century American criminals Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American memoirists Category:Activists from Florida Category:Activists from Massachusetts Category:American homeless people Category:American male criminals Category:American people convicted of robbery Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:Catholics from Florida Category:Catholics from Massachusetts Category:Criminals from Florida Category:Criminals from Massachusetts Category:Film directors from Florida Category:Film directors from Massachusetts Category:Living people Category:People from Dorchester, Boston Category:Television producers from Massachusetts Jim Category:Writers from Florida Category:Writers from Massachusetts Category:American people of English descent