Mark Wahlberg Opens Up About The Physical & Spiritual Journey To Play Stuart Long in 'Father Stu'

Mark Wahlberg gets in the middle of a group photo at the photo call for Father Stu held at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills on Friday (April 1) in West Hollywood, Calif.

The 50-year-old actor joined his co-stars Mel Gibson, Teresa Ruiz, and Jacki Weaver for the press event, alongside director Rosalind Ross.

In a new interview, Mark opened up about his “passion” to get the film made, which is based on the life of Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who later battled a muscular disease.

“I would love to sit here and say — you know, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite — so I’d love to say that I had some chocolate chip cookies and wine at the end of the day,” Mark shared with CBS News about taking on the role of the former boxer, “but I had to eat and consume so many calories.”

He added that he “tried to do it in a healthy way, that by the time it came to having a little cheat meal, you didn’t wanna do anything other than just lay down. I mean, it felt so bad. But the journey — the spiritual journey, the physical journey — were such critical parts to the story.”

Father Stu opens in theaters on April 13.

Click inside to see 55+ pictures of the cast of Father Stu at the photo call…