Jim Wahlberg

{{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) }}

| website = {{URL|jimwahlberg.com}}

}}

James M. Wahlberg (born August 19, 1965){{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}} is an American film producer and screenwriter.

Early life

Wahlberg was born in Dorchester, a neighborhood of Boston, to Donald and Alma Elaine Wahlberg. He is the fifth of nine children, with siblings Arthur, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie, Donnie, and Mark.{{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}} As a young person, Jim was in-and-out of juvenile detention centers and became briefly homeless when he was twelve years old. Throughout his teens, Wahlberg struggled with drug and alcohol addiction every day of his life and he lived essentially on his own. 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. 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). After exiting prison, he became an advocate for individuals suffering from addiction and hoped to help addicts escape the cycle of addiction.{{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}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.whataboutthekidsfilm.com/about|title=About|website=What About the Kids?}} 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).{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8613762/|title=The Circle of Addiction: A Different Kind of Tears (Short 2018) – IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} 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.{{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}} What About the Kids? showed the effects of addiction through the lens of a child.{{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/}} 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. 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3847452/|title="Wahlburgers" 4th of July Special (TV Episode 2014) – IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} 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.{{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}}{{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.{{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 }} Jim was featured on the long-running Christian Broadcasting Network The 700 Club twice.{{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}}{{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.{{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}}{{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}} The book summarizes the struggles of his drug addiction and the redemption story of his faith.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5966510/|title=James M. Wahlberg|website=IMDb}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} The memoir debuted to praise from critics for its brutal honesty and transparent storytelling and was sold out on Amazon in the first week.{{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}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} Jim Caviezel wrote the foreword to the book.

Personal life

Wahlberg married long-time girlfriend Bernarda aka Bennie in 1988. 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.{{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}}

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. The show featured athletes and entertainers such as Darryl Strawberry, Chris Mullins, and Brandon Novak,.

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.{{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|date=October 1, 2020}} 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."{{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}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://jimwahlberg.com/ |title=Home |website=jimwahlberg.com}}