(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Mark Wahlberg is desperate to get a get a diploma before his children grow up and beat him to it.
The American actor had a troubled childhood including many brushes with the law, and he spent time in jail. He left school early because of his lifestyle, and its something he still regrets.
The 39-year-old has turned his life around, and drawn praise for his roles in movies such as The Fighter and The Departed. He has children Ella, seven, Michael, four, Joseph, two and one-year-old Grace with his wife Rhea Durham, and is keen for them to have the best upbringing possible. He regularly tells them how important education is, but knows they will start asking questions if he hasnt finished his own by the time they are older.
I need to get a diploma before my kids graduate! I definitely want to further my education. I've got a few years, he said.
"Somebody was on a plane with me recently and said, 'Oh, I'll get a guy to come over and tutor you for a couple of hours. I was like, 'It will be more like a couple of months. But I think I've got to do it. I'll feel great about it once I do."
Mark and Rhea have weekly date nights to keep the romance alive in their marriage, and ensure their kids are in bed by 7pm nightly so they have time to be together.
The star is amazed by how his life has turned out, explaining one of the biggest alterations is the amount of time he has to dedicate to his projects.
Since I quit smoking weed and partying there's enough time in the day to sleep eight hours, get up in the morning, get the kids ready for school and do a full day's work, he told British newspaper The Sun.
Being a father also helped Mark with his role as boxer Irish Micky Ward in The Fighter. He lived and breathed boxing for five years to prepare, training hard every day to ensure he looked the part.
However, it was talking to his co-star Christian Bale at their daughters school which was the key. Mark asked Christian to look at the movies script, after which he took the part of Mickys drug-addicted half brother Dicky Eklund. He has gone on to win a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for the portrayal. (C) Cover Media