Feature for Four Brothers

Mark Wahlberg has come a long, long way from the mean streets of Boston. Since a stint in jail as a teenager - which forced him to miss out on a place in big brother Donnie’s band New Kids On The Block - the hunky star has found fame as a successful rapper, an iconic Calvin Klein model and a Hollywood actor.

But in September 2003, Mark found his true calling – being a father to baby daughter Ella Rae.

The 34-year-old heartthrob claims the birth of his daughter, whose mother is Rhea Durham, changed his life, forcing him to finally grow up.

He revealed recently: "The birth of my baby changed everything for me. Being a father has changed me in every possible way. It just puts it all into perspective. The enormity of the responsibility is just overwhelming at times."

However, the joy of Ella Rae’s birth was marred by tragedy – as Mark’s older sister, Deborah, died on the very same day of a suspected heart attack aged just 43.

Mark, who is one of nine siblings, is now a doting dad to his two-year-old daughter – but he admits he was hoping to have a baby boy - because he thought it would be easier to raise.

He confessed: “I think I was looking for an easy way out! But I love my little girl so dearly."

In fact, the ‘Planet of the Apes’ star was so stunned when he found out the new baby was a girl that he couldn’t speak for 20 minutes. He admits he “freaked out” when he discovered he was having a daughter because he has treated women badly in the past.

He explained: “Having a little girl scares me. My mother said to me, ‘All the s*** you did to girls, you end up having one.’ And you know what? When we had the ultrasound and the doctor said it was a girl, I hung my head for, like, 20 minutes, and then I realised, ‘I can’t freak out,’ because that would cause problems. But now I couldn’t be happier.”

Settling down and having a family is something the screen hunk has wanted for years. At the age of 30, he confessed: “I wish I was already married and starting to have a family."

But although he has the child he has always dreamed of, Mark is yet to make long-term girlfriend Rhea his wife.

The couple’s relationship hasn’t always run smoothly – they split just a few months after Ella Rae’s birth when the actor reportedly began to feel “trapped”. During their break, Mark enjoyed a string of dates with ‘Sin City’ beauty Jessica Alba and tennis babe Anna Kournikova.

But by April 2004, stunning Rhea was back in the actor’s muscular arms, with him saying: "Rhea is what I was looking for. She has really strong morals and high standards, and I like that."

A source added at the time: “Mark never stopped caring for Rhea but he wasn’t ready to settle down. He now wants to do everything possible to make the relationship work.”

Mark is so dedicated to his family life, he is already planning his retirement so he can spend more time with Rhea and their daughter.

He said: "I only want to make a few more movies. I know there's going to come a time when Daddy's going to need to be there all the time and I look forward to that.”

The devoted family man is a far cry from the juvenile delinquent who used to deal drugs and even served time in prison for assault after attacking a man with a metal hook during a robbery.

The hunky star, who grew up in rough South Boston, admits he's "very lucky to be alive" and has and claims his life now is "tame" compared to his days as a drug-taking teenager.

But, despite his success, Mark hasn’t forgotten his roots, and has even offered his jailbird friends jobs on his Hollywood movies.

However, his generous plan backfired when he realised not all his old pals were reformed characters when some of them stole from his film sets.

Mark revealed: "I try to give them a job and show them another way, but sometimes they're not capable of adapting to a different world, especially Hollywood.

"I've had a number of friends who couldn't adapt, and have gotten me and themselves into a lot of trouble when they stole equipment from the film set."

But while Mark’s pals struggle to keep on the straight and narrow, he has managed to escape his troubled life and carve himself a career in Hollywood.

After several chart hits with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and roles in several minor films, the star got his ‘big’ break in the 1997 movie ‘Boogie Nights’, as well-endowed porn star Dirk Diggler.

To date, it remains Mark’s most famous role – not least because of the notorious scene at the end of the film where Dirk reveals his 13-inch member.

Even eight years later, the actor is still plagued by fans who want to see if he is as well-hung as Dirk in real life – and he claims men always try to look at his manhood when he goes to the toilet in a public place.

Mark – who claims he is a “decent” size – recently revealed: “It’s a bit embarrassing when I go into a locker room or take a pee in a bar because guys try to check me out. That’s always weird.”

But despite his embarrassment, the sexy star is so proud of the prosthetic penis he wore in ‘Boogie Nights’ that he keeps it locked in his safe.

He once admitted: “I have it in my safe at home. It’s my prized possession – you never know when it’s going to come in handy. If things don’t work out, I could always auction it to the highest bidder!”