Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | News | October 14, 2025
During a recent literary festival, Graham Norton spoke about the “hell” it was to interview Mark Wahlberg in a 2013 episode of The Graham Norton Show because the actor was so drunk. And Norton’s show had nothing to do with it. “If you ever see a drunk person on the show, it’s because they’ve arrived drunk - we have not made that happen,” he insisted.
“Mark Wahlberg was a weird one because when he arrived, he didn’t seem drunk. He told me about his film, told me a couple of stories about stunts going wrong or whatever, and then it was only 15 minutes into the show when whatever the hell was in his system really took hold - and it was hell.”
I looked up the old episode, and he’s not wrong. It’s awkward as hell because neither Sarah Silverman nor Michael Fassbender can get a word in edgewise since Wahlberg won’t be quiet (in fact, at one point, Silverman has to tell Wahlberg to please be quiet so she can finish her story).
“No one could tell a story,” Norton went on. “You tried to tell a story, he’d just interrupt and, at one stage, Michael Fassbender was telling a story and this one was going quite well. He was really getting into the heart of the anecdote. I thought, ‘this one is going well - I wonder why,’ and I looked over at Mark Wahlberg and he was asleep. So yeah, we don’t encourage that.”
He did say that the show provides one drink to guests who want it, and they might be able to top it off during the show, “but the most you can have is two, three tops. So if anyone does want to appear on the show and be drunk, my tip to you would be pre-load.”
It’s clear that Wahlberg came pre-loaded. Here’s a five-minute segment from the show (you can watch it all here), where it’s clearly evident that Wahlberg is not just drunk but an annoying drunk, to boot.
Not for nothing, but if Wahlberg behaves like that in front of an audience while he’s drunk, I’d be worried about his behavior behind closed doors if I were his wife. He’s not just an annoying drunk — he’s an affectionate one.
via The Independent
