Mark Wahlberg says he's embracing aging: 'I look forward to playing a grandfather soon'

Mark Wahlberg is 52 and feeling fine. The Oscar-nominated actor, producer, and entrepreneur, who is known for roles in films like The Fighter and Boogie Nights, as well as his rigorous workout routine, is leaning into his 50s with ease.

"I’m a dad now — embracing my old age," Wahlberg told Fox News. "A lot of guys my age in the business would probably say, 'Well, that character has grown kids or kids in their late teens, I don’t want to play that role.'" In contrast, Wahlberg says he's "embracing that."

"I look forward to playing a grandfather soon," said the father of daughters Ella, 20, and Grace, 13, as well as sons Michael, 17, and Brendan, 15, with his wife of 14 years, Rhea Durham, 45.

Wahlberg is also known for his diligence when it comes to taking care of himself. Last year, a video where the Instant Family star revealed in an on-the-street interview that he started his day by waking up at 2:30 a.m. for an intense workout went viral.

"Tomorrow I'm getting up at 2:30, in the gym by 3:30, finish about 5:30, go to work 7:30," Wahlberg told the camera, Fox News reported, adding that he intersperses "a lot of prayer" in between all that exercise. He shared that his eating regimen is just as strict as his workout one, and "I probably won't eat a meal until – last meal today was 6 p.m., so tomorrow probably noontime," Wahlberg explained.

Wahlberg first shared his regimented daily schedule in an Instagram Story back in 2018, to which fans, followers, and the rest of the Internet responded with surprise, particularly regarding his early wakeup time and two daily workouts.

Despite the intense reaction, Wahlberg shared with Yahoo Life in October that he's loosened up a bit on the time constraints of his regimen. Instead of waking up at 2:30 a.m., he chose to add an extra hour of sleep and wake up at 3:30 a.m. instead. This change allows him to focus on the "too many other things" he has going on the rest of the day.

Despite the strict nature of his daily routine, Wahlberg said that the interest in his schedule "got a little blown out of proportion."

"People thought I was taking an hour-and-a-half-long shower," he said.

Despite what the critics may say, Wahlberg said that routine is more about creating the personal time he needs to feel his best.

"But it’s just getting up early, having my prayer time, meditation, doing my workout, and then reading and doing all the things that I need to do before I even get the kids up for school," he noted. "It just worked for me."

A focus on health and wellness is also a bit of a family affair for Wahlberg, who has said in a previous interview with E! that his daughter Grace is a competitive equestrian who aspires to be an Olympian. He's also currently teaching his disciplined ways to his 17-year-old son Michael by inviting him to the gym to train with dear old dad.

"He's got me training him almost every day in the gym," Wahlberg told Yahoo Life of Michael, whom he believes truly enjoys the experience. "I don’t push him too hard 'cause I know it could go south. I’ll recommend some things, if he doesn’t want to do it I say, 'Cool. Maybe next time.'"