As one of nine siblings, Mark Wahlberg grew up in a big family, and went on to have one of his own. The Oscar nominee is a proud dad to four kids: Ella Rae, Michael, Brendan and Grace, ranging in age from 19 to 12.
Wahlberg shares all of his kids with his wife, model Rhea Durham. “It’s not easy,” Wahlberg told People in 2020 of his family. “But it’s how we always pictured things.”
In October, Wahlberg revealed he and and Durham moved their family to Nevada to give their kids "a better life."
“Every free moment that I have, I’m at home,” he said on "The Talk." “I want to be able to work from home. I moved to California many years ago to pursue acting and I’ve only made a couple of movies in the entire time that I was there.
“So, to be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams, whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer, this made a lot more sense for us," Wahlberg continued.
An openly religious man, Wahlberg spoke to Hoda Kotb about whether he encourages his kids to follow along in the Catholic tradition.
“They think dad’s crazy, and he’s boring,” he said on TODAY in April. “With my faith, I don’t force it on them. But they know that dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass.
“And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate towards it on their own," he continued.
Read on to learn more about Wahlberg's kids.
Ella Rae Wahlberg
In 2003, Wahlberg and Durham welcomed their first kid, daughter Ella Rae, into the world. The milestone moment was also bittersweet. The same day Ella was born, Wahlberg's older sister Debbie Wahlberg died at 43.
When Wahlberg celebrated his little girl's 18th birthday on Instagram in 2021, he called his sister Ella's "guardian angel."
"Always a bittersweet day," he posted.
In January, Wahlberg's wife got emotional after dropping Ella Rae off at college in South Carolina. Posting a photo of herself looking somber on a plane, she said her emotions were "running wild" after her first ever drop-off.
Michael Wahlberg
In 2006, Wahlberg and Durham welcomed their oldest son Michael. Michael, like his younger brother, is "obsessed with everything sports," per an interview Wahlberg did with People.
“The first thing out of their mouths in the morning when their eyes are barely open is, ‘Dad, did the Clippers win?’" he said.
For Michael's 16th birthday in March 2022, Durham celebrated the kid who made her a "boy mommy" in a series of throwback photos. "These past 16 years with you have been an amazing ride and I can’t wait to ride the future," she wrote.
They continue to celebrate milestones. In May 2022, Wahlberg marked Michael's confirmation ceremony by posting a photo of him and his mom. "So proud of this young man," Wahlberg wrote.
Brendan Wahlberg
In 2008, Wahlberg and Durham welcomed their youngest son, Brendan Wahlberg.
Just like his older brother, Brendan is an athlete. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2021, Wahlberg said his celebrity status sometimes intersects with his kids' aspirations — which, in effect, means he has to watch their sports games from the car.
“Me being in the public eye, there are pros to that, but there’s a lot of cons,” he said. “My kids wanna have their own identity, you know? I’m not allowed to get out of the car at football practice or a game. I got to sit in the car and watch.
“At first I took it personally, because I want to be there to support them, but supporting them is by making them feel comfortable in what they’re doing and them having their own identity too,” Wahlberg continued. “It’s very difficult.”
Wahlberg called his son a "natural" at riding a golf cart, posting a video to Instagram.
Of all of Wahlberg's kids, fans say Brendan looks the most like the actor. In March, Wahlberg posted a photo of them at UFC 285 in Las Vegas, and fans were quick to point out their resemblance.
“Mini U!!” one person commented.
“Your twin,” another said.
“Wow. Mini you,” someone else commented.
Grace Wahlberg
Born in January 2010, Grace Wahlberg is the baby of the family.
Grace is a competitive horse rider. In February, Wahlberg shared a few pictures of Grace and her horse, which had a first-place ribbon on his reins.
"So proud of Grace and the whole team, what an amazing job. TEAM GRACE," he captioned the post.
Durham frequently posts videos of Grace in action.
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