ET Purgatory Interview
Former New Kid on the Block-turned actor DONNIE WAHLBERG finds himself in "Purgatory" in his latest movie which is airing on TNT this week. Find out what it was like making this Western flick, and let us know if you think Donnie's still got "the right stuff."
Entertainment Tonight: First of all, what the heck are you packin' there, pal?
Donnie Wahlberg: Do you really want to talk about this on television? (joking) This is a peacemaker, Colt .45 -- a famous gun. Silver plated, especially engraved by some guy -- I don't know his name -- but it's what "[Billy] the Kid" used. These are real guns -- they're not props. They're just not real bullets, but they're all authentic. We go to the range and practice every weekend. Most of the actors, we use real bullets, real rounds, then we come to the set and put in blanks.
ET: Do you enjoy that kind of stuff?
Donnie: You know, I've never been into going to the shooting range. A lot of my friends are licensed to carry firearms. They go to the shooting range. It's never been something I was into, but I've been going every weekend before and during the film to practice. Believe it or not, it's a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon... Out in the mountains, sun shining, it's really peaceful. There's not a lot of distractions. You're just shooting little paper targets, cans, cards. We have little shooting contests. It's actually something I didn't think would be as much fun as it is.
ET: Does it get you ready for a day like today? I understand this is one of the biggest shoot-outs in the film.
Donnie: It's one of the biggest shoot-outs in all films! The characters that are involved in this, the histories of them and the collection of characters, has never been done before. So, it's pretty great, pretty big.
ET: When you get into a situation like that, with the practice that you've done, does it let you forget the acting and just be there?
Donnie: That's what you have to do, you have to practice. As an actor, you want to know. You would think when you go into acting, when people talk about improving and stuff, you'd think that means they like to show up on the set and just make it up on the spot ... but the only real way to improv is to know your stuff really well, because then you feel confident and comfortable enough to expand on what's written on the page. If you're in the middle of a moment and suddenly you say, "Wow! I can do this," or "I can get off two extra shots." You'll feel comfortable doing it, if you're prepared. You get the instinct, but suppress it because you don't feel confident. That's what I've learned in films. The first film I ever did, I had all these ideas I wanted to do. It was a small film called, 'Bullet' with TUPAC SHAKUR and MICKEY ROURKE. It was just a little part, but I had a lot of ideas -- I wanted to do things. I didn't just want to say, "hey." I wanted to say "HEY," and I didn't realize it was cool to do that. The director probably would've said, "That's great!" But I was a little nervous and didn't quite know my way around a movie set, so it's all part of the process.
ET: Tell us who you are in this Western.
Donnie: I play Deputy Glenn who's SAM SHEPARD's deputy -- he's playing Sheriff Forrest. I'm sort of new in town. I don't quite know the rules or don't quite accept the rules of the town. I have a little difficulty with the attitude, the passiveness of some of the elder statesmen in the town. I sort of point out to them that I don't like it and I'm ready to do something about it. Unfortunately, they sort of have the power over me, but I continue to fight to have my say and have my way.
ET: What's it like being Sam Shepard's deputy?
Donnie: It's fun. I think the first day on the set... I'm a city boy and he obviously has been around horses. He knows them well, that's his life. I don't want to say he's a cowboy, but he's the real deal. From the first day, I didn't really have any inhibitions about it. I wasn't shy or nervous, it's just been an education. He's wide open with information and experience. A lot of times, we'll just sit around and tell stories -- wild stories about his experience dealing with hogs and dealing with all of this stuff about nature and cool stuff. I'll be like, "Yeah, I grew up in the city and one time I was in the playground, and this happened ... some gangs came..." It's been pretty cool. He hasn't been intimidating because he's so sharing. We've actually hung out together off the set. We've played golf, and when you play golf with somebody -- even if they are as intimidating as Sam Shepard could be -- you get on that golf course and that disappears, because that game will humble anybody. So, we're in a good place, Sam and I...
ET: The movie is being described as a "thriller-Western." How so? What makes it a different kind of Western?
Donnie: I don't know that it's a different kind of Western. The thing is that it's sort of like an amalgamation of all Westerns with a twist. It's incredible. There's little pieces of everything from all the great Westerns, but there's just a little twist in this one. The twist is really cleverly done. It's the type of twist that, of course, is risky. I think with this director, this cast, we'll pull off the twist. It definitely borrows from all the great Westerns -- the style that the director uses, some references in the script and stuff. I think it's done in an original way, a new and fresh way and kind of a positive way. It's not a "beat you over the head" positive message film, but you can definitely get something out of it if you pay attention.
ET: Last question. When you were a boy, was there a TV or a movie Western character that you thought was cool?
Donnie: Shane. I liked Shane and my father ... when I was a little boy, my father used to make me watch movies with him. I didn't want to and he'd say, "Come on, today we're going to watch 'The Maltese Falcon.' We watched 'Dead End' and a lot of HUMPHREY BOGART movies and 'The Great Escape.' You name it, he made me watch all of the old movies. One day, he kept telling me I was going to watch 'Shane.' I wasn't really big on Westerns. My father, my brother Mark and myself sat down with him and we loved 'Shane.' It was probably the first Western that I really enjoyed. I mean, of course, little kids like "The Lone Ranger," but for me it was 'Shane.'
ET website: January 8, 1999