Reinvented Wahlberg on a roll

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What will Mark Wahlberg turn his talents to now that he's joined the select club of Oscar-nominated actors?

"English period dramas. The Royal Shakespearean Academy," the actor says by telephone in a thick, fake British accent.

He's joking, of course. This is the actor formerly known as rapper Marky Mark, after all.

Not that one should underestimate Mr. Wahlberg. If he wants to do Shakespeare, he'll do Shakespeare -- and by now, it should surprise few if he ended up excelling at it.

He carries his latest film, "Shooter," an action thriller that opens in theaters today. And he was the only actor to receive an Oscar nomination for "The Departed," the best picture winner that featured one of the best casts of 2006.

In "The Departed," he played Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Dignam. The 35-year-old actor was on the other side of the law growing up in Boston, however, a time he now calls a "whole other world."

He was arrested more than once and spent some time in jail. He reinvented himself when he got out, becoming rapper Marky Mark and scoring a huge dance hit in 1991 with the single "Good Vibrations."

He transformed himself again two years later, making his acting debut in a TV movie. The former Calvin Klein underwear model surprised everyone by showing real talent. He won acclaim for a part in "The Basketball Diaries" in 1995, and made his big breakthrough two years later in Paul Thomas Anderson's porn industry saga "Boogie Nights."

It was a long road from juvenile delinquent to Oscar-nominated actor, but Mr. Wahlberg says his new status won't change how he approaches his career. "We make the kind of things we would want to see and that people would want to see us in," he explains. "I want to challenge myself. I want to continue to grow as an actor. But I'm not going to think, 'What's the next thing that will get me nominated?' I wasn't expecting to get nominated for 'The Departed.' "

"Shooter" isn't likely to earn Mr. Wahlberg another nomination, but Antoine Fuqua's film is a thoughtfully political action film with an intelligent performance from Mr. Wahlberg. He plays Bob Lee Swagger, a retired Marine Corps marksman coaxed back into service to prevent the assassination of the president.