He may have recently played the role of Irish Micky Ward in The Fighter, but Mark Wahlberg has some Irish heritage himself. “Wahlberg” may not sound very Irish, but his family tree includes members by the names of Bradley, Doherty, Dunn and Donnelly. His great-grandmother Sarah A. Doherty was born in Ireland in 1873.

Wahlberg had a rough start in his early life. After his parents divorced when he was 11, he dropped out of school and entered the troubled world of stealing, hustling and drug dealing. After spending some time in prison for beating a man, Wahlberg knew he had to make some serious life changes.

He built himself up physically and entered the entertainment industry. With a little help from his New Kids On The Block brother, Donnie, Wahlberg became Marky Mark, the rapper of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch in 1991. The group recorded the #1 song “Good Vibrations,” which boosted Wahlberg’s fame. He also became known for his good physique, which landed him a job as an underwear model for Calvin Klein.

After a fall from the music world, Marky Mark simply became Mark Wahlberg and he decided to try out acting. His first role was in a 1993 TV movie called The Substitute. The following year, he was in the big-screen movie Renaissance Man, with Danny De Vito. Wahlberg went on to star in memorable roles in Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job, and The Departed.

Wahlberg has been nominated for many awards including Academy Awards for The Fighter and The Departed and Emmys for his production on the television show Entourage.